Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/200019
under the DOME Quarterback Drama Continues Kelly Soap opera is old hat to Brian By Lou Somogyi B rian Kelly arrived at Notre Dame with a reputation of maximizing the quarterback position to its fullest, whatever the situation. In 2006 at Central Michigan, Kelly promoted redshirt freshman Dan LeFevour to the starting spot, and it resulted in the Chippewas' first conference title, plus bowl win, in 12 years, with LeFevour passing for 3,031 yards and 26 touchdowns. In 2008 at Cincinnati, Kelly used four different quarterbacks (although Tony Pike started 10 of the 14 games and played in two others), but the Bearcats still won the Big East and made it to the BCS. In 2009, despite a midseason injury to Pike, backup Zach Collaros excelled in a relief role, passing for 1,434 yards and rushing for 344 during a 12-0 regular season before Kelly departed to Notre Dame. In some ways, Kelly's reputation has continued with the Fighting Irish, and in other ways it has regressed. A Challenging Run At QB The pluses include Kelly's first season, when freshman Tommy Rees had to replace injured starter Dayne Crist, and the result was a surprising 4-0 finish. Last year, sophomore Everett Golson, with no previous playing experience, helped lead the Irish to a 12-0 regular season — with a huge assist from Rees in four clutch games. It reflected how Kelly has a knack for pushing the right but- tons at quarterback, because both Rees and Golson were less heralded three-star prospects. Then there's the flip side. Former five-star recruit Crist saw his game flounder, and it never flourished when he played his fifth season at Kansas in 2012. Another five-star recruit, 2012 freshman Gunner Kiel, transferred to Kelly's old stomping ground (Cincinnati) this spring. Meanwhile, Rees' classmate, four-star recruit Andrew Hendrix, who began to challenge Rees for the starting role at the end of 2011, struggled when he had to replace Rees in the second half against USC Oct. 19, missing all four of his pass attempts, rushing for five yards on six carries and nearly losing a fumble while attempting to set up for a pass. In all four of Kelly's