Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/202503
✦ News & notes They Said It "We have to try to be perfect in everything we do because that's the only way we'll have a chance to beat them. Air Force is a good offensive football team, and [Notre Dame] was able to hold them to 10 points." — Navy sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds "We didn't need to see the Air Force score to know how good they are. They've beaten us 56-14 and 50-10 the last two times. Notre Dame is always a good football team. Our kids are looking forward to the challenge, and it's going to be a monumental task." — Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo "This is, without a doubt, the best offensive team we've seen to this point. They have put up a lot of points against everybody. They are loaded at all the skill positions and have a huge offensive line. They Former Notre Dame starting quarterback Everett are very talented across the board." — Navy Golson said it has been tough watching the Irish play this fall while he waits to re-enroll in January. defensive coordinator Buddy Green photo by joe raymond "I've never had so many mixed emotions in my life. I'm constantly watching the game and getting excited, but it's still that sense of, 'OK, well you're not there.' Just seeing those guys going out there and battling each and every week and me not being a part of that, that really kind of hurt me. … I felt like I maybe could've been there doing my best to help the team win. It hurts." — Former Notre Dame starting quarterback Everett Golson on watching the Irish play this fall in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples "My heart was set on going back to Notre Dame. Not necessarily to prove to anybody, just doing it for me. That's something that I started, and I didn't want to run away from and go to a [junior college] or go to another school. I was going to go face it." — Golson to Staples on why he decided to sit out the semester rather than enroll in a junior college "There won't be proof-of-worthiness emerging from games against Air Force and Navy because the competition doesn't lend itself to that. The Irish are set up to lose much more than they could gain over two weeks. So they just can't lose. With Rees, especially, they kept a letdown at arm's length." — Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune "He's a guy that we knew right away could help us win games. He's a got a thing you can't coach, that's speed. He catches the ball really well. It all looks up from here for him. Anytime a freshman comes in you expect [an early struggle]. He's learned the ins and outs of the offense. Anytime I could help him out I did. He's a bright kid, and he understands the game of football." — Notre Dame senior quarterback Tommy Rees on freshman wide receiver Will Fuller ✦ Page 14