tin (a senior recovering from Novem-
ber MCL surgery) and fifth-year senior
Lombard (right wrist surgery) both
sidelined, Hiestand had to do more
mixing and matching. Consequently,
chemistry along the offensive line won't
really begin to build until the Irish re-
turn to the practice field in August.
That's why a defense often might have
an edge during the spring, and why the
Blue-Gold Game had numerous break-
downs in protection that left the quar-
terbacks often on the run.
"We're nowhere where it needs to
be," Hiestand said the final week of
spring practice. "We're definitely out
of whack throwing guys all over the
place."
Once training camp arrives, individu-
als will be more consistently aligned at
the same spot.
"In the long run what we've gone
through this spring will really benefit
the football team because we've had
guys pretty much everywhere," Hies-
tand said. "… They have struggled with
it, but it helps you become a better foot-
ball player because it gives you a much
better understanding of the whole pic-
ture."
Shoring up the left side to protect
right-handed quarterback Everett Gol-
son's blind side was a first step. And
if left-handed quarterback Malik Zaire
has to be inserted at quarterback in case
of an emergency …
"We better be good on the right
[side]," Hiestand smiled. "If some-
body new was going to play left tackle
I'd rather it be some who's played 12
games … I wanted to secure that. If
[Zaire] is in there, then we'll have to
adjust and hopefully by then the right
side will be solid, too." ✦
1-800-421-7751 • www.BlueGoldOnline.com
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