Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS up the team. It used to be different, when you have 100-something guys and you could split a team up," Sumlin told reporters this spring. "We have a hard time keeping quality by split- ting up. That's why we go offense and defense. I know fans get tired of that, but it's worthless to us when you have guys playing with starters and guys that are never going to play just to make two different teams." Whether it is for political or practical reasons — this year's Blue-Gold Game was the 85th and it will not be can- celed anytime soon — Irish head coach Brian Kelly said there are advantages to simulating a game-day experience. "If you can create that atmosphere, and we're fortunate at Notre Dame where we can get a decent crowd," he said. "If you get a decent crowd and create a game-like atmosphere, I definitely think it is helpful to have a game-like format, with referees and a crowd and that scenario. I think it's one where the kids definitely have to focus in a game-like atmosphere. "For me, there's no question that that can be helpful. If there's only go- ing to be 100 people there and you don't have the facility to do it, you could just get by with a scrimmage. But I think we can really create a game- like atmosphere at Notre Dame." Like many other programs, Notre Dame held an offense versus defense spring game rather than splitting up the players on two sides. It can be a difficult numbers game to juggle. Look no further than the Irish offensive line, which consisted of nine avail- able scholarship players at the spring game, a figure not large enough to split up two teams. Even with that in mind, Kelly pre- fers the spring tradition. "It continues to have significant im- portance, maybe not from [an outsid- er's] perspective," he said. "You kind of get a glimpse of maybe this guy can project. For us, this is 24 years, I've seen this movie before. We're in the middle of the process here, developing so many things with our players. It's an important day for us. I know it's hyperbole with you guys, but for me it's important. "I need [senior quarterback Everett Golson] out there. I need [sophomore quarterback Malik Zaire] out there. I need [junior wide receiver] Chris Brown out there. I need [sophomore offensive lineman Steve Elmer] out there. These guys need to keep practic- ing. We need more film where we can sit down and coach them and teach them. "It all means something. It has some significance for us to teach them. It's an important practice. Even more so be- cause there's a little more to it because it's tackle." Even if schools across the country begin to rethink their strategy, Notre Dame will continue to hold a spring game. And that's good news for fans desperate for football with a new season still more than four months away. ✦ Andrew Owens has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2013. He can be reached at aowens@blueandgold.com