Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/434567
BY LOU SOMOGYI A f o u r- g a m e l o s i n g streak and a 1-5 finish to a once promising 6-0 start usually elicits three requests, if not demands, from a Notre Dame fan base: Change the quar- terback, change the co- ordinators or change the head coach, if not all three. Fifth-year Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly recognized that the 49-14 loss at USC to cap the regular season would generate some outrage. "To give up [a school- record] six touchdown passes [at USC] is abso- lutely unacceptable un- der any circumstance," Kelly said in his meeting with the media Dec. 8 af- ter Notre Dame accepted the bid to play LSU in the Music City Bowl Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn. "… Everybody's on notice. Coaches alike — our coaches are on notice. Unacceptable." On offense this season, Kelly and Co., restruc- tured the line after three games, scrapped alter- nating the three running backs after almost every series and spotlighted sophomore Will Fuller at wide receiver. One area that remained a constant was quarterback, where senior Everett Golson finished with the high- est Irish pass efficiency rating (144.1, 31st nation- ally) in a regular season during Kelly's five sea- sons. However, 22 turnovers UNDER THE DOME 'EVERYBODY'S ON NOTICE' Quarterback competition is renewed during bowl preparation Although senior quarterback Everett Golson had the highest pass efficiency rating (144.1) among head coach Brian Kelly's Irish signal- callers, it was offset by too many turnovers (22). PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA