Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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spread offenses at other stops. Con- versely, in just four appearances this year, Hendrix was the team's third- leading rusher with 136 yards, and he possesses the stronger arm, to boot. Supplying a vertical threat has been another albatross for Rees, thus mak- ing it easier to defend the Irish when there is no threat with the option hori- zontally or limited worries about the deep ball. Floyd also won't be around next year as a security blanket. However, Hendrix had the sur- prise element working in his favor at Stanford, and the Cardinal went into more of a prevent defense on the final touchdown drive in the closing sec- onds when the score was 28-7. It's a far different game when you are actually handed the keys for good and have to experience your own learning curve as a starter. Similar to several Irish past head Sophomore Andrew Hendrix produced 192 yards passing and one touchdown plus 20 yards rushing and another score while playing the entire second half at Stanford, sparking a quarterback debate. PHOTO BY AARON SUOZZI The popular analogy of Rees is to 2000 Irish freshman starter Matt LoVecchio, who was 7-0 as the starter while leading the Irish to a BCS bid, but who had limited arm strength and lacked the explosiveness of classmate Carlyle Holiday (although LoVecchio rushed for 300 yards in 2000), who supplanted him as the starter the fol- lowing year. LoVecchio eventually transferred to Indiana University. Kelly has acknowledged that Rees cannot supply a running threat at quarterback with the zone-option play, which has been an important element in the success of his prolific Experience Preferred Head coach Brian Kelly's Dec. 4 revelation that 15-game starter Tommy Rees would receive the nod over sophomore classmate Andrew Hendrix in the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl should not be a surprise. When it comes to choosing a seasoned quarterback or a rising and perhaps more gifted youngster in a bowl game, three other different Notre Dame head coaches from the past opted for the veteran. Year: 1976 Gator Bowl versus Penn State The Veteran: Fifth-year senior Rick Slager started the first nine games, but an injury in the second half of a 21-18 victory versus Alabama sidelined him. The Riser: Sophomore Rusty Lisch finished the Alabama game with a couple of crucial 21-yard runs, started the next week in a 40-27 victory over Miami and replaced a wounded Slager and led two TD drives in a 17-13 loss at No. 2 USC to cap the 8-3 regular season. The Decision: Second-year head coach Dan Devine started a healed Slager instead of Lisch, and the veteran helped guide a 20-9 victory, completing 10 of 19 passes for 141 yards with no interceptions. Lisch would start the first three games of 1977 before getting replaced by Joe Montana, who was sidelined in 1976 with a separated shoulder. Year: 1983 Liberty Bowl versus Boston College The Veteran: Four-year starter Blair Kiel, uncle of heralded 2012 quarterback 24 JANUARY 2012 recruit Gunner Kiel, lost his starting job after the third game and a 1-2 start. The Riser: Freshman Steve Beuerlein won his first five starts, but he struggled in the regular-season finale, a 23-22 loss to Air Force. Kiel replaced him and completed 16 of 22 passes for a career-high 285 yards while nearly rallying the Irish to a win. The Decision: Beuerlein was the future, but third-year head coach Gerry Faust selected Kiel even though the senior had made derogatory remarks to the Chicago Sun-Times about the coach. Kiel completed 11 of 19 passes for 151 yards and added 23 yards rushing when the 6-5 Irish pulled the 19-18 upset of the 9-2 Eagles, who were led by junior quarterback Doug Flutie. Year: 1988 Cotton Bowl versus Texas A&M The Veteran: Senior Terry Andrysiak helped the Irish to a 3-0 start but broke his collarbone while the Irish fell behind 27-0 at Pitt in the fourth game. The Riser: Sophomore option wizard Tony Rice excelled in Andrysiak's place en route to an 8-1 record, but the regular season concluded with a 21-20 loss at Penn State and 24-0 whitewash at 1987 national champ Miami. The Decision: With Andrysiak healed, second-year head coach Lou Holtz opted for him over Rice. Andrysiak completed 15 of 25 passes for 203 yards, but the defense crumbled in a 35-10 defeat. After Rice was inserted, he was 0-of-3 passing with one interception. — Lou Somogyi BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED coaches in bowl games (see sidebar), Kelly's choice at quarterback, particu- larly against one of the top-ranked defenses in the country, is someone whom he feels safer going with be- cause of the past equity that has been built. The external perception of Rees is that he can take you to an 8-4 or 9-3 tier, but not the championship level Kelly is aspiring toward. The question with Hendrix or Golson, or anyone else, is do you start all over and go through new growing pains? It's a delicate balance that remained at the beginning and end of 2011. ✦