Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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The quarterback position will be a major topic again in 2012 with the return of Everett Golson (5), Andrew Hendrix (12) and incumbent Tommy Rees (right). PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND BY LOU SOMOGYI A year ago at this time after a 4-0 finish under first-year head coach Brian Kelly, the central topics about Notre Dame football for 2011 were familiar. Who will be the starting quarter- back, Dayne Crist or Tommy Rees? Can Kelly and his staff make good on their promise of building the de- fense by signing a powerful front line? Will the momentum to end the sea- son translate into a magical second season for Kelly the way it did for Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Jim Tressel (Ohio State), Urban Meyer (Florida), Gene Chizek (Auburn), and so many other coaches at top programs, in the last decade? Is Michael Floyd returning for his senior season, and how hungry will he be? For 2012, many top themes are sim- ilar while others have been varied. Here are five of them: 22 FEBRUARY 2012 A glance at five major topics in 2012 SNEAK PEEK T QB OR NOT QB, HAT IS THE QUESTION At the end of 2010, first-year Irish head coach Brian Kelly noted that his offense was far from fully imple- mented. Unfortunately, it was much the same in year two. "I coach a style of football that I want to play, and we're not getting that style," Kelly said at the halfway point of 2011. "A lot of the guys that are here we're re-training … we're changing." The root of frustration seems to stem from a relatively unsettled or inconsistent situation at quarterback. The hurry-up spread, no-huddle ap- proach — with Oregon as the stan- dard — remains in its skeletal stages. Sophomore Tommy Rees has been the proverbial "solid" starter, but classmate Andrew Hendrix and fresh- man Everett Golson are perceived as the more dynamic, versatile and long- term dimensions. Few topics can stir the pot more on a football team than not being truly settled at quarterback. "From last year to this time, there has been a process of evolution for our entire offense, and it's still ongoing … relative to our offensive players un- derstanding our system and of course in the recruiting area," Kelly said. When pressed on what the long- range blueprint might be for the of- fense with either Rees or Hendrix, uncertainty remained. "I don't know what to tell you," Kelly said several days before the bowl game. "I want one of them to BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED