Blue and Gold Illustrated

UNDER THE DOME Tarean Folston By Bryan Driskell Notre Dame certainly finds itself in a predicament. After just two games, its starting quarterback and starting running back are lost for the season. Head coach Brian Kelly's backfield will be brand new mov- ing forward. Losing Zaire is devastat- ing on a number of levels, but the most detrimental loss is that of junior running back Tarean Folston, whose injury depleted the running back depth chart. Notre Dame will now line up with two converted wide receiv- ers, two true freshmen and a former walk-on. Senior C.J. Prosise is the primary ball carrier now and thus far he has re- sponded, rushing for 253 yards on 37 carries during Notre Dame's 2-0 start. Freshman Josh Adams has shown positive signs, rushing for 59 yards on eight carries in the first two games. Here's the issue: The freshmen are inexperienced and it is not known if Prosise will be able to hold up. Prosise had 39 touches the entire 2014 season. Having to rely on a player who has never taken the pounding he will take over the next 11 games is con- cerning to say the least. DeShone Kizer has ability and all he lacks at this point is experience. His first significant action was memorable, with him going 8-of-12 passing for 92 yards with two touchdowns against Virginia. He is surrounded by a talented group of receivers, a strong line a still quality backfield. If Kizer were able to line up with Prosise, Adams and Folston — the team's leading rusher in 2014 — his job would have been made dramatically easier. Malik Zaire By Andrew Owens A little more than one month after Notre Dame be- gan fall camp, it had already lost three key elements of the 2015 roster. Starting freshman nickel back Shaun Crawford and starting senior nose guard Jarron Jones were both ca- sualties of preseason prac- tice due to knee injuries. They were quickly joined on the list by junior running back Tarean Folston, who registered only seven snaps prior to suffering a season- ending injury in the season opener against Texas. Then, the most severe of possible 2015 injuries struck when quarterback Malik Zaire endured a season-ending fractured ankle in the 34-27 win at Virginia Sept. 12. Sophomore signal-caller DeShone Kizer displayed in fall camp why Notre Dame feels so strongly about his future, and he backed that confidence up with an impressive two-minute drive — and 39-yard game- winning heave to Will Fuller with 12 seconds remain- ing — against the Cavaliers. Over the course of the final 10 regular-season games, however, Kizer cannot match Zaire's impact on this offense. Although Kizer is not as familiar with the playbook as Zaire, an even more detrimental aspect is the sophomore's more modest running ability. Notre Dame boasted a run-first offense that could have endured the loss of Folston had Zaire remained in the lineup. With Kizer, the approach will be more balanced and any time you ask an inexperienced starter to throw more often, bad things often follow. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH SEASON-ENDING LOSS — MALIK ZAIRE OR TAREAN FOLSTON — IS MORE DETRIMENTAL TO 2015 SUCCESS? FOLSTON ZAIRE

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