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job," Zaire said. "I don't make the decision. I'm going to keep balling and do what I need to do." Offensive coordinator and quar‑ terbacks coach Mike Sanford consid‑ ers it to be a healthy competition be‑ tween the players, and has focused on getting each player to worry about improving himself as much as possi‑ ble rather than comparing their play with the other. "You always want to be pushed by the other guys around you," Sanford said. "I've really never been part of a quarterback situation in spring ball that wasn't competitive. That's just something you should come to grips with as a quarterback and talk about that. No matter what, you're going to have to reinvent your game and be significantly better than you were a year ago at this time — and definitely a year ago at the completion of the season. "They've done a great job with that, realizing that it's more about their own growth themselves and we are going to quantify it. That's going to be some form of statistical compari‑ son, but it's really about your own in‑ dividual growth that should happen whether there's an incumbent starter or three, four or five guys vying for a job." After leading the Irish to an 8‑3 record in games he started last fall, Kizer said he was ready for a quarter‑ back competition. "Part of being a quarterback is knowing how to lead and under‑ standing the guys around you," Kizer said. "Malik has good relationships with a lot of the guys and Brandon has really taken over his class. "But at the end of the day, you have to be able to take the relationships you have and the knowledge you have of each person on the team and be able to lead through that." Notre Dame's success will be de‑ termined not only by how the quar‑ terbacks lead and react, though, but also by the way the head coach han‑ dles it all. ✦ Notre Dame PaNoramic Puzzle Blue & Gold Illustrated P.O. Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 1-800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com Please add Sales Tax if you live in NC (7.5%), MI (6%), or IN (7%) $19.95 +$8.00 S&H* Item #6656 1,000 pieces • Size 39"x13" *Shipping within continental U.S. only