Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Golson threw two touchdown passes and compiled 145 total yards in four drives during the Blue-Gold Game, but still needs to work on the mental aspect of playing the quarterback position. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND It starts with securing the football. Atkin- son's first fumble in the spring game was equal parts negligence and eagerness with a field full of open grass ahead of him. "Yeah, I guess. I was a little too excited," he said. "I was trying to move before I even got the ball; I saw a crease and got too ex- cited. I just have to pay attention to the details." realizes it wouldn't be prudent to publicly judge junior quarterbacks Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix and Golson, did say it requires a little more focus when Golson is on the field. It was meant as a compliment. "The coaches do a great job of putting us in position to make those plays, put us Atkinson, a savvy underclassman who in space and utilize each one of our skills," he said. "With Everett, you've really got to focus on him because he's a shifty guy. You don't know where he's going." Golson entered the spring as a legitimate contender for the starting role after sitting out his freshman season. And with the early May arrest of Rees, who has started 16 games over the past two years but is facing four alcohol-related misdemeanors, Golson is considered a favorite in the minds of many Irish fans. Rees threw 14 intercep- tions last season in 13 games (12 starts) plus lost five fumbles, and the vibe is that Notre Dame faithful are eager for change. Rees' poor judgment off the field may have expedited an alteration, depending on how JUNE/JULY 2012 66