Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME WHICH COACH WITH A NEW ROLE THIS SEASON WILL HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE IRISH? Point ✦ Counterpoint: Kelly has done definitively bet- ter than his predecessor as Notre Dame's head coach — other than get his squad to play defense — it is assembling a group of coaches that work well together. Instead of using the brand power of Notre Dame to attract assistants with a big reputation, Kelly stayed loyal to the men who helped him rise. His replacement hires this offseason were aimed even more directly at keeping his entire staff on the same page. That "one heartbeat," as defensive coordina- tor Bob Diaco called it, should be most evident this season with the Irish offense and its new coordinator, Chuck Martin. Notre Dame ranked no higher than 35th in the four major Martin Brings chemistry By Dan Murphy If there is one thing that Brian CHUCK MARTIN tackle Zack Martin, left guard Chris Watt and center Braxston Cave returning in 2012 certainly bodes well for the unit, un- certainty at the two spots on the right side was one issue to address heading into the offseason and spring practices. But first there was the matter of replacing former offensive line coach/run game coordinator Ed Warinner, who left Notre Dame for a similar position at Ohio State under first-year head coach Urban Meyer. With the Fighting Irish and head coach Brian Kelly still trying offensive categories (rushing, passing, scoring and total of- fense) last year. This season, Kelly and Martin said they plan to add several twists by moving their skill position players all over the field and making defenses guess where each player will be lined up on any given play. It's a philosophy that both Kelly and Martin have used before when coaching together at Grand Valley State. Since Kelly calls the plays on Saturday, it's essential that he and the offensive coordinator have a better rapport than they did last season. Quarterback play remains the biggest issue holding back the to sort things out at quarterback, the running game this fall will likely take on a heavier load. And whichever QB gets the nod, it will take a strong effort from the front five to make sure the offense runs smoothly. The wild card here is that the four quarterbacks are all very different players, requiring the offensive linemen to adjust accordingly. Harry Hiestand appears to be the right man to oversee the Hiestand Brings tenacity By wes Morgan Though having a trio of veteran offensive linemen in left project, which could be one of the biggest team strengths in 2012. Players such as Martin and Cave have raved about how Hiestand, who has worked at schools in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and National Football League in his 29-year career prior to coming to South Bend in January, conducts business on the practice field. They all admit there will be more of a focus on the running Irish offense. Martin will be called on to help find a solution this year. He admitted this spring that Kelly is light years ahead of him in QB knowledge, but the day-to-day maintenance Martin must perform will be crucial to this coaching regime's success. If Martin can solve the Irish woes under center, they could build toward something special. If not, another 8-5 season is wishful thinking. game with senior Cierre Wood, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season; sophomore George Atkinson III, who delighted fans at the Blue-Gold Game in April (15 carries for 124 yards); and senior Theo Riddick, who switches back to tailback after two seasons at wide receiver (he'll still line up often as a receiver this fall). Being able to run at will provides several advantages, espe- AUGUST 2012 30 cially when it comes to helping a potential first-time starter at quarterback settle in.