Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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creased to a level that I couldn't even give you the numbers, they're so bad," he said. "So we'll be looking at the quarterback in terms of his ability to look at zero [yards] being a good play at times." In other words, sometimes the best pass option is to just throw it incomplete. As for running skills at quarterback in the spread, it's undeniably an asset but not the end-all, be-all. It's more about mobility and escape skills than breaking loose for long runs, as Hen- drix did with a 78-yard romp last year late in the 59-33 rout of Air Force. During his 12-0 campaign at Cin- cinnati in 2009, Kelly saw No. 2 quar- terback Zack Collaros accumulate 344 yards rushing and 6.0 yards per carry, but starter Tony Pike had less than 100 yards for the season during back-to- back BCS campaigns. "Tony Pike was not the most mo- Given a choice between having a premier talent in a team sport or not, 100 out of 100 coaches would likely prefer one. Nevertheless, sometimes a collective team can better galvanize without the prime superstar. This February, the reeling New York Knicks soared after temporarily losing bile quarterback," Kelly said. "He was long, he was lanky, but he was a good decision maker. He kept plays alive, kept his eyes downfield. "We don't think that any one of them necessarily has to be electric, but they have to be able to keep plays alive with their feet at times, and I call that 'escapability.' " Escaping the uncertainty that came Offense Looks To Thrive Collectively Without Michael Floyd it committed an NCAA record-low eight turnovers to finish 9-2 and earn a BCS bid. It also played brilliantly on special teams and as a team on defense. The efficiency, resourcefulness and team play of 2000 is a good template scoring machine Carmelo Anthony and desperately inserting unheralded, undrafted Jeremy Lin into the lineup, only to falter again once Anthony returned. In fairness to Anthony, Syracuse University doesn't win the 2003 national title without his "one and done" season — but there is something to be said on how some teams often become a greater whole than when it is leaning on one individual. The 2012 Notre Dame offense will have to be that way sans wideout Michael Floyd, the team MVP two years in a row who shattered most of the Irish career receiving records. "You're going to lose great players every for the 2012 Irish to follow after the 2011 unit averaged 413 yards per game (similar to 1999) but committed 29 turnovers (similar to 1999 again). • The 1993 season was considered a rebuilding year at Notre Dame be- at quarterback throughout 2011 would be a significant step forward in 2012. ✦ cause it lost quarterback Rick Mirer (No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft), junior full- back Jerome Bettis (No. 10 overall pick) and game-breaking tailback Reggie Brooks (second-round pick), plus six other draft picks (two in the first round). Replacements such as quarterback Kevin McDougal and tailback Lee Becton would not even be drafted — yet the Irish set a then school-record with only 10 turnovers while finishing 11-1 and a debatable No. 2 despite beating No. 1 Florida State. • During the 1987 season, Heisman year at some positions," Notre Dame first- year offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin said. "You don't re- place Michael Floyd with a Michael Floyd because they're not hanging off every tree. You replace him with 11 guys col- lectively playing better." Notre Dame athletics have had numer- ous examples. Head coach Mike Brey's basketball program excelled more in 2010 and 2012 after losing its top players — Luke Harangody and Tim Abromaitis — to injuries. It became a true team. • Under first-year head coach Brian Kelly Trophy winner Tim Brown helped Notre Dame to an improved 8-4 record, but the Irish were collectively better as a team during the 1988 national title run without forcing everything around Brown's talents. According to Martin, the 2012 season in 2010, freshman quarterback Tommy Rees led a 4-0 finish after it was thought an injury to Dayne Crist would lead to implosion. • Star running back Julius Jones was de- is not about trying to find another Floyd. It's about maximizing the hybrid skills of a Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick and George At- kinson III, among many others, possibly in- corporating the option to stretch defenses better, thereby opening more lanes for the runners or pass catchers such as tight end Tyler Eifert and TJ Jones. It's about mak- ing opposing defenses guard the entire field and not cheat over to Floyd, knowing there would be no major repercussions. "You can look at our roster — and I'm clared academically ineligible in 2002, yet the Irish started 8-0 and shot up to No. 4 in the nation, while sophomore Ryan Grant became a 1,000-yard rusher in a "smoke and mirrors" attack. • In 1999, Irish senior quarterback Jarious Jackson broke Joe Theismann's 29-year school record for most passing yards in a season (2,753), was the second-leading rusher with 464 yards and put the team on his back while it averaged 419.7 yards per game. Alas, the Irish also committed 30 turnovers and finished 5-7. The next year, when successor Arnaz Battle was injured, Gary Godsey was www.BLUEANDGOLD.com Senior running back/slot receiver Theo Riddick will be one of many Notre Dame players who need to step up in the fall to help replace the production of former Irish All-American Floyd. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND collectively, we think we can certainly be much more efficient on offense." By being "collectively" better, Martin isn't referring to the offense needing not demeaning any of our offensive guys — there's not another guy that looks like Mike," Martin said. "If we're going to say we're going to find somebody to do what Mike did — we're not going to find some- body who did exactly what Mike did. But to top 413 yards per game like the 2011 unit. It can be in the 350 range — but if the turnovers are cut in half and the red-zone efficiency improves, the of- fense might be better even if some yardage stats won't necessarily reflect it. "It's just like any company: We can all be good at what we do, but if we're converted from tight end to quarterback and freshman Matt LoVecchio was thrown into the fire, Notre Dame averaged only 345.7 yards per game — but not all good together we never will get our peak efficiency," Martin said. "We may have some success but it will never be at the success level we can get it at." — Lou Somogyi APRIL 2012 31