Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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‘We Want Better Citizens’ Head Coach Brian Kelly suspends Cierre Wood and Justin Utupo for first two games By Lou Somogyi Seldom, if ever, does a college football team see its starting quarterback and starting running back from the previous year get suspended for a season opener. That is the type of history Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly would have rather not seen under his watch. On Aug. 26, Kelly announced that senior running back Cierre Wood and junior defensive end Justin Utupo would miss the first two games this season for violating team rules — a decision that the head coach said was entirely his own and not in concert with the University or Office of Residence Life. “Our players are aware of the standards I set for our program and that failure to meet my expectations will result in consequences,” Kelly said. Earlier this summer, Kelly announced the suspensions of 2011 starting quarterback Tommy Rees and inside linebacker Carlo Calabrese for their May 3 arrests at an off-campus party. Interestingly, Wood did not participate in Notre Dame’s first practice (Aug. 4) because he had not completed required paperwork, according to Kelly. He was also the lone starter not made available to the media the entire month of August, while even several freshmen and other reserves were permitted to be interviewed. Wood and Utupo were seen taking reps with the team prior to the announced suspensions, and Kelly would not get into the specifics of the violation. He also said there is no matrix involved in how punishment is handed out, including the spring suspension last year of wide receiver Michael Floyd, who did not miss any games. “There’s different circumstances in each one,” Kelly said. “The ultimate goal is we want them all to turn out like Michael Floyd’s situation, where they make life decisions to change the way they are. … With any kind of sanctions or any kind of suspensions, we want better citizens. “We want more accountable citizens. We want people representing our program in the right way.” In other camp news: Picking Up The Slack With Wood sidelined the first two games and sophomore transfer Amir Carlisle not back to full health after ankle surgery this spring, sophomore Cam McDaniel, who split time between cornerback and running back during fall camp, worked exclusively on offense to complement senior starter Theo Riddick and explosive sophomore George Atkinson III. “He played in the spread offense in high school,” Kelly said of McDaniel. “So two of them [McDaniel and Riddick] are very comfortable in the position they are in right now and one is evolving in George.” Kelly did add that he was optimistic that Carlisle would be ready for action in the near future. In Need Of Reinforcements In addition to Carlisle, others sidelined for the bulk of August included junior offensive tackle Tate Nichols (knee) and junior outside linebacker Danny Spond (migraine headache), but they were all projected to be close to practicing again while preparing for the Sept. 8 Purdue game. Including the aforementioned four suspensions, season-ending injuries to junior cornerback Lo Wood (Achilles tendon) and junior tight end Alex Welch (ACL), and the absence of safety Austin Collinsworth (shoulder) until the latter part of October, the Irish were down to 67 available scholarship players for the opener against Navy. Making History For the first time since the NCAA permitted freshman eligibility in 1972, a true freshman at Notre Dame was slated to start at cornerback in the opener. KeiVarae Russell’s meteoric ascent this August was even more surprising because most analysts considered him a running back prospect. Even last spring, Kelly said the candidates at cornerback are the players on the spring roster and no one is “riding in on a white horse.” Russell (5-11, 182) didn’t arrive by horseback this summer, but even Kelly admitted how in every freshman class there emerges one standout that makes an immediate, indelible impression. “There’s always a couple of kids that just have it. He’s a great kid,” Kelly said of the freshman from Everett, Wash. “He’s so confident in his ability. He’s extremely athletic. He’s picked it up so quickly.” The best freshman corner at Notre Dame was Stacey Toran, who started the last 10 games in 1980 on a defense that didn’t permit a touchdown for a school-record 23 straight quarters. Past Irish luminaries at the position such as Luther Bradley (1973), Todd Lyght (1987), Tom Carter (1990) and Bobby Taylor (1992) played at safety as freshmen. Receiver By Committee A year ago Notre Dame’s top receiver Michael Floyd had Tyler Eifert to help keep defenses from loading up too much to shut him down. This season Eifert won’t have a sidekick in the passing game. Head coach Brian Kelly said he plans on using as many receivers as possible to help fill that role. “You’re going to need your media guide as it relates to the wide receiver position because they’re all playing,” he said. “Each one of them right now has a different skill set. Nobody is polished to level where they’re a stand alone player other than Tyler Eifert.” Opening Acts While new faces such as junior cornerback Bennett Jackson, junior offensive tackle Christian Lombard, junior nose guard Kona Schwenke and sophomore Cat linebacker Ishaq Williams, among others, will be thrust into major roles this season, they had already seen previous game action prior to this season. Here were maybe the 10 most noted who were projected to make their on-field debut versus Navy: 10. WR Chris Brown Brian Kelly noted that with Brown in the lineup along with people such as DaVaris Daniels, Davonté Neal and George Atkinson III, it will easily be the swiftest lineup he’s had at Notre Dame. 9. ILB Jarrett Grace The physical and instinctual sophomore has been distinguishing himself as a potential starter from 2013-15, after Manti Te’o graduates. 8. CB Jalen Brown Special teams should be a given, but he could be an option in the nickel or dime packages as well with his “profile” 6-1, 199-pound size. 7. S Matthias Farley Made a strong surge this August at safety after getting completely lost in the shuffle at wideout last year. 6. DE Sheldon Day He didn’t arrive with the fanfare of the Stephon Tuitt-Aaron Lynch tandem last year, but the 6-2, 286-pound Day will be in the rotation right away. 5 OLB Ben Councell The shift of Prince Shembo to Cat and a preseason injury to junior Danny Spond hastened the fluid 6-5, 240-pound Councell’s rise at the tricky Dog linebacker slot. 4. Slot/RB Davonté Neal Earned the starting punt return role and could become the second rookie ever at Notre Dame to snare at least 30 passes, or maybe even challenge Michael Floyd’s freshman record of 48 catches. 3. WR DaVaris Daniels After playing in a Wing-T offense in high school, he wasn’t primed mentally or physically to play as a freshman. Ten more pounds and a sharper framework of knowledge could make him a candidate for most improved in 2012. 2. CB KeiVarae Russell The freshman corner was the top surprise of fall camp, locking down the corner slot opposite junior Bennett Jackson almost two weeks before the opener. 1. QB Everett Golson Last year at this time, Golson was the No. 4 quarterback. He now has been entrusted with the keys to Kelly’s offense — and perhaps to his head coach’s future legacy at Notre Dame. — Lou Somogyi