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✦ NEWS & NOTES BY LOU SOMOGYI THE QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE Halfway through the 2012 football season, sophomore quarterback Everett Golson has made all three starts in Notre Dame Stadium. However, he is looking for his first fin- ish without getting pulled from the lineup either because of an injury or ineffective- ness. This week, it was about being able to start again. Golson sat out Tuesday's practice while recovering from a concussion incurred during the fourth quarter of the 20-13 over- time victory last weekend against Stan- ford. Golson missed the final six minutes of regulation play, plus the overtime, af- ter a head-to-head collision with Stanford cornerback Usua Amanam near midfield while he was scrambling to gain yardage. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday that Golson was returning to his normal self and remained confident he would be ready for Saturday's contest with Brigham Young. However, on Monday Golson did not pass the computer-gen- erated cognitive test that all Notre Dame athletes are required to take before return- ing to the field after a concussion. "There is a protocol," Kelly said of the tests that must be taken before the Irish medical staff gives the green light. "There are standards that are independent of the head football coach. This is strictly on our medical staff. They make all those decisions and they come to me and tell me when he's ready to go." The cognitive testing is taken anew each day to see if a player can practice the fol- lowing day. The coach said if Golson is able to practice by Thursday afternoon, he will start against the Cougars — even if that means slightly scaling back the playbook against a defense that ranks third nationally against the run (67.86 yards allowed per game), fifth overall (260.86 yards surrendered per contest) and sev- enth in scoring (13.57 points yielded per outing). On Wednesday, the Irish announced that Golson had passed the Tuesday test. Junior Tommy Rees took over for Gol- son on the final drive of regulation against Stanford and completed all four of his pass attempts, including three in overtime, for 43 yards, highlighted by the game-win- ning seven-yard slant to junior wideout TJ Jones. Rees took roughly 60 percent of the team's reps on Tuesday, with junior An- drew Hendrix taking the rest while Golson was a spectator. The 6-0, 185-pound Golson was limited early in the past two weeks of practice with a shoulder injury prior to the Oct. 6 Miami game and a bout with turf toe last week. After totaling minus-11 yards on the ground through the first four games, Gol- son has been used more liberally as a run- ner since the bye week, rushing for 51 yards on six carries versus the Hurricanes and 41 yards on 15 attempts last week against the Cardinal. He ran the zone read more frequently versus Miami, and last week he was used as a running threat in empty backfield formations. Kelly said he has no plans of reducing Golson's running responsibilities despite his recent stream of injuries or his strug- gles with fumbles. The Irish have lost four fumbles this season, all by Golson (three against Stanford and one against Purdue), and he also nearly lost two against Miami. "We probably have to continue to Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson has dealt with an assortment of injuries in recent weeks, including a mild concussion against Stanford this past Saturday, but he has been cleared to play against BYU. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA ✦ PAGE 12 move him," Kelly said. "One of his great strengths is the ability to run. He's just got to take great care of the football. … It's a painstaking process right now, but we'll get him to hold on to the football." Kelly was nonetheless pleased with the