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✦ NEWS & NOTES BY LOU SOMOGYI COMING OF AGE Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson will turn 20 on Jan. 2, but he may have had his "coming of age" party last Saturday night in Norman, Okla. With Golson at the throttle, Notre Dame's offense was balanced and kept Oklahoma on its heels with 215 yards rushing and 188 passing. Most notable is the Irish offense ran 66 plays and had no turnovers, no penalties and only three negative yardage plays. "What we're most pleased with is he was smart and he was disciplined," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said of Gol- son. "He threw the ball away when he was under duress. He made good decisions." Kelly had harped all spring and pre- season to his quarterbacks that many times "zero yards is a good play," imparting a message to not force plays that lead to turnovers. The Irish head coach added that it's not about expanding the playbook right now with Golson, but polishing where he excels most and honing his confidence in different areas. Mentally, it includes taking much better control of the offense or even voice inflection. Physically, it was about improving his mechanics and footwork. At Oklahoma, Golson read well when to stay in the pocket and when to bail. He finished with 64 yards on the ground to go with his efficient 177 yards passing. He provided a valuable dimension to the of- fense as a dual threat through the air and on the ground. "This is more about the realization that you have to have some discipline and real solid mechanics to move your play at the quarterback position," Kelly said. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand mentioned to Kelly how his crew is getting At Oklahoma, sophomore quarterback Everett Golson directed an offense that produced 403 yards (215 rushing and 188 passing), and had no turnovers, no penalties and only three negative yardage plays. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA ✦ PAGE 13