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✦ QUOTING KELLY "Our guys know. We were here late watching film. They saw the film. They know what they can do better. This is a smart group of guys, and we made certain that we spent a lot of time watching film and making sure that our guys understand what they need to do. They clearly know how they need to play this game." following the comeback win over Pitt: "They should feel good, and I know they felt good about the win and finding a way to win down 20-6 in the fourth quarter. I know they feel really good about that. But they clearly learned, too. "This group has not been 9-0, so they have learned On how his team's emotional and mental status about how difficult it gets as you get down to just a few games left in the season. Everybody can make their sea- son beating Notre Dame. "This is new territory for them. I sensed and felt in talking to our guys that they clearly understand that they can't play the game any less than their very best if they want to win. I think that message resonated." to running back at the beginning of the year: "That's been a great success. He's run hard and runs physical; he's caught balls for us. He's really been productive as a football player for us, and I would say that that was as well as we could have hoped. "And we still have a lot of football left. Up to this point On senior Theo Riddick's move from wide receiver it's worked out very, very well." On how he wants to see the offense develop down the road: "It'll be driven by the quarterback, by his con- sistent play, by his decision making, by his athleticism. Certainly if you take the last quarter in overtime [against Pitt], I think Everett [Golson] contributed 75 percent of our offense. Improving sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels ranks fourth on the team with 23 receptions for 353 yards (15.3 yards per catch). "The quarterback will be the one that drives it; he'll have athleticism; he'll have the ability to throw the foot- ball. But he's a freshman, and I'm reminded of it every single day." "He's learning how to play the game. … I'll give you an example. When he goes and runs his routes, he's pretty difficult to defend. Then when he doesn't think he's get- ting the ball … it's one of those things he is learning ev- ery week about how to be that elite receiver in the BCS. "It requires practice preparation, it requires the atten- On sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels: tion to detail, all those things, and he's starting to get there. You're starting to see it. He's only going to get better and better." On visiting his hometown of Boston: "It's always ✦ PAGE 12 PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA great to go back. I remember my first trip back when I was at Grand Valley State. We played Bentley College, and there were a lot of requests for tickets. "So I've gotten that out of way. I've taken care of all my friends and relatives. They've got their tickets. Now they're on their own. I've taken care of that, and I'm excited to get back there." gram is to college football: "If you have the football program that has the highest graduation rates and is also a team that is competing for a national championship, I would qualify that as good for NCAA football. You have something that has both ends working towards excellence. "So I think that's significant and one of the reasons On how important a successful Notre Dame pro- why I came to Notre Dame, that we wanted to do it in the classroom and on the football field." ✦