Did you ever see Arnaz Battle or Carlyle Holiday start at QB for Notre Dame? I’m not in love with Rees but I’m guessing your answer is no.

“He never really gave Crist a chance (not the chances he gave Reese or even Montana)…”

From Wikipedia about Dayne Crist:

“…the Jayhawks failed to win a game after labor day, and a significant reason for the poor season was the play of Crist, who finished the season with the worst Quarterback rating in NCAA Division 1A (ranked 116 out of 116 qualifying quarterbacks).”

Explain to you why Crist was never given a chance? How about him failing to push the ball into the endzone on 4th and G against Navy? Forgetting the fumbled snap against USC in 2011 which was returned 96 yards for a touchdown? And you’re wonder why this kid was not given more of a chance in Kelly’s system?

Who in their right mind would want Chuck Martin? His play calling sucks!

What about a QB in Florida named Jamison Winston… he is a freshman and seems to be doing pretty well there in his first season at game speed. I do not see where putting in Malik this year will hurt anything.

We are not suggesting that you write the season off by playing Malik. If he has the athletic skills that his press clippings say he has and he is healthy, like many other freshman QBS(Johnny Manziel was one), he could, with his mult threat talent, give this team the spark it needs. Having said that, however, your suggestion about developing a heavier dose of Hendrix is a good one and should be introduced if, as BK has indicated, Malik is not going to play.

Regarding the Rees’ interceptions though. The first one was on a sack that forced a fumble/duck pass- not his fault really. The second one, sure maybe Daniels ran the wrong route, but don’t you need to see that as a QB? He just isn’t accurate enough though overall, and that is the main problem.

But you can’t just throw the freshman QB in and write off the season, as some are suggesting. What they need to do is give defenses a heavier dose of Hendrix. Make them prepare for both, as Rees is just not accurate enough. The running game will open up with Hendrix and those two-tight sets, and we need this running game to chew up clock, because our defense is VERY pedestrian.

On a side-note, I am very frustrated with these helmet-to-helmet targeting penalties in both college and pro. I can understand the penalty and ejection if the guy spears a defenseless player by completely lowering his helmet and ramming the other guy’s head. That is not what happened with Councell. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like he simply put his facemask on the ball in order to dislodge it. Isn’t that how kids are taught? Maybe I can see the penalty because we want to be safer, but to eject the guy and have him miss half of the next week’s game for making what has always been a common football play is beyond ridiculous. The other problem with this whole deal is that defenders are starting to put their necks in bad positions in order for their helmet not to be involved. Collinsworth pointed this out on Sunday Night Football..

“…because Stoops, Urban, Saban, or any other top tier coach doesn’t want this job!”

You’re right there. However, (minus Stoops) this is because they wouldn’t be able to recruit the same type of “athlete” that they can now at their respective schools. At ND, recruits are held to a different standard. So, if you are going to add this point to the discussion, include the real reason why. Saban would not excel at ND given the standards, and he knows it. Meyer knew it in 2004 as well, so he chose Florida instead. Personally, I like Stoops and think that he would be the only one who could do well at ND. However, I think he is pretty content in Norman.

A footnote: The Friday night pep rally in the old fieldhouse guest speaker was Mel Allen, one of the leading sportscasters of the time. After heaping praises after praises on the Notre Dame Spirit, he closed with: “…My proudest moment in sports came when I could say that Kelly and Epstein made the tackle for Notre Dame.”

Notre Dame is spirit not a brand. Joe Schaefer SJHS ’55 ND ’59 Universal City TX

His 80-yd run was just off tackle up the middle. I do see what you are saying, though. However, I don’t think that he is such a great lateral runner as his speed is more north-to-south.