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| ISBN-13: | 9781623682675 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 01/01/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 14 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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Awakening
The Season that Brought Notre Dame Back
By South Bend Tribune
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2013 South Bend TribuneAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62368-267-5
CHAPTER 1
Everett Golson
#5 | Quarterback
The ascent of a signal callerBy Eric Hansen • August 18, 2012
In what turned out to be a transformative encounter with former Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice, Everett Golson never did find out about Rice's first collegiate play of significance. For the record, it unfolded 25 autumns ago, the sophomore from Woodruff, S.C., summoned into a game against Pitt on the road, just after halftime, because of a broken collarbone to then-starter Terry Andrysiak. Rice broke the huddle, strode toward the line and promptly readied himself to take the snap ...
From an offensive guard.
"I think that's one of the stories he left out," said Golson, ND's current depth-chart surger at quarterback.
When the sophomore from Myrtle Beach, S.C., stopped laughing, he volunteered that he did the very same thing during spring practice four months ago, back when he was the long shot in a protracted four-quarterback audition to be the starter this fall.
By the time Golson and Rice met, the 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore was dramatically ascending.
In the end, it might not have mattered whether semi-incumbent Tommy Rees had been suspended for the Sept. 1 season opener against Navy or if junior Andrew Hendrix had become a master improviser on broken plays or if freshman Gunner Kiel had pulled an Evelyn Wood on the playbook.
"I think the Everett we saw last year was playing because he was just having fun. He was just playing around," Irish All-America linebacker Manti Te'o observed. "This Everett has that same kind of energy, but it's more focused. 'Man, I'm going to win games. I'm going to help our team win.'
"This Everett is very critical of himself. He's very critical of the way he plays. And it's humbling, because he comes up to me and he asks me, 'What do you see? How's the offense looking? How am I doing?' He's very determined to be the very best quarterback he can."
How Golson got to this point, charging hard from the back of the pack to become the unconfirmed No. 1 option at QB for the opener in Ireland, comprises seemingly a million little shifts that together add up to a quantum leap.
But it started in a dark place with a promise to himself. And by the time Rice counseled Golson on how to handle the pressures on the outside, the attention, the expectations and the disappointments, Golson was ready to hear them and apply them.
"He kind of put everything in perspective," Golson said of Rice.
But not before Golson did himself.
Midway through the 2011 season, Golson and Hendrix were competing for a minor role in the Irish offense — the change-up quarterback.
It was a concept Kelly began toying with, at least in the meeting room, the previous spring after talking to Urban Meyer, who tag-teamed then-freshman Tim Tebow with senior Chris Leak in a national title run at Florida in 2006. But Kelly was slow to employ the concept in a game in the fall of '11, and had a tough time separating Hendrix and Golson as the top candidate for that role — until Golson sort of did it for him at midseason.
He began to struggle in the classroom, more of a sign of lack of maturity than anything else, and his attention to detail when it came to being on time and focused for meetings, for example, was far from perfect.
"I can admit I wasn't the best at that," he said.
Golson then was demoted to scout team for the remainder of the season. His job, at that point, was to learn the opposing team's plays and run their offenses in practice against ND's No. 1 defense. The decline, though, started to gain traction all the way back in August training camp in 2011.
"I thought I was ready to compete for the starting spot," said Golson, the sixth-most prolific TD thrower in U.S. high school history. "Going through fall camp, I kind of saw my reps go down a little bit. I was a little bit discouraged at first.
"It kind of humbled me. Now that I look back at it, I'm glad I went down to the scout team, 'cause it made me realize I have to start at ground zero and work my way back up."
First, though, came the doubts about whether he had made the right college decision, whether he'd ever be the right fit in Kelly's offense and whether he'd ever get the chance to prove it.
"I think every player has that experience," Golson said. "It's not about whether you have it, it's what you do with it. And I think me going through that has obviously helped me to mature and helped me focus in and confirm — this is really what I want to do.
"So I had to put myself in the best position to do it."
That process started with Golson trying to learn the Irish offense on his own while the scout-team QB. He'd head to the film room by himself after practice and watch what Rees, Hendrix and since-transferred QB Dayne Crist had done at the other end of the practice field.
"It was kind of on a basic level, because I didn't really understand it totally," Golson said of his learning curve. "But at least I was getting a little bit familiar with it. So that helped me out a lot."
So did Kelly's promotion of safeties coach Chuck Martin to offensive coordinator, and Golson's commitment to learning to throw with touch on shorter routes, and his study of shorter quarterbacks — such as New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson — to decipher how best to find throwing lanes over and around a towering offensive line.
The confidence that had helped him win two high school state titles in football and one as an all-state point guard in basketball re-germinated.
"Once a player has their confidence, you cannot mess with them," said Te'o, who tried to encourage all four QBs during the summer. "(That player) is going to be special."
From Kelly's standpoint, the ascendance was a gradual process.
"I think (it was) the individual meetings during spring," Kelly said of the turning point for him. "And then how he handled his academics in the summer and all those little things. He's built trust along the way.
"And then you build trust when I'm around you every day. This camp obviously was a big proving ground for him, and he's doing well."
Just as important as the things Golson changed were two things he did not.
Music remained his outlet to decompress, and he often would stop at the ND band room on his walk to ND's football facility to play the piano.
He also composes music and plays a variety of other instruments — all without the ability to actually read music.
"I play by ear," he said, "and I think that helps me when I have to improvise in football."
The other constant he held onto was throwing the football without trying to locate the laces. In fact, he spins the football to avoid the laces. It's a practice that's not unprecedented in college and pro football, but certainly rare.
"I've always been like that," Golson said. "It just felt comfortable to me."
Kelly didn't try to convince him otherwise. What he did coax Golson to do was to was to crank up the volume, to be a presence, to assert his command — a point Golson ran with to such an extreme late last week that he was hoarse when he spoke with the media.
"I think it was something that was always in me," he said about commanding a presence, "but I was scared to really show it. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, you have to really step up and be that leader."
Rice told him that too. He also told him how hard you have to work in the present, now matter how decorated your past.
And their pre-ND pasts were eerily similar. Both led their football teams to two South Carolina state titles each. Both were standout hoops players as well.
Rice, in fact, teamed with former Irish coach Lou Holtz, fellow QB Kent Graham and ex-Irish basketball player Jeff Peters to reach the semifinals of the 666-team intracampus Bookstore Basketball Tournament the spring before Rice took the Irish football team to its most recent national title (1988).
Golson aimed higher and initially hoped to play for coach Mike Brey's varsity squad. He's settled in as a pickup player, though the frequency and intensity of which he'd prefer not to share with Kelly.
"Basketball's still my first love," he said.
But football is where he dreams now. Big dreams. And Rice encouraged him to do so. Yet, even now, as his reality is merging with those dreams, he goes back to the dark place where the climb started.
Back to working like he's still fourth string.
"What helped me tremendously was grinding in the film room," Golson said, "being persistent, for long hours, knowing I have to get this in order for me to have a chance to be the starting quarterback.
"I'm definitely not where I want to be. I've seen growth, but obviously, I have a long, long way to go."
CHAPTER 2Notre Dame vs. Navy
September 1, 2012 • Dublin, Ireland
Notre Dame 50, Navy 10
A Wee Bit O' Dominance
Golson, Irish stay poised, rout NavyBy Bob Wieneke
Throughout most of Saturday's game against Navy, Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson displayed a good dose of poise.
That show of composure in his first career start extended into the postgame press conference as Golson fielded questions from American and European reporters following the 2012 season opener, which was played at Aviva Stadium.
With head coach Brian Kelly and linebacker Manti Te'o joining him at a table, Golson was answering a question when a reporter interrupted to ask Kelly a question.
Flustered? Nope.
Golson deferred to the head coach before flashing a million-euro grin.
Golson and the Irish had a lot to smile about Saturday following a 50-10 smashing of Navy. Golson certainly wasn't the offensive star, but as a first-time starter at quarterback, he was going to be front and center, win or lose.
The Myrtle Beach, S.C., product was an efficient 12-of-18 passing with a touchdown and an interception, but that was more than good enough for the Irish, who brought to Ireland a punishing running game that produced 293 net yards and an opportunistic defense that forced four turnovers. And they left Europe with a 1-0 record.
"I thought he managed the game," Kelly said of Golson. "I think he would probably take one decision back — where he threw an interception."
The interception came with the Irish leading 20-0 late in the first half.
The Irish offense would not touch the ball the rest of the half, giving Golson plenty of time to let the turnover fester in his mind.
But it never did.
Instead, he completed 6 of 8 passes in the second half before leaving late in the third quarter with the big lead intact and the win securely in place.
"The great thing about Everett is he figures it out," Kelly said. "He's not going to make the same mistake twice. Other than that, I was really pleased with the leadership, the ability to get in the right plays and keep our offense moving."
"I think I was comfortable," said Golson, a sophomore who did not play last season. "Coming into this game, the main thing was everybody is going to make mistakes, but you just have to relax. You're going to make mistakes, but make them going full-speed."
It didn't take long for the Irish offense to get going full-speed. A running game that was without 1,000-yard rusher Cierre Wood, who was suspended the first two games for a violation of team rules, adopted Kelly's next-man-in philosophy.
In this case it was the tag-team of running back-turned-wide receiver-turned running back Theo Riddick, and sophomore George Atkinson. Riddick carried 19 times for 107 yards and two TDs while Atkinson provided 99 yards and a pair of scores on nine carries.
Riddick's 11-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the season put the Irish up 6-0, the blip coming when Nick Tausch missed the extra point.
After the Irish offensive line bullied the Midshipmen, it was the defense's turn. Navy moved to the ND 30 and, with a fourth-and-1, went for it, providing an early key moment. That key moment went Notre Dame's way.
ND's Manti Te'o and Dan Fox stuffed Navy quarterback Trey Miller for no gain, and a couple minutes later, it was 13-0 after Atkinson burst through the line, moved right and then zipped left and into the end zone.
The rest of the half was largely Notre Dame, the highlight coming when ND defensive end Stephon Tuitt did his best Usain Bolt imitation when he picked up a fumble caused by Ishaq Williams and sprinted 77 yards to make it 27-0.
"He was telling everybody about it too," Kelly quipped. "Trust me."
The big lead built, Kelly was able to put his trust in his running game, and force Navy out of its comfort zone. Granted, Miller is considered a serviceable passer, but Navy's running game is its money-maker.
"We fell behind," said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, "and got out of the nature of who we are as a football team."
After the Irish went up 40-10 late in the third quarter, Golson donned a red hat and was able to watch the final 15-plus minutes from the sidelines as the Irish reserves maintained the rout.
Were there reasons for concern? Yes, particularly in the secondary where cornerbacks Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell were making their first career starts. Miller threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and found a number of wide-open receivers. Kelly chose to focus on the positives.
"I thought they did some great things," said Kelly, who is 2-1 in openers at Notre Dame. "I'm really excited about their ability to go out there and compete. The learning experience that they got today was so big for us as we move now onto our next challenge."
Special teams too provided some hiccups for the Irish, who were ranked 24 this week in the coaches' poll. Tausch missed an extra point and another extra point went awry when the snap went through holder Ben Turk's hands.
Still, it was a win, something the Irish couldn't say last year following the opening weekend when they lost to South Florida at home. It also concluded a successful trip to Dublin for the Irish, who boarded a plane and headed back over the Atlantic soon after the game.
"We're definitely going to miss it," Te'o said, "but it's time to get back to work."
CHAPTER 3Notre Dame vs. Purdue
September 8, 2012 • South Bend, Indiana
Notre Dame 20, Purdue 17
Rees Steps In, Rescues ND
Backup leads late drive to top PurdueBy Eric Hansen
By the time the brief cascade of boos had faded and sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza was celebrating his improbable ascent to a Notre Dame moment, Brian Kelly knew.
The Irish head football coach knew that all of his sometimes-painful introspection in the offseason, his readjusting his coaching template, his mending with the players he had become too disconnected from had turned out to be more than potent rhetoric after all.
They were the threads that ran through every pivotal moment of 22nd-ranked Notre Dame's 20-17 escape from rival Purdue Saturday at ND Stadium and allowed the Irish to sidestep a trap door into irrelevance two weeks into the season, in a game when some of its biggest stars finished the game as spectators.
"Our guys kept fighting," Kelly said. "The next guy came in and battled."
If the identical circumstances had surfaced late last season, there might not have been enough cohesiveness and resolve to overcome Purdue's surprising smash-mouth bravado. Saturday it became a season-saving tourniquet.
Defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore missed all but the first series of the game with a calf strain. ND's most experienced and valuable player in a fledgling secondary, safety Jamoris Slaughter, missed the entire second half with a shoulder injury.
Lewis-Moore's backup, freshman Sheldon Day, left with dehydration. Outside linebacker Ishaq Williams, one week after a breakout game, exited with an elbow injury.
And when the Irish needed some offensive magic in the final 2:05 of the game, All-America tight end Tyler Eifert (concussion) and most dangerous deep receiving threat, DaVaris Daniels (ankle sprain) weren't available.
Junior quarterback Tommy Rees was, and his insertion into the game on ND's final offensive possession was in part dictated by a hand injury starter Everett Golson suffered on the previous drive. But Rees' moxie was even more of a factor, even if his only meaningful practice reps since last spring came this week.
"I thought that was a really good decision by their head coach," Purdue coach Danny Hope said. "That was a pressure situation and certainly would have been a tough assignment for a rookie quarterback.
"I was kind of excited about the idea of maybe having a rookie quarterback in there on the last drive. I thought that may have given us an opportunity to get after him some and get ourselves in position to win."
Kelly in late July suspended Rees for the season opener with Navy, but the timing and circumstances of the suspension led Kelly to commit to using only Golson and junior Andrew Hendrix in team drills.
Rees had three practices and a walk-through to de-rust himself. And by week's end, Kelly was a believer.
What turned out to be Golson's final possession of the day ended with the quarterback fumbling at the ND 15-yard line, with Purdue cornerback Josh Johnson forcing and recovering it at the 3:24 mark of the fourth quarter.
That set up the tying TD for the Boilermakers (1-1), who converted a fourth-and-10 situation into a 15-yard score from Caleb TerBush to Antavian Edison.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Awakening by South Bend Tribune. Copyright © 2013 South Bend Tribune. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword By Ara Parseghian,Introduction by Eric Hansen,
Everett Golson,
Notre Dame vs. Navy,
Notre Dame vs. Purdue,
Notre Dame vs. Michigan State,
Notre Dame vs. Michigan,
Stephon Tuitt,
Notre Dame vs. Miami,
Matthias Farley,
Notre Dame vs. Stanford,
Manti Te'o,
Notre Dame vs. BYU,
Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma,
Theo Riddick,
Notre Dame vs. Pitt,
Notre Dame vs. Boston College,
Tyler Eifert,
Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest,
Brian Kelly,
Notre Dame vs. USC,
Manti Te'o: Heisman Trophy Finalist,
BCS National Championship Game,
BCS Game Gave Golson Chance to Grow,