Next year...gotta believe the #1 job is EG's. Who gets the 2nd team reps? If it is not Gunner, does he bolt? I would prefer it is somebody who we don't have to change the offense for. Rees obviously can't do the same things EG can...I am hoping for a ton of option football with the talent we have in the backfield coming back: Atkinson, Carlisle, Mahone, MCDaniel(who is really underrated), Bryant etc...

I think Gunner has to be our number 2. Thank Tommy for all he has done for the team, but it's time we move forward.

Call me whatever you want but am telling you i wouldn't be surprised to see Gunner under center Game 1

Call me whatever you want but am telling you i wouldn't be surprised to see Gunner under center Game 1

 

Seeing as I saw him transferring out, I'd be pleasantly surprised. I want someone who is a pure passer (who can move enough to make plays and move chains) out there.

Call me whatever you want but am telling you i wouldn't be surprised to see Gunner under center Game 1

 

heh. Don't be afraid to make a bold prediction. If people call you out on it, they are just being emotional rather than rational.

 

If Kiel is faster with the mental game and if he's more decisive with his reads, I can't see how Kelly would sit him in favor of an incumbent. A QB at any level has to be fearless and Kelly would be better served (imo) to let the QBOTF make his mistakes and play without fear.

So, does kelly open up the job abd say the best man wins or does he announce that the job is EG's to lose? I think competition brings out thebest in everybody...i say it is open and let the best man win...

Seeing as I saw him transferring out, I'd be pleasantly surprised. I want someone who is a pure passer (who can move enough to make plays and move chains) out there.

 

This is why I think Gunner has a solid shot at making it to #1

Call me whatever you want but am telling you i wouldn't be surprised to see Gunner under center Game 1

 

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

It seems a player cannot do anything possible to impress some fans. Regardless of what Kiel was ranked many will stay argue EG was a better high school prospect. It's pretty obvious Kiel won't be playing until his last year or incase of injury. Golson does many things Kiel cannot do with his feet but as well I think Everrett is a better passer. He's got a quick release but the ball comes out with lots of fire. Look the guy took the team to the national title and will only get better, Golson ain't goin anywhere!

It seems a player cannot do anything possible to impress some fans. Regardless of what Kiel was ranked many will stay argue EG was a better high school prospect. It's pretty obvious Kiel won't be playing until his last year or incase of injury. Golson does many things Kiel cannot do with his feet but as well I think Everrett is a better passer. He's got a quick release but the ball comes out with lots of fire. Look the guy took the team to the national title and will only get better, Golson ain't goin anywhere!

 

Golson took us to the NC??? Did you not see the games TR had to come in and bail him out? Making it to the NC was a TEAM effort. This TEAM stuck it out through the thick and then and pulled out some great wins. This TEAM didn't make it to the NC just cause of EG that's for sure!!! Don't get me wrong I like EG I'm just not sure he is the answer but I hope he proves me wrong.

Edited January 9, 201311 yr by IRISHSTL7

The backup QB always seems to be the answer. Typical shiny new toy syndrome.

 

Some people just don't appreciate what they have.

 

EG, all things considered, was pretty fantastic this year. Yes he could have thrown more TD passes or we could have had more success in the red zone.

 

But, he's only going to get better and he's the primary reason we scored at all against Bama. I shudder to think of what the score would have been with Rees, Hendrix or Keil.

Call me whatever you want but am telling you i wouldn't be surprised to see Gunner under center Game 1

 

I agree. EG made strides, but he hasn't been able to pull the trigger on a lot of big time throws that have been there for him. The passing game just never seems to be in rhythm. Golson can buy time in the pocket with his quickness, but Gunner is faster than him anyway. I'd like the number 1 recruited QB in the country to get his fair shot at some point, maybe even early next year if hes out performing Golson in camp.

I'm really excited to have a 3rd straight year of QB battles, really helps build consistency and leads to an established offensive identity. I really like the idea of have four years with 4 QBs taking meaningful game time reps, sounds awesome.

 

People need to pump their breaks, chill the eff out and let this team build some gosh darn consistency. Kiel will not be starting this fall, Kelly would have to be some kind of a cross eyed sweaty mongoloid to give anyone other than Golson first team reps this spring. Golson took a majority of the first team reps in the fall. He took all of them this winter. 3/4 of our QB woes are best we are splitting reps between 2-3 guys. Eff that. It's Golson's job. Quit acting like petulant children at the toy store.

I know alot of people were happy how Golson played Monday night but struggled early when the game mattered. That's why there were shots of Kelly and him talking on the sideline. Kelly was trying to figure out what Golson saw and why he made certain decisions.

 

That being said Golson is the guy...he spent this year going through the wars and is battled tested!!! If Keil or anyone else leaves because of that oh well...it happens at every program.

 

Having quality backups and developing them is part of having an elite program. And Kelly's reputation of playing multiple QBs is out of this need. The cream will rise to the top!!!

 

This season was sooo awesome!!! The wins, the Manti story, the buildup to the NC!!! As a 40 year old father of 2 young kids and a life long ND nut I'm excited about the future...and proud of the year we just had!

 

Go Irish!!!!

The biggest thing Golson has going for him, besides *I think* still having a TON of upside and showing occasional flashes of greatness, is that he has shown the coaching staff that the magnitude of being the starting QB for the Irish is not too big of a moment to him. He's battle tested, and that goes a long way in confidence and growth....

 

HOWEVER, you'd have to be out of your mind as a coaching staff not to give serious looks to the former #1 recruit at that position going into next season. Realistically though, how does Keil prove that he has more than EG does before the first snap of the first game w/out showing what he's got when the game ball is handed to him w/the NBC cameras and the spotlight shining on him?

 

Golson should be the starter, and the best thing for Keil is to be ready to go at any time and be ready to show your best when you get your shot, whether it be due to an injury, or mop up duty. If he gets a shot and turns out to be a monster....well, it could get interesting.

Edited January 9, 201311 yr by NDNorm

I think Gunner tries to win job in spring if he doesn't, He Gone!

BTW I think he has a very good chance of doing so, way more than people think.

This is the trouble with recruiting so good lasts years starter may not be next years. I think ND will see alot of underclassman getting playing time next year.

I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea of my post....

I do love Golson's game and am thankful for what he did this season....

 

I know practice is not not games, trust me i know that... But when you see Kiel play,My face and the coaching staff at ND have a big smile on our faces...

 

The kid is a beast,has a better arm and runs faster than Golson.. Plus he runs over people in practice.

Golson was 187 for 318--59% for 2400 yards---12 touchdowns passing another handful running and near 400 yards on the ground---almost 3000 yards of total offense leading the team to a bevy of wins----

 

Has any ND FRESHMAN ever done better???

 

The idea that QB is where we need to upgrade is a very ODD LESSON to have learned from the NC game---or from this season--

 

Certainly coach martin does not share those views!

 

"He's in such a great mindset right now and so competitive"

 

" I think he took huge advantage and did a bunch of great things....the future is bright based on what we did this year and how far we've come in such a short time, especially with young guys like everett"

 

" I think Golson played well...i thought he did alot of great things and managed the game and gave us great chances, I say keep it going and don't take our foot off the gas, We've come so far this year just keep it going and keep bringing it and getting better"

 

" Nest years fall camp is going to be a different deal,this past fall camp we were teaching golson everything, but next year he'll hit the ground running , kids who prepare like golson get alot better"

 

"We are pretty excited about how far we can go if we got this far with an inexperienced golson , how far can we go down the road"

 

Golson will NOT give way to Gunner barring injury---the coaches are very happy with both his progress , his performance , and most of all his potential--

 

aloha's go irish!

Goslon was a fantastic QB this season for the most part. He has a big time arm. He has good mobility. He calmed down as the season went on.

 

However, he isn't a perfect QB. He's a bit short. He struggled with deep throws this year.

 

He can't fix being too short, but he can work around it.

 

However, he needs to show huge improvement in his deep ball if he is going to keep the job next spring IMO. As good as his arm is, I can think of one time he hit a WR in stride on a deep ball this year, Brown in the Oklahoma game.

 

Other than that, nearly every deep ball he threw was over or under thrown. Both Daniels and Jones were open deep vs. Alabama and Golson underthrew them both. They weren't wide open, but they had a step and against that type of defense, a step is open. The Goodman ball vs. MSU was underthrown (I understand it was about as far as he could throw it). The Daniels ball vs. Pitt was an underthrow.

 

So, while I think Golson can be a really good QB, having a huge arm means nothing if you don't know how to use it. That is something that can be worked on, but it is also something that is a natural talent. Hopefully he can harness it.

Goslon was a fantastic QB this season for the most part. He has a big time arm. He has good mobility. He calmed down as the season went on.

 

However, he isn't a perfect QB. He's a bit short. He struggled with deep throws this year.

 

He can't fix being too short, but he can work around it.

 

However, he needs to show huge improvement in his deep ball if he is going to keep the job next spring IMO. As good as his arm is, I can think of one time he hit a WR in stride on a deep ball this year, Brown in the Oklahoma game.

 

Other than that, nearly every deep ball he threw was over or under thrown. Both Daniels and Jones were open deep vs. Alabama and Golson underthrew them both. They weren't wide open, but they had a step and against that type of defense, a step is open. The Goodman ball vs. MSU was underthrown (I understand it was about as far as he could throw it). The Daniels ball vs. Pitt was an underthrow.

 

So, while I think Golson can be a really good QB, having a huge arm means nothing if you don't know how to use it. That is something that can be worked on, but it is also something that is a natural talent. Hopefully he can harness it.

 

The TJ Jones TD throw against Wake Forest was a perfect deep ball.