Notre Dame shows signs of potent offense in Blue-Gold game

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — As spring practice at Notre Dame comes to a close, the only thing the Irish can still be sure of is that they have two starting caliber quarterbacks.

Which one starts — senior Everett Golson or junior Malik Zaire — remains a mystery, but at this point, it is probably just a technicality. Both will play, and as Saturday's performance suggests, both have the potential to play very well when the Texas Longhorns come to town to open the season on September 5.

Golson, who led the Fighting Irish to the BCS National Championship Game in the 2012 season, got the start on Saturday after losing that spot to Zaire in the 2014 Music City Bowl. But by no means does that cement Golson as the starter, as he and Zaire played roughly the same amount in the defense's 36-34 win against the offense at the Blue-Gold Game, with neither gaining much separation.

It is hard to take much from a game where the defense can score points for a stop and the offense runs a reverse pass from Golson to Zaire that is called by a fan. However, during the first half, which was the live hitting portion of the game, both quarterbacks showed flashes of brilliance as well as some of the issues that were present entering the spring.

"We really wanted to center this game, particularly in the first half, around the quarterbacks, and really wanted to put them in a position where they could utilize their skill set," coach Brian Kelly said. "And I thought we did that."

Golson was more consistent in the early going, and he made particularly good reads in the run game, but he slipped and fell for a 9-yard loss near the goal line, reminiscent of his tendency to make major mistakes that offset his otherwise good performances last season. However, he bounced back and scored a touchdown on that drive, and later hit wide receiver Corey Robinson with an impressive throw on the run.

The coaches will continue to emphasize game management and the read option with Golson as the fall nears, though Kelly said he did a good job with both on Saturday.

"I thought he worked in the pocket well, stepped up when he had nothing and took off," Kelly said. "And then, I think the read option game. Those things, he's got to continue to work on."

Zaire struggled with easy passes early, but he showed off his impressive vision and combination of size and quickness in the run game. Later, he hit star wide receiver Will Fuller in stride for a 68-yard touchdown pass that was in the air for more than 50 yards.

"He does something so well, and then there will be a couple things that are not consistent," Kelly said. "He'll do it so well, and then the same play, and then there's a drop-off. We think that's more concentration, that's just more focus, and we're just working on those things with him."

Essentially, two good quarterbacks showed off their respective dual-threat strengths, just as they will against Texas in early September. Who takes the first snap was the focus of the spring, and it will be again in the fall, but it will be largely insignificant if both continue to play at such a high level.

Regardless of who is under center, the offense is poised to be among the best in the country next season, and it showed why on Saturday. The read option game with both quarterbacks and running back Tarean Folston was effective, and an offensive line returning three full-time starters asserted its will, particularly on the first drive, against a defensive line that will give a lot of teams problems this season.

"I think for me, it was pretty clear that we've got a very good offensive line," Kelly said. "They're going to be able to control the line of scrimmage in most instances, and we'll continue to go to our strength, which we believe is up front."

The skill positions showed their potential, as well. Robinson and Fuller showed off their hands, and they're just the beginning of a deep stable of receivers, which also contains C.J. Prosise, who Kelly sees as an x-factor and potential starter at receiver or running back.

Typically, the defense is further along than the offense during spring practice, and that's expected against a playbook they know. However, the defense struggled during the live portion of the game, "losing" 28-9. That number is skewed, because it's more difficult for the defense to accumulate points, but the unit had a slow start, particularly on the experienced front seven, which was blown off the line of scrimmage and missed too many tackles.

With defensive lineman Sheldon Day, linebacker Jaylon Smith and nine other players with eight or more career starts returning, the defense has the talent to lead Notre Dame to a double-digit win season, and the stars did show up, as Kelly singled out Smith for being "all over the field."

That said, the defense can't have the breakdowns that started in the second half of the 2014 regular season. The Irish started last season 6-0, but lost five of their last six regular season games and gave up an average of 41.6 points per game in their last seven. A bowl win against LSU provided hope for improvement, as does improved depth from last year, but despite the final scoreboard, Saturday was not the defense's day.

Instead, Saturday belonged to Golson and Zaire — the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job. That job was no closer to being won after the final whistle sounded on spring practice, but after impressive performances from both players, the debate surrounding who takes the first snap might be inconsequential this fall.

"I think we all saw that they're both capable of playing championship football," Kelly said.

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