Blue Tops Gold, 17-7, In Irish Spring Game
On a perfect afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium, Blue topped Gold 17-7 in the program’s annual spring game Saturday.
Most of the attention followed the quarterback race between junior DeShone Kizer and senior Malik Zaire — Saturday and throughout the spring — but it was a mostly uneventful afternoon for Notre Dame’s offense.
Kizer completed 10-of-17 passes for 113 yards while rushing for an additional 21. Zaire completed 6-of-15 attempts for 120 yards with 12 on the ground.
Both quarterbacks were live and endured contact throughout the first half before sophomore Brandon Wimbush entered the game in the second half and garnered most of the remaining snaps. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 31 yards and added 19 on the ground.
The highlight of the game came in the second quarter when Zaire launched a pass to senior receiver Torii Hunter, who snagged the one-handed reception for a gain of 50 yards.
Zaire added a dazzling touchdown run that featured a cut that can rarely be simulated in practice, non-contact situations. The move, however, was one Zaire was accustomed to making prior to a Sept. 12 ankle fracture.
“I think it puts him over the hurdle mentally,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “He felt really good coming back; that he got that run in and through traffic. And again, being live in that situation, obviously it puts him now in a position where that injury now is in the rear-view mirror. He can move forward and now continue to grow and develop.”
Junior punter Tyler Newsome earned the game ball with three punts that totaled 161 yards for an impressive 53.7 average. His long went 58 yards.
“I guess that's a good thing in the spring game; your punter won the MVP of the game. That says a lot about a spring game,” Kelly said.
With the spring game in the rearview mirror, however, Kelly knows eventually a tough decision will have to be made at quarterback.
“I think I'm going to have to make a judgment call,” Kelly said.
Both Kizer and Zaire were more willing to discuss the end goal — a national championship — than any frustration that may or may not exist in this position battle.
“That's one thing that's out of my hands,” Kizer said. “I know what I can do and I know what I have been doing and I just have to continue to expand at that.
“Last year was pretty good. Obviously we were about four points away from being an undefeated regular season team and with that, I've just got to make sure that I can develop off that and if I get better — the next national championship.
“As long as I continue to have the confidence in myself and once again continue to develop, hopefully it will be an easier decision.”
“It's never been a frustration thing for me,” Zaire added. “I feel like what I've done — I feel like I can't sit there and be disappointed and think what I could have done better.
“For me, it's continue to take that next step and reaching that level to help this team win the national championship. I want to do that really bad for this football team and the only way I know I can perform that and do this for that football team is playing my best and being the best in the country. That's my motivation getting me ready through the summer and looking forward.”
Notre Dame will kick off the 2016 season Sept. 4 at Texas.