If Saturday’s Blue-Gold Game fomented concerns about quarterback contenders Jack Coan and Drew Pyne in some circles of the Notre Dame faithful, Brian Kelly conveyed his disagreement with any such takeaway by pointing to the context.
“I don’t think anybody went into this game expecting one guy to dominate,” Kelly said. “We knew there were things to work on because you don’t have a full rotation of the players you want. Your offensive line is split up, running backs are split up, receivers are split up. You’re not putting your quarterbacks in the best of situations.”
Nine sacks and a low-scoring day are fitting byproducts. Neither Coan nor Pyne led a touchdown drive. Both threw an interception. Both also delivered a few downfield throws and displayed some comfort operating from the pocket. Nothing overly flashy. Nothing disastrous. A get-in, get-work, get-out day to Kelly’s liking.
Yet the door for upheaval seems ever-so-slightly ajar, through no fault of their own.
Early enrollee freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner played the second half — free of a red no-contact jersey and fully unleashed — and captured the imaginations of Irish fans across the country. He was 6-for-9 for 140 yards with a rushing touchdown. He led both touchdown drives in a 17-3 Blue victory.
No, Buchner’s arc isn’t suddenly redirected. This was a spring game, an always-dangerous situation for making rigid judgments and wild predictions. Junior Jabbie is the ever-present cautionary tale of anointing a player based on his Blue-Gold Game performance.
But there sure is a bit more intrigue in a quarterback room that might find itself in August considering clearing some amount of space for a freshman.
“We’re never going to close the door on what can help our offense be a better offense,” Kelly said. "We’re not going to say, ‘Well, Tyler Buchner is a freshman, he can’t play.’ If he can help our team, we’ll find any role for someone who can help us.
“He just needs to continue to grow, continue to learn, and if we feel like when we get to the fall there’s a role of some form that can help us with Tyler Buchner, we’ll consider that as well.”
Cue Lloyd Christmas (and Buchner believers) believing there’s a chance. Can Buchner really shoehorn his way into the 2021 picture?
“It’s fair to scrutinize this position each and every week,” Kelly said. “We do that too. It’s our job to put the best player out there. If it’s Pyne, if it’s Buchner, if it’s Coan, that’s what we need to do. We have to find a way to develop the quarterback at Notre Dame to be ready to play. I don’t know that all three can get equal reps to see that happens. Something will have to give along the way as this continues to unfold when we go into camp.”
Buchner, of course, came to Notre Dame in January with a long line of hurdles to clear. Long enough that the idea of him starting as a freshman was positively zany upon his arrival and still feels far-fetched. Thanks to an ACL tear in 2018 and California’s COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, he played just 13 games of high school football. He spent the spring working with the second- and third-team offense as Coan and Pyne split first-unit reps.
Saturday was a change of pace for him.
“Today he took a big step up,” Kelly said. “He was given more of an opportunity, obviously, by being live. I thought he took advantage of it. He had some really good throws down the field.”
On his first full drive, Buchner completed three straight passes for at least 20 yards and capped a four-play, 75-yard sprint downfield with a 7-yard rushing touchdown. Look down at your phone and you would have missed the whole thing. His mobility, running ability and athleticism unmatched by Notre Dame’s other quarterbacks were in plain sight.
It will take a lot more for him to displace the top options. Probably more than he should be expected to provide this year. Coan, by going 18-of-32 for 197 yards, did nothing to tank his position as the favorite to start on Labor Day Sunday in Tallahassee, Fla. Pyne’s stat line – 11-of-23 for 146 yards – is less impressive, but he had moments that illustrated his progress and potential.
Like everyone else, though, Kelly’s challenging them for more.
“The way I see it now is we’re a good team, and good teams aren’t good enough,” Kelly said. “We need to be a great team. Good teams don’t win a national championship. You need to be a great team. How do we get from good to great? That’s where we are in this process.”
If Buchner can aid that journey, he will get a look in some form. Perhaps that only means more reps this summer. Maybe that’s a bit role with a package of plays for him. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s a real chance in training camp.
Whatever the plan, it will be captivating to track as a subplot to Notre Dame’s fascinating overall chase for greatness between now and its 2021 opener.
“He had a really good spring game,” Kelly said. “He did some really good things. It’s going to take some time for him to continue to develop. We’ll put him in competitive positions.”
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