Dayne Crist

It wasn't long after the first game of last season that Dayne Crist knew his time at Notre Dame would soon be coming to a close. "I think I knew pretty early," Crist said this week, in an interview with WSBT. And now, his time at Notre Dame truly will come to a close. Crist is back in South Bend for Senior Week and graduation.  "Definitely wanted to come back for graduation and walk and be part of that ceremony," Crist said. "Notre Dame has been such a big part of my life that this is really kind of the accumulation of a great four years.

Mark Dantonio rolled the dice, and hit the jackpot Saturday in East Lansing. A fake field goal executed to perfection, leads Michigan State to a 34-31 victory over Notre Dame in overtime.The special teams touchdown capped off a wild game at Spartan Stadium featuring big plays by both offenses. Notre Dame took the first lead of the game. Dayne Crist, showing no signs of the injury that kept him from much of the Michigan game, hit Michael Floyd on a 7-yard fade route in the end zone to give the Irish a 7-0 lead after one quarter.

In his time at Notre Dame, Dayne Crist has developed a reputation not only for his perseverance on the field, but his volunteerism off it. In a month when several Irish players -- including Crist -- have been put on preseason award watch lists for their performance, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior was nominated this week for an award of a different kind. Crist is one of 132 college football players who have been nominated for the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, which recognizes "selfless contributions to volunteerism and community service.

Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly announced that Dayne Crist will be starting as Notre Dame's quarterback for the 2011 football season. Kelly released these details in a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Crist beat out sophomore Tommy Rees, in a position battle that began last spring. "To have the kind of summer and pre-season camp that he had, puts into perspective where he is this year," says Kelly oof Crist.  "He is a much better football player.  He is a much better quarterback.

After taking 48 hours to get over the utter disbelief in what I saw...and to dry out...I've come to the conclusion that Notre Dame's loss to South Florida on Saturday isn't necessarily as bad as it seems. I still can't believe how poorly the Irish played on Saturday. But that's just it.  They played BAD, but they're not a bad team. Compare this squad to the one four years ago, when it was obvious after one week that Notre Dame might not win a game before Halloween (they started 1-9)

The recent news that Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is searching for a third quarterback to add to his recruiting class of 2010 brought to mind two recent instances when ND has signed multiple signal-callers. A few years ago, because of a shortage of quarterbacks on the roster, former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis signed two quarterbacks — Demetrius Jones and Zach Frazer. Years before that, Bob Davie, a year after being stood up at the alter by C.J. Leak, overcompensated in the following recruiting cycle by bringing in four QBs — Abram Elam, Jared Clark, Matt LoVecchio and Carlyle Holiday.

As Brian Kelly opens up his second training camp at Notre Dame, he says he's most excited about the depth on his football team. "Our guys know what to do.  We were a lot more efficient out there today (than last year).  We have work to do getting our players to finish plays on a consistent basis. " The attention will be on the quarterbacks this training camp, more so than normal.   There's a four-man competition for the starting job, and the first shot goes to veterans, senior  Dayne Crist and sophomore Tommy Rees.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame starting quarterback Dayne Crist underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee Sunday to repair a torn patellar tendon, Irish head football coach Brian Kelly said. Crist’s recovery time is expected to be six months, which could curtail his activity or even completely wipe out spring practice in 2011. Crist suffered the injury during a 29-yard run, the longest of his career, in the first quarter of Saturday’s 28-27 loss to Tulsa at ND Stadium.

Jimmy Clausen sent his NFL Draft stock skyrocketing when he not only played through pain, but did so with record-breaking production. Tuesday, the former Notre Dame quarterback will have to deal with a second shot of adversity. According to a report by ESPN.com's Tom Friend, Clausen will undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right big toe and is expected to be sidelined two to three months. That knocks Clausen out of the physical portion of the NFL Scouting Combine, the invitation-only audition of sorts for NFL personnel, Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis.

SOUTH BEND — A convalescing right knee hasn’t turned Dayne Crist into a complete bystander. Two months removed from reconstructive knee surgery, the heir-obvious to the Notre Dame football team’s starting quarterback job is already making new Irish coach Brian Kelly’s transition from the University of Cincinnati a little less frantic. Recently, Crist has been trying to allay the anxiety of Andrew Hendrix, a senior quarterback at Cincinnati Moeller High School who could be vying for the No. 2 spot behind Crist in August.

It wasn't long after the first game of last season that Dayne Crist knew his time at Notre Dame would soon be coming to a close. "I think I knew pretty early," Crist said this week, in an interview with WSBT. And now, his time at Notre Dame truly will come to a close. Crist is back in South Bend for Senior Week and graduation.  "Definitely wanted to come back for graduation and walk and be part of that ceremony," Crist said. "Notre Dame has been such a big part of my life that this is really kind of the accumulation of a great four years.

After taking 48 hours to get over the utter disbelief in what I saw...and to dry out...I've come to the conclusion that Notre Dame's loss to South Florida on Saturday isn't necessarily as bad as it seems. I still can't believe how poorly the Irish played on Saturday. But that's just it.  They played BAD, but they're not a bad team. Compare this squad to the one four years ago, when it was obvious after one week that Notre Dame might not win a game before Halloween (they started 1-9)

Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly announced that Dayne Crist will be starting as Notre Dame's quarterback for the 2011 football season. Kelly released these details in a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Crist beat out sophomore Tommy Rees, in a position battle that began last spring. "To have the kind of summer and pre-season camp that he had, puts into perspective where he is this year," says Kelly oof Crist.  "He is a much better football player.  He is a much better quarterback.

As Brian Kelly opens up his second training camp at Notre Dame, he says he's most excited about the depth on his football team. "Our guys know what to do.  We were a lot more efficient out there today (than last year).  We have work to do getting our players to finish plays on a consistent basis. " The attention will be on the quarterbacks this training camp, more so than normal.   There's a four-man competition for the starting job, and the first shot goes to veterans, senior  Dayne Crist and sophomore Tommy Rees.

In his time at Notre Dame, Dayne Crist has developed a reputation not only for his perseverance on the field, but his volunteerism off it. In a month when several Irish players -- including Crist -- have been put on preseason award watch lists for their performance, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior was nominated this week for an award of a different kind. Crist is one of 132 college football players who have been nominated for the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, which recognizes "selfless contributions to volunteerism and community service.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame starting quarterback Dayne Crist underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee Sunday to repair a torn patellar tendon, Irish head football coach Brian Kelly said. Crist’s recovery time is expected to be six months, which could curtail his activity or even completely wipe out spring practice in 2011. Crist suffered the injury during a 29-yard run, the longest of his career, in the first quarter of Saturday’s 28-27 loss to Tulsa at ND Stadium.

SOUTH BEND — If it were only about a pass that fluttered a few inches too short, a career that ended four games too soon, a knee injury that deflated any realistic hopes for a November uprising, all Brian Kelly would be fighting to do is make sure his first season at Notre Dame wasn't a lost one. It's so much bigger than that now, and not just because the nation's worst pass defense botched the ND football team's latest stab at...

SOUTH BEND -- Critical questions face the Notre Dame football program. Should the Irish play a game on Saturday? Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said university officials broached the subject following the tragic death Wednesday of Declan Sullivan when a scissor lift on which he was filming practice toppled over during heavy winds. There's no easy answer. What's a proper response to what some perceive as the very preventable death of a bright, talented young man? Decals with his initials on the helmet?

SOUTH BEND - Andrew Hendrix drew passing grades, not oohs and ahs, for his imitation of Navy option quarterback Ricky Dobbs this week. In the bigger picture, though, the Notre Dame freshman quarterback looks like anything but a scout-teamer. “Impressive,” ND coach Brian Kelly said of the 6-foot-2, 218-pound former Cincinnati Moeller standout. “The ball comes out of his hand like probably one other guy I’ve ever coached. It comes out that quick, that fast.

T here are mistakes that happen on the football field that can be forgiven. And then there are really bad mistakes that can take a while to get over. Tyler Eifert walked the line between the two Saturday. Notre Dame went to its new go-to tight end early and often in its 44-20 win over Western Michigan. With Kyle Rudolph out for the season, Eifert’s the guy with the good hands. Good results, for the most part. A 6-foot-6, 242-pound sophomore from Fort Wayne Dwenger High, Eifert caught four passes for 72 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown reception.