Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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42 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW a true national championship style defense, and to be going against a national champion- ship style offense," Kizer said. "I was in the pocket and could feel guys all over me. It was a different kind of feeling I didn't have all season. That same feeling now I may be able to learn from and understand in big games against teams like that … you're going to have to make plays in situations you're not completely comfortable in. "They had great players across the board, we knew that going into it, but you can't imi- tate the feeling that you have when the Fiesta Bowl is on the line." When asked what his reaction would be if he doesn't end up becoming the 2016 starter, Kizer diplomatically responded, "I'm going to make sure I can do everything I can to try to get that job. "This is part of my life now. I like to look at myself as the Notre Dame quarterback. I'm just excited to develop. I've learned quite a bit in my short time here." Zaire Competing To Regain Starting Status From 1987-92, the San Francisco 49ers were enormously blessed to have eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Montana, the righty, and future seven-time Pro Bowl quar- terback Steve Young, the lefty, on the roster. Nevertheless, the dynamic and tension of that Montana-Young relationship was re- cently reflected in a recent AT&T commer- cial in which the two are reunited by hap- penstance, and even their mistimed (albeit choreographed) handshake attempts were awkward. The 2016 Notre Dame football team has a lighter, collegiate version of this competi- tion with the right-handed, poised incum- bent Kizer — who as a sophomore already directed three Montana-like fourth-quarter comeback wins, plus nearly a fourth at Stan- ford had the defense not collapsed — and the left-handed Zaire. His lone two starts and finishes with the Fighting Irish showcased his dynamic dual-threat abilities, from an MVP performance in the 2014 Music City Bowl win over LSU, in which he rushed for 96 yards, to the 19-of-22, 313-yard passing clinic in the 2015 rout of Texas (38-3) in the opener. A fractured/dislocated ankle one week later at Virginia ended Zaire's season, but not his contention that he can still be The Man. Inter- estingly, through friends in the quarterback fraternity, Zaire also has developed regular communication with Young, who for many years was frustrated behind Montana before Super Joe signed with Kansas City. It pro- vides Zaire valued perspective. "The greatest lefty quarterback," declared Zaire — the first southpaw at Notre Dame in 90 years to toss a touchdown pass — of Young. "He's a busy man but he finds time to get a chance to holler at me and we share our little stories, and it's always a good time. … It's just a blessing being able to talk with the great Steve Young." For the third straight spring, Zaire was engaged in an intense spring competition to start. In 2014, after a one-season exile, the far more experienced Everett Golson won the job even though Zaire dominated the spring game (18-of-27 passing for 292 yards with two scores). Zaire's ascent in 2014 led him to supplant Golson by the end of the year and win the starting job by default in 2015 once Golson opted to use his fifth season of eligibility at Florida State. Two years earlier, it was five-star recruit Gunner Kiel who opted to transfer (to Cin- cinnati) from the Irish while Zaire rose in the ranks. Zaire's mere presence keeps putting the pressure on the other quarterbacks, but enter- ing his senior year (with a fifth year of eligi- bility remaining in 2017) he is getting antsy to have a full season to call his own. "You really wonder what it's going to take to finally convince people enough that I'm able to do the job," Zaire said. "I don't make decisions [on who starts], so I've got to keep Kizer and Zaire developed a bond prior to their current competition for the starting job, with Zaire noting: "I'm glad he's on the roster and I'm glad that we are in a position that we can both be better. 9I think it's going to help the team in the end." PHOTOS BY ANDREW IVINS