Jack Cooley hit the deck for a loose ball and fell into the padding below the basket, but the bruises couldn’t slow down the 6-foot-9 Irish forward Saturday against DePaul.SOUTH BEND – Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist’s wait is nearly over.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior will start his first college game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against Purdue in Notre Dame Stadium.
“It will definitely be an exciting time for me,” Crist said. “It’s a moment that I’ve waited for for a very long time. Something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid.”
Crist will not be running the same offense that former Irish coach Charlie Weis, who was fired Nov. 30, dreamed up for Jimmy Clausen, who was taken with the 48th selection in this year’s NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, Crist will operate in new coach Brian Kelly’s spread offense, which produced 4,014 passing yards and 39 passing touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bearcats in their 12-0 regular season last year.
By all accounts, Crist is ready to run the offense just as effectively as last year’s Bearcats.
“We have everything in,” offensive coordinator Charley Molnar said. “Now it’s just really fine tuning the things that we have in our game plan and getting really, really good at them.”
Crist, who wasn’t hit in preseason camp as he recovered from a torn ACL, will have to be good at protecting himself as Notre Dame has three first-time starting offensive linemen.
Also, quarterbacks get hit in Kelly’s system, though they rarely get sacked. Cincinnati gave up 15 sacks last season, while Notre Dame gave up 25.
“He’s got to be somebody that extends plays, that runs the football,” Kelly said of Crist. “He’s going to get tackled. He’s going to get hit. He’s going to have to run around. He’s not just going to stay in the pocket and protect them and run three-man routes.”
Crist can also avoid hits by connecting with his playmakers quickly, and he is surrounded by weapons.
All-American candidates Michael Floyd, a junior receiver, and Kyle Rudolph, a junior tight end, highlight the Irish’s options.
Floyd said just catching the ball will help Crist settle into leading the offense.
“I think when quarterbacks see the ball is being caught, it just lets him keep his composure and makes him feel better in the pocket,” Floyd said.
Rudolph will be able to help just because he has recovered from a hamstring pull that limited him during fall camp. Also, Rudolph is comfortable in his role.
“I really haven’t missed a beat as far as that,” Rudolph said of learning the spread.
Notes: Tight end Mike Ragone is on antibiotics for an ear infection and is doubtful for Saturday, Kelly said Thursday. … Senior David Ruffer will handle placekicking duties instead of sophomore Nick Tausch. Ruffer will also handle kickoffs.
