ESPN

No alma mater after a loss.

That's Notre Dame's new home-game policy, instituted two years ago and cleared up Sunday by coach Brian Kelly during his teleconference, a day after some postgame confusion ensued following the Irish's 35-21 home loss to Oklahoma, with some players leaving immediately before most bee-lined toward the student section to engage in song.

The Irish's 10-game home winning streak was snapped by the Sooners so the players were not exactly versed in this exercise.

"A lot of our players were confused because they hadn't lost, a lot of them had never lost at home, and they weren't sure what to do," Kelly said. "I didn't communicate it to them clearly, what the protocol was, but we changed that protocol two years ago after a loss.

"We don't stay out on the field to sing the alma mater. We come in. And that wasn't communicated clearly. I wasn't thinking about losing a football game; it wasn't on my to-do list to go over with my team. It's a protocol we changed a couple years ago that we do not stay out on the field after the alma mater to sing after a loss."

Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis had started the routine in the 2006 season, his second with the Irish.

"I just don't think it's appropriate to put your players after a defeat in a situation where they're exposed," Kelly said Sunday. "I want to get them in the locker room. It's important to talk to them, and I just felt like in those situations, after a loss, there's a lot of emotions. It's important to get the team back into the locker room and get them under my guidance."

Notes: Kelly will talk to ACC officials about Ben Councell's second-half ejection Saturday for targeting. Councell, by rule, has to sit the first half this coming Saturday against Arizona State. Romeo Okwara will likely take his spot as the No. 2 Dog linebacker. … Sheldon Day "tweaked" his ankle during warmups against Oklahoma, causing Kelly to sit him after he missed last week with an ankle sprain. TJ Jones "rolled" his ankle Saturday but should be fine moving forward. … Greg Bryant did not play because of a knee injury suffered this past week. … Tommy Rees is "certainly" Notre Dame's starting quarterback, with Andrew Hendrix serving as a complementary piece. Kelly said that, barring an injury situation to either signal-caller, he'd prefer not to play freshman Malik Zaire this season.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After Oklahoma called a timeout with 1:21 to play and the ball at the Notre Dame 17-yard line on Saturday, "Boomer! Sooner!" chants began to rain down from the crimson-clad contingent seated near Notre Dame Stadium's northeast corner, threatening to turn this place into Owen Field North. The Irish's student section responded with furious chants of "Let's Go, Irish!"

Two kneels and one final horn later, everyone was left to figure out where these Irish go from here.

Notre Dame had been flirting with a result like this in its previous three games. And, just like they did against Michigan three weeks ago, the Irish once again ran into a team more than happy to take advantage of another rough opening.

Starting painfully slow is just no way to live. And after a 35-21 loss to Oklahoma, Notre Dame's second defeat this month, neither is essentially having to win seven remaining games to return to a BCS bowl for the second year in a row.

"You never expect those things, but they happen," coach Brian Kelly said of the Irish's early mistakes. "That's why we have ulcers in this business."

In front of a green-out crowd against the Sooners, those gaffes were interceptions on back-to-back Tommy Rees throws on the Irish's first two drives, leading to an early 14-0 deficit. Much like Michigan showed in Notre Dame's other loss -- and much like Purdue and Michigan State couldn't, try as they might -- Oklahoma proved once again that shootouts are not conducive to the Irish's style.

Rees threw three picks against the Sooners, which accounted for one more than the two he had thrown in four starts entering the contest. Oklahoma converted those turnovers into 21 points, including a 24-yard Corey Nelson pick-six on the game's first possession.

Andrew Hendrix provided a nice wrinkle in some zone-read packages, and the Irish finally got the ground game going behind George Atkinson III, who tallied a career-best 148 yards.

But after falling behind by two scores, they began just two drives while trailing by just one score -- the second of which ended with Rees getting picked off by Julian Wilson on third-and-10 with the Irish in field goal range. Oklahoma then went 88 yards in 10 plays to take a 21-7 lead 42 seconds before halftime.

"I don't know about a dream-like start," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said, "but a good start."

Stoops went on to say that toughness was not a problem with his Sooners, and that they did not lose to the Irish at home last year because of physical football.

Call it what whatever you want, but it was something that Notre Dame mastered last year, especially in its near-perfect outing in Norman.

Then, the Irish won the turnover battle 1-0. They limited Oklahoma to just 15 rushing yards. They won 30-13.

On Saturday, they lost the turnover battle 3-0. They surrendered 212 rushing yards. And they were down 14-0 less than three minutes into the game.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't know how we fix our slow start," co-captain TJ Jones said. "I think it's just kind of a collective thing to come out with -- I really don't know what it is. Whether it's feeding off the energy and executing plays or not letting the mis-execution of plays slow us down."

Added Kelly: "Look, if I knew what that was, I would not be standing here right now. I'd be doing something else. This is my 23rd year as a head coach. You never expect to not pick up the simplest of stunts and have your quarterback get the ball stripped. You never expect not to run the right route when you're supposed to."

No, Notre Dame does not know how it got here, and it does not exactly know how to leave here, either. The student section booed heavily when the Irish began to head up the tunnel instead of staying for the alma mater. Fifth-year senior Carlo Calabrese urged his teammates to come back out and sing, per postgame ritual. They obliged, though it turns out a new team policy, instituted two years ago, calls for the players to regroup first in the locker room following a loss before reappearing and crooning.

Notre Dame had not lost in the 10 home games since the creation of that policy, a streak that came to an end against the Sooners. The Irish's national title dreams -- the Jan. 6 date at the BCS National Championship that is listed inside the football complex for all to see — are long gone. Their BCS bowl hopes are on life support.

"This season's a new season, we're a different team," co-captain Bennett Jackson said. "We have different characteristics as a team, and we take each game each week. We can't do anything about the past. As a team, we're going to come together and try to win the rest of our games. That's our main objective."

I'm 4-for-4. You probably don't want me to go 5-for-5.

When Oklahoma has the ball: Blake Bell is making his first career road start. He has given everyone he has faced trouble with his ability to run the football, but Brian Kelly stressed this week that Bell will beat you with your arm as well. He is 6-foot-6, 252 pounds, and he is coming off a 413-yard, four-touchdown outing two weeks ago in his first career start, albeit against Tulsa. Notre Dame gave up a lot of yardage last year in Norman, Okla., but the Irish were able to keep the ball in front of them, bunkering down when push came to shove in the red zone. They cannot afford to miss tackles the way they have early this season, and they cannot let the Sooners' receivers -- namely, Jalen Saunders, he of 15 catches and 181 yards in last year's meeting -- get behind them.

When Notre Dame has the ball: The Sooners have the nation's No. 5 scoring defense (9 ppg). Of course, they have played just three games against three bad opponents. Notre Dame won last year's game by 17, but it is easy to forget that this was a 13-13 contest with six minutes remaining. The Irish had done a brilliant job of controlling the line of scrimmage before catching the Oklahoma defense off-guard with a big play -- a 50-yard, play-action strike to then-freshman Chris Brown that set up the go-ahead score. That's easier to do with Everett Golson than it is with Tommy Rees. And it's easier to execute when you have a strong running game. Cierre Wood's 62-yard first-quarter touchdown helped open that up for the Irish early. They should continue to try to establish a ground attack early, but they have had lots of trouble getting it going through four games.

Intangible: Everyone was sleeping on the Irish during last year's contest. That is no longer the case. Oklahoma got pushed around in a venue the Sooners don't pushed around much in, and they are coming off a bye entering this contest.

Prediction: Oklahoma 24, Notre Dame 17. These slow starts will eventually catch up to the Irish, and the Sooners are too talented to not make them pay.

On Saturday, Oklahoma will make its first trip to Notre Dame Stadium in 14 years. The Irish won that 1999 contest, 34-30, and have won eight others against the Sooners, as they hold a 9-1 all-time mark in the series. Last season's game turned on several big Notre Dame plays on both sides of the ball, lifting the Irish to a 30-13 road win and an 8-0 record.

What will happen this time around? We turn to Big 12 reporter Brandon Chatmon and Notre Dame reporter Matt Fortuna to preview this weekend's tilt in South Bend, Ind.

Matt: Brandon, Blake Bell earned the noble distinction last year of becoming the first player to rush for a touchdown against Notre Dame. That was eight games into the Irish's season, and this year they have already given up two scores on the ground. Obviously, Bell has a lot more on his plate this time around. And he is making his first career road start, in a stadium where the Irish have won 10 straight games. What can Notre Dame's defense expect to see from Bell on Saturday?

Brandon: The Irish will actually have to account for the possibility they will see No. 10 throw the ball when he's behind center. Notre Dame will have to be prepare for Bell to test its secondary with his arm more than his feet, and he showed he might be a better passer than people think in his first start against Tulsa. Undoubtedly, the windows will shrink against ND but the fact remains that the Irish will have to prepare for Bell, who could test them with his arm and feet, unlike their preparations for Landry Jones, who doesn't put fear into the heart of any defense with his legs. The overriding question in Norman is: how have the Irish changed in the trenches after manhandling OU in Norman last season? Can they do that again?

Matt: The depth of Notre Dame's defensive line took some hits this offseason -- first with the transfer of Eddie Vanderdoes to UCLA, then with the ACL tear suffered by Tony Springmann. Still, the front-line guys remain very dangerous, though the numbers have not exactly depicted that through four games. The Irish's opponents have done a good job of establishing a quick-strike passing game, effectively negating the strengths of the Irish's defensive linemen. A mobile quarterback like Bell will likely present more challenges Saturday, and it us up to the Irish to continue to adjust. The other side is a bit of a mystery as well. Notre Dame has struggled to establish much of a run game so far, but its offensive line has done a tremendous job of keeping Tommy Rees standing up straight through four games, and the offense has again limited the turnovers. Rees and this year's group of running backs just don't pose the kind of threat that Everett Golson and last year's backfield did, so it's hard to imagine the Irish running to set up the deep pass in the same way they were able to last year, when they connected with Chris Brown for a game-changing 50-yard strike in the fourth quarter. They may have more weapons at receiver this year, though. How does Oklahoma's pass coverage match up with TJ Jones, DaVaris Daniels and company?

Brandon: Well, Matt, the Sooners' secondary would like to think it's ready for the challenge against Rees and Notre Dame's receivers. All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin won't be a concern, but the rest of the secondary is somewhat untested. Senior Gabe Lynn is starting at safety, a new position, after spending his first three seasons at nickelback and corner, and he has played well. OU's three new starters, nickelback Julian Wilson, cornerback Zack Sanchez and safety Quentin Hayes, have looked good but haven't yet played a quarterback who will capitalize on their mistakes. That said, the OU secondary, without question, is faster and better in coverage than the 2012 version. Whether it will it hold up mentally in a hostile environment is the unanswered question, so I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Anyway, who do you like this weekend?

Matt: Notre Dame's defense played its best game Saturday, responding to Brian Kelly's mid-week challenge. But I'm just not sure it has completely turned the corner yet. I think the Irish are getting Oklahoma at a more opportune time, as Bell is making just his second start and the Sooners have yet to really be tested. But I have not seen enough so far that makes me believe Notre Dame will be able to handle everything Oklahoma will throw at it offensively. Oklahoma has had one more week to prepare, and I sense a bit of wounded pride coming from the Sooners after the Irish out-muscled them late last year and, eventually, ended up ruining the their BCS-bowl hopes. How do you see this one unfolding?

Brandon: I think everything falls on the shoulders of the quarterbacks. Rees is much more experienced than Bell and I have a feeling that's going to show itself on Saturday as the Irish make Bell uncomfortable in the pocket and force a couple of mental mistakes from the junior during his first road start. OU's defense will hold up and play well, giving the Sooners the chance to remain in the game no matter what happens offensively. But turnovers will be the difference and ND will win the turnover battle and win a close, hard-fought game at home.

Did we really learn anything from Notre Dame's 17-13 win over Michigan State?

1. Limiting mistakes is sometimes enough. We all know that turnovers have cost Notre Dame in the past. But I didn't realize just how much until I saw this postgame stat: The Irish are 12-0 under coach Brian Kelly when they don't turn it over. They came awfully close a few times Saturday, especially on special teams, and Tommy Rees did not have a great day. But they won the turnover battle 1-0, which ended up being the difference in the game.

2. Run game needs to get going. The Irish ran for just 82 yards on 32 carries. They went empty backfield on a number of third-and-short plays, an oddity considering that Rees is not a mobile quarterback. MSU's defense is among the best in the nation, so the Spartans deserve some credit, but this was not the kind of start the Irish wanted on the ground through four games.

3. Rookies step up. Corey Robinson had his best game. Will Fuller made a 37-yard catch. Cole Luke and Devin Butler saw time together. Tarean Folston even got four carries for 12 yards. (Though everyone's still waiting to see Greg Bryant on more than kick coverage.) The first-year guys took advantage of some opportunities, perhaps earning more trust as the season progresses.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Kyle Brindza walked into the postgame interview room and took a seat, his voice hoarse from a week-long cold, thoughts of suffering his first career blocked punt -- and of missing his second field goal of the season -- nothing but a thing of the past.

Back in the locker room was a gift that Brindza, Notre Dame's do-it-all special-teamer, wanted to give to his nephew: a game-ball he received for his efforts in the Irish's 17-13 win Saturday over Michigan State, their third straight win over the rival Spartans.

"People talk about stats and everything, but it's just pretty much, for me, to be able to -- when our offense is backed up -- flip field and put our defense in good position," Brindza said. "So I'm glad I was able to do that for our team."

Yes, it was that kind of afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium, with the Irish getting out-gained in a game that featured less than 500 total yards of offense between the two squads, on a day that began with the program suffering its first blocked punt in five years, in a contest that saw TJ Jones fumble one punt and inadvertently touch another.

Notre Dame recovered both, and in the end, its zero turnovers to Michigan State's one might have been the difference. The Irish won their 10th straight home game, a feat they have not accomplished in 14 years. They made it seven for their past seven in games decided by one score. And they improved to 12-0 under coach Brian Kelly when they do not give the ball away.

This team learned all about winning ugly during last season's run. The question now is if a similar path is what it will take to have another successful campaign.

"I would characterize it a little bit differently," Kelly said when asked about an ugly win. "I think both defenses really carried the day here today. I think Michigan State has a great defense. They're very difficult to play against in so many fashions.

"If you would have asked me last week about what this kind of game was going to be, it wasn't going to be a beauty contest. I felt like it was going to be this kind of game."

Quarterback Tommy Rees had his worst game of the season, but avoided costly mistakes. He went 14-of-34 for 142 yards on a day that Kelly said that the senior simply missed open receivers.

Notre Dame's biggest offensive weapon, however, might have been the yellow flag.

Four pass-interference penalties gave the Irish 60 yards, with another hold, a 10-yarder, coming on a third-and-9 play in the first quarter on a drive that ended with a Brindza field goal.

One pass-interference call came on third down. Another came on a fourth-and-1 on a drive that ended with a Jones touchdown right before halftime.

DaVaris Daniels drew one on a third-quarter play that could have easily been ruled against him. Two plays later, Corey Robinson drew one. Two more plays later, and Cam McDaniel was in the end zone with a 7-yard touchdown.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio had his view of pass-interference calls in a rather humorous postgame news conference. Kelly had his own view.

"When you know that the quarterback is going to throw it back shoulder, the defensive back does not know where it is, you have an advantage in that situation," Kelly said. "You're going to get some pass-interference calls when you put the ball in a good position."

Added Robinson, the 6-foot-4 freshman who led all players with 54 yards on three catches: "When the ball's in there I have to go get it, regardless of whether it's inside, outside, high or low, it doesn't matter. And I have to get around the cornerback to get the ball, and if I get the call then I get the call.

"But I have to make the catch regardless, and today I didn't make a couple of the catches, but I was fortunate to get the call. I don't got for pass interference; I'm trying to get the ball every single time, and that's the goal every time."

Matthias Farley accounted for the game's lone takeaway when he picked off Spartans freshman R.J. Shelton on an ill-advised halfback pass in the third quarter. Notre Dame scored on the very next drive.

The Irish came no closer to solving their backfield riddle, as they netted just 82 yards on 32 carries, with McDaniel again serving as the end-of-game back, getting the team's final 12 carries and even getting an unsportsmanlike-conduct call to boot.

Trailing by four with 3:12 to play and two timeouts left, Michigan State punted the ball from its own 35-yard line.

Which offense that was a bigger indictment of is a matter of debate, as Notre Dame returned favor with a three-and-out, only to see new Spartans quarterback Andrew Maxwell fall 12 yards short on his decisive fourth-and-20 run.

Notre Dame is 3-1 as it readies for Oklahoma. The Irish handed the nation's top defense its first loss of the season. And perhaps that's all that should be said about that.

"We know how to win close games," Rees said. "That's something we've done for a while now. I think all the guys understood what it took to close out a close one."

The Fighting Irish's senior signal-caller talks about his team's 31-24 win at Purdue.

I was right in last week's outcome, but little else.

When Notre Dame has the ball: Purdue has a solid defensive line, although not as good as last year's, which was good enough to almost help deliver the Irish a loss in their home opener. Tommy Rees has responded well after losses. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he has an 11-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio in games after his six career multi-interception contests, with the Irish going 5-1 in those bounce-back games. Losing seems almost out of the question here, and Rees will not (and should not) be asked to throw the ball 51 times. The backfield pecking order could clear up a little bit here, especially against Purdue's green linebackers. Also worth noting: Purdue lost starting safety Landon Feichter last week to a broken right leg.

When Purdue has the ball: Rob Henry is a mobile quarterback, although he does not present nearly the challenge that Devin Gardner did last week. And he will be without his top target, as tight end and leading receiver Gabe Holmes suffered a wrist injury this week that will sideline him for an extended period of time. Purdue's offense has been sloppy through two games, totaling just 27 points on the season and ranking 108th nationally in total offense. The Boilermakers average just 2.9 yards per carry. Notre Dame's defensive line should have a field day against an offense that could not punch the ball in from the goal line on two possessions last week … against FCS Indiana State.

Intangible: Purdue has the home-field advantage and a night-game atmosphere, plus whatever remaining confidence could be gained from nearly pulling off the upset last year … but not much else. First-year coach Darrell Hazell has had his work cut out for him through two games, and he is running into a Notre Dame defense that is tired of being questioned after an uncharacteristic performance in last week's loss at Michigan.

Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Purdue 7. This game is just what the doctor ordered for the Irish.

As always, thanks to ESPN Stats & Info and sports information departments for these tidbits.

• Tommy Rees and Devin Gardner were two of 17 quarterbacks in the FBS to post a Total QBR of at least 90 in Week 1. Rees had one start in his career in which he posted a higher Total QBR than he did last week against Temple. Gardner’s Total QBR of 90 against Central Michigan was the third time in six career starts that he posted at least a 90. Both Rees and Gardner bring something to their teams that their predecessors struggled with a season ago.
• Rees had seven completions of 20-plus yards last week against Temple, more than Everett Golson had in any game last season. After throwing two interceptions against Michigan last season, Golson was replaced by Rees, who completed both of his passes thrown 20 yards or longer. In limited time the last two seasons, Rees has completed a higher percentage of his passes and thrown two fewer interceptions on such passes than Golson.
• In five trips into the red zone against Notre Dame last season, Michigan did not score a touchdown and had as many as turnovers (2) as made field goals. Since Gardner took over as Michigan’s starter last season, he has led the Wolverines into the red zone 22 times in six games, resulting in 19 touchdowns (86.4 percent). No team has finished a season with a higher red zone touchdown percentage than 86.4 in the last five years.
• Rees has completed 57 percent of his passes thrown 20 yards or longer in the last two seasons, 19 percentage points higher than Golson. Rees had two touchdowns on such passes in Week 1, both going to DaVaris Daniels.
• Michigan has allowed six touchdowns and has no interceptions on passes thrown 20 yards or longer since the start of last season. The Wolverines and Utah are the only two AQ defenses that do not have an interception on such passes.
• Since taking over as the starter for Michigan on Nov. 3, Gardner has posted a Total QBR of 98.8 on third down, second best among players with at least 25 action plays. All 19 of his completions on third down have led to either a touchdown or a first down. His touchdown percentage on third down (31 percent) since becoming a starter is almost twice that of the next closer player, Aaron Murray at 15.7 percent.
• Notre Dame did not allow a rushing touchdown last season until Week 8 and entered the BCS National Championship having conceded two rushing touchdowns in 33 red zone trips. Since, the Fighting Irish have allowed three rushing touchdowns in eight red-zone drives, including a 1-yard touchdown against Temple in Week 1.
• The Wolverines have yet to lose at home under Brady Hoke, winning all 15 games. Hoke is the first Michigan coach to go undefeated at home in his first two seasons since Fielding Yost in 1901-02. But only one of those 15 home games came against a ranked team: 2011 vs No. 17 Nebraska.
• Meetings with both teams ranked used to be the standard, then became a rarity. Luckily for college football fans, they’re back now. This is the second straight season both Notre Dame and Michigan are ranked at the time of the game. None of the previous five meetings (2007-11) featured both teams being ranked.
• For perspective on how far back the series goes: the first meeting in 1887 came just two years after the gas automobile was developed. It came two years before the Eiffel Tower opened. And in 1887, there were only 38 states in the union. North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington were next to be added, in 1889.
• These programs rank first (Michigan) and third (Notre Dame) in all-time wins at the highest collegiate level (Texas is second) and first and second in winning percentage. They’ve combined for 10 AP national titles and 10 Heisman Trophy winners.
• Notre Dame is 11-0 under Brian Kelly in games where it was turnover-free. In games Notre Dame committed a turnover under Kelly, it has a 18-11 record.

The loss of starting quarterback Everett Golson is major cause for concern at Notre Dame.

Though the offense in 2011 was slightly better with Tommy Rees at quarterback (2.3 points per drive) than it was with Golson last season (2.2 points per drive), the loss of Golson's rushing ability will be an issue.

Golson's departure means the Irish will be without their top three rushers from a year ago (Theo Riddick was a senior in 2012 and Cierre Wood left school early for the NFL). The only returning contributor from the backfield is George Atkinson III. He’ll be joined by USC transfer Amir Carlisle (who missed 2012 due to injury) and Greg Bryant (No. 2 RB in 2013 ESPN 150).

After a slow start last season, Golson and the Irish rushing attack came into their own in October. The team averaged 3.8 yards per rush in its first four games, but that average jumped to 5.3 from that point forward -- and that includes the 19-rush, 32-yard performance against Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.

Starting with the game against Miami on Oct. 6, more designed runs were called for Golson. He also took it upon himself to pick up yards with his legs more often. Golson's designed runs went from 2.0 to 5.1 per game, and his scrambles went from 1.2 to 2.9 per game.

In the first four games of the season, Golson rushed a total of 13 times for one first down and two touchdowns. After that, 23 of his 64 rushes resulted in a first down and he reached the end zone four times.

Rees simply does not have this element in his game. He has exactly one rushing play in his career longer than 8 yards -- a 12-yard run against Tulsa during his freshman season -- and has never had more than 6 net rushing yards in a game.

Tommy Rees' college career has been anything but conventional. At different stages of his Notre Dame tenure, Rees has been hailed as a rookie savior, a turnover machine and an elite closer. He led the Irish as a freshman to their first victory at rival USC in 10 years. He took over for Dayne Crist in Game 1 of a sophomore season that ended with 20 turnovers. He saved three of the Irish's first six games during their undefeated regular season in his junior campaign.

He has been arrested and booed by his home crowd, too.

Now, through circumstances beyond his control, Rees enters his final year as the odds-on favorite to open the 2013 season as Notre Dame's starting quarterback. His 18 career starts are 18 more than any other signal-caller on the roster, and he has a chance to enhance his complicated legacy by leading a team coming off a BCS title game appearance.

"It's tough, but you definitely don't take anything for granted," Rees said April 19, when asked about approaching his senior year. "You come out there every day excited because you never know when your last practice might be. And the group of guys that I've come through with and developed with, it's exciting and it's bittersweet, but we've got a lot of time left here and we're looking forward to a really good season."

Rees will likely be a big key if the Irish are to have that kind of season, though coach Brian Kelly was noncommittal about naming a starter during a Tuesday conference call that addressed the school suspension of Everett Golson this fall. The fourth-year Irish coach said that Rees, redshirt junior Andrew Hendrix and true freshman Malik Zaire would all have opportunities to compete for the No. 1 role.

"It’s certainly going to be a challenge -- he was our starting quarterback, he started in the national championship game," Kelly said of moving forward without Golson. "But we’re very fortunate that we’ve got experienced quarterbacks in Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix. … These guys have been in the program now, they’ve been with us going on our fourth year. We have great relationships, a great understanding of our offense."

Rees has embodied Kelly's count-on-me mantra every step of the way. He has won the team's official Next Man In award twice in his first three years with the program, and the mentality that has earned him that hardware is the same one that can help minimize concern about Golson's departure.

"It's a team game; there can only be one quarterback," Rees said last month. "But all four of us go out there and compete like we want to be the guy. And we've done a good job balancing that out, and the coaches have done a good job of communicating and splitting the reps. I feel really good about the spring. I think all of us got better and all of us have been the best we have been, and I'm excited to move forward."

No one will mistake Rees' arm strength and agility with those of Golson, but the aspiring coach has the football IQ to overcome those deficiencies. Coaches and players talked last season about nuances that Rees would point out to Golson on the sideline and in the locker room during games, part of a relationship that carried over from when the two roomed in camp -- time that Golson used to ultimately win the job.

Now the opportunity is there for Rees to step in again, to prove that the "Turnover Tommy" moniker from 2011 is a thing of the past and that he can effectively guide a team with BCS aspirations for an extended period of time.

"Tommy knows exactly what the expectations are for him," Kelly said Tuesday. "He was a huge part of our undefeated season. He’s going to be a part of this season as well. He knows what we expect of him on a day-to-day basis. And just like a guy who can’t make tackles, you're probably not going to be on the field if you can’t tackle, and you’re probably not going to be on the field if you throw interceptions -- whether you’re Tommy Rees or Malik Zaire or Everett Golson. So that’s pretty established within our program as to what the expectations are."

So it turns out the decision by three Notre Dame players to transfer near the start of spring ball serves as the least notable headline in a Fighting Irish offseason that has brought one stunner after another.

From the flirtation of coach Brian Kelly with the Philadelphia Eagles in the days after the title-game humiliation, to the tabloid-worthy Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax revelation, to quarterback Gunner Kiel and two sophomore receivers finding new homes, to the uncertainty surrounding prized recruit Eddie Vanderdoes, the Irish have had little to cheer about in 2013, though last year's success provided more than enough reason for optimism heading into the fall.

Now comes the news that Everett Golson is not enrolled in school, a Memorial Day weekend shocker that changes everything for these Irish.

Golson is not the first Notre Dame player to get in trouble in what are supposed to be the quiet days after the school year is over -- he's not even the first Notre Dame quarterback to do so, as former starter Tommy Rees was arrested last May, earning himself a one-game suspension.

But for a coach and program that found a leader to take the offense where Kelly and the Irish want it, this news is a potential backbreaker, pending Golson's eventual status with the school.

Golson took advantage of Rees' being relegated to a glorified graduate assistant last August, assuming control of the offense as a redshirt freshman and leading Notre Dame to its first perfect regular season in 24 years.

By all accounts, Golson had made even bigger strides in 2013, including his respectable title-game performance against an Alabama team that turned most of his teammates into shells of themselves.

Golson added weight, communicated more effectively on the field and off, and absorbed so much of the playbook that he had to be told to slow down by the end of this spring.

All along, he was seen as the key to a spread offense that Kelly wants to be quarterback-driven. And with upward of 39 college starts remaining in Golson's career, Notre Dame appeared to finally have its long-term answer at the game's most important position.

Now that position is a huge question mark moving forward, however cold Rees' veins proved to be when rescuing the Irish time and time again in 2012. Andrew Hendrix has two years of eligibility left, and lefty blue-chipper Malik Zaire enrolled this spring.

None was groomed to carry the load this fall the way Golson had been, on an offense that features two new starting linemen, is down its top two running backs from last year, and has no sure answer to replace record-setter Tyler Eifert at tight end.

Keep in mind, too, that this unit finished just 54th in total offense and tied for 78th in scoring offense during last year's memorable run.

This was supposed to be a quiet spring at Notre Dame. And, unlike last year's, for the most part it was. The summer months before camp were supposed to be about closing the gap with Alabama, discovering the nuances that create a championship team.

Much of that was because of Notre Dame's quarterback. Without him, all of it is now in question.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With his first spring as The Guy at Notre Dame winding down, Everett Golson is scaling back.

He has had to do this before, whether it was relearning a few things after a rocky home debut last season or spending more time in the athletic trainer's room than he would have liked after his relatively small frame took too many hits throughout 2012.

But with Season 1 as Notre Dame's starting quarterback in the rear-view mirror, with the experience of a national title game under his belt and with outside starting threat Gunner Kiel off to Cincinnati, Golson, at times, simply has not stopped talking.

Now the fun begins for the Fighting Irish offense, a unit that faces at least the possibility of having the same man directing it for 39 more games, this after each of coach Brian Kelly's previous three springs with the program began with quarterback uncertainty.

"I don’t know that you could even put him in the same category with where he started last year to where he is now," Kelly said of Golson. "Strong command of our offense. I think where we’re at with him more than anything else is we have to now begin to pull back a little bit. He wants to do a little bit too much. He knows his toolbox very well. He didn’t know anything relative to what he had for tools last year in terms of what he could do with the offense.

"Now, he wants to maybe do a little too much, so we’re at a totally different point in his development. I think the thing that stands out the most to me, though, is his command. His communication and command and his leadership has been evident as we started spring ball."

Whereas Golson entered last spring as one of four candidates fighting for the starting job, this year, he is being more assertive, taking coaching better and strengthening his relationship with position coach Chuck Martin by exchanging calls and texts or by shooting around on the basketball court when time allows for it.

Golson is becoming a more vocal presence on the field, and he is making the leap in what Kelly hopes will eventually be a quarterback-driven offense.

Notre Dame finished 80th nationally in scoring offense last season, getting to 12-1 in large part on the back of the nation's No. 2 scoring defense and by minimizing the turnover chaos that had plagued it a season earlier.

"I think for me personally it's more on us, just because I expect more of us," said Golson, who netted 2,703 total yards, 18 touchdowns (12 passing, six running) and 10 turnovers while completing better than 58 percent of his throws last season.

"Last year, 2012, we didn't really make our mark. You can kind of blame it on excuses -- it was our fist year going through it -- but at the end of the day, we didn't do our job. So that's definitely an emphasis for me personally to make this offense better and have a better season."

Fifth-year left tackle Zack Martin said of Golson: "Every week he was better, and better not only on the field but in practice with the offensive line, with the other receivers. That's the stuff we see from him on a consistent basis now. We expect Everett to be out front, telling the offense what to do. We expect him to be out there, and he's done a great job this spring."

Golson was listed at 185 pounds last season but was likely 10 or so pounds lighter by the end of the season. Bulking up was deemed a point of emphasis in the months after the Jan. 7 title-game loss to Alabama and a 94-carry season. The third-year sophomore is currently listed as nine pounds shy of the goal of 195.

With Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix back for their fourth seasons, Golson knows there is little time to rest on his laurels, especially after an inaugural starting campaign that saw him get yanked three different times, leave another game with a concussion -- which forced him to miss the next game -- and miss the first series of one more contest because he was late for a meeting.

Golson might not be looking over his shoulder the way he had to a season ago, but that does not make him any less cognizant of what he has to do moving forward.

"I don't think I necessarily think about that a lot," he said. "The No. 1 [position] is only good for so much. You go out there and throw a couple picks, who knows? Maybe it's another controversy again and your job is back up. So my thing was I'll never be complacent. I never want to get complacent. Just always stay hungry and stay driven, and that's how I kind of went through this whole process."

With spring practice just more than a week away, we'll go down the depth chart this week and size up what to watch for at each position.

We start today with the quarterbacks.

Starters returning: Everett Golson, Tommy Rees
Players returning: Golson, Rees, Andrew Hendrix
Players departing: Gunner Kiel (transfer)
Newcomers: Malik Zaire

The breakdown: The Kiel departure remains unofficial, though that should change in the very near future. Golson has the leg up on all entering spring and looks like Notre Dame's quarterback of the future after guiding the Irish to a 10-1 record as a starter last season. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Golson completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 2,405 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed it 94 times for 298 yards with six more touchdowns but lost four fumbles, though all came over the season's first six games.

Rees is taken for granted by most but remains an invaluable piece to the program as he enters his senior season. Sixteen starts preceded a May 2012 arrest that ultimately cost him a shot to open the campaign as a starter, but he more than made up for it by saving the Irish late three times over their first six games and starting two others. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 436 yards with two touchdowns (one rushing) and two picks.

Hendrix remains the wild card. While the departure of Kiel will only help him in his battle for playing time, he trails Golson and Rees in the experience department but has the arm strength, speed and size that any coach would desire. He appeared in three games last season and completed 5 of 7 throws for 55 yards while rushing it eight times for 41 yards. The pre-med major is entering his fourth year at the school and has a fifth-year option available after not playing during his first fall on campus. Given his tools, the crowded position battle and the undergraduate degree likely coming his way in the near future, Hendrix would surprise no one if he followed Dayne Crist's steps for his fifth year and played at another school. Then again, Kiel is out of the picture, Brian Kelly is never shy about pulling his quarterbacks and far crazier things have happened than watching a guy jump from No. 3 to No. 1. Especially at Notre Dame.

Zaire, an ESPN300 prospect, enrolled in January. The southpaw is a four-star dual-threat signal-caller from Archbishop Alter High School (Kettering, Ohio).

Notre Dame quarterback Gunner Kiel intends to transfer, a source confirmed to ESPN.com.

The website Irish Sports Daily earlier reported that Kiel would transfer.

Notre Dame had no comment. A message left for Kiel's father, Kip, was not returned.

A four-star quarterback from the class of 2012, Kiel drew notoriety for his recruitment after defecting from both Indiana and LSU.

The Columbus (Ind.) High School product redshirted this past fall during the Fighting Irish's run to the Discover BCS National Championship. He is the nephew of former Notre Dame quarterback Blair Kiel, who died last Easter at age 50.

Redshirt freshman Everett Golson won the starting job last fall, with junior Tommy Rees seeing extensive playing time, too.

During his most meeting with reporters on Jan. 5, Kiel said the thought of transferring had not crossed his mind.

"It honestly hasn't," Kiel said during media day at Sun Life Stadium. "I've been more focused on the season and been more focused on school and other things that are more important to me."

Redshirt sophomore Andrew Hendrix was ahead of Kiel on the depth chart last year as well, and Notre Dame welcomed in another signal caller this semester in early enrollee Malik Zaire.

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