ESPN College Football

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The first public plays in Notre Dame uniforms for Corey Robinson and Amir Carlisle are being put on hold.

The two will sit out Saturday's Blue-Gold spring game as a precautionary measure, coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday.

Robinson is recovering from a hyper-extended elbow while Carlisle nurses a broken collarbone suffered March 23.

Kelly said that Carlisle returned to practice in pads Wednesday but was limited to no contact.

Robinson, who enrolled this spring, presumably injured his elbow while making a diving, one-handed catch during Saturday's scrimmage, the entirety of which was open to reporters and others on hand for the coaches clinic.

Carlisle has yet to take a snap in a Notre Dame uniform after transferring from USC following his freshman season of 2011, getting a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately and then breaking his ankle before last spring, forcing him to redshirt in the 2012 season.

Dan Fox, Bennett Jackson, Nicky Baratti, Chase Hounshell and Tyler Plantz are all out Saturday as well. The first three of those players have been used lightly this spring while recovering from offseason shoulder operations. Hounshell will miss the 2013 season after suffering a serious shoulder injury this spring, similar to the one that forced him to miss last season.

Kelly said the offense, wearing white, will be scored Saturday against the defense, wearing blue, with no live special-teams play, though Kyle Brindza will punt.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Next-man-in might just be Brian Kelly's favorite mantra, and it may have become the defining one of the coach's Notre Dame tenure after the number of surprises that ended up lifting the Irish to an undefeated regular season in 2012.

As the spring departures of sophomore receivers Davonte' Neal and Justin Ferguson present another test, Kelly could have the very guy to fill at least the dual roles formerly occupied by Neal in both the slot and as a punt returner.

And yes, like unsung starters KeiVarae Russell and Matthias Farley before him, former safety C.J. Prosise is a convert to the other side of the ball as well, this after redshirting during his first year this past fall.

"C.J. Prosise is doing a great job," Kelly said when asked about his receiving options inside. "Really excited about C.J. You’ll see a lot of him in the spring, you’ll see what I mean. He’s been a very pleasant surprise -- that’s probably the wrong word. He’s been what we thought he could be; he’s just done it a lot quicker than we thought. And again, you’re talking about a slot receiver who's 210 pounds. Nice hands, got deceptive speed, can pull away. And then in terms of the run game, we’ve got a big guy that can do some nice things."

Amir Carslisle, who is expected to miss the next four weeks following a broken collarbone, will be another option upon his return as well.

Kelly mentioned Prosise and TJ Jones as possible punt returners as he looks to re-tool a unit that has finished 100th or worse nationally in each of his first three seasons coaching the Irish.

With another shoulder injury forcing Chase Hounshell to miss a second consecutive season, Kelly said promising Cat linebacker Ishaq Williams has started cross-training at defensive end.

"We can get him 15-20 more reps, and he's all for that," Kelly said. "So he’ll still get his Cat work and he’ll play some defensive end as well. Was really impressed with him. We put him in there on Saturday for the first time without any coaching, and he did some really nice things for us. Had another very good day today, and I promised him a visor if he continues to do that."

Our series continues with the defensive line.

Starters returning: Louis Nix, Stephon Tuitt
Players returning: Sheldon Day, Tony Springmann, Kona Schwenke, Chase Hounshell, Jarron Jones
Players departing: Kapron Lewis-Moore, Tyler Stockton
Newcomers: Issac Rochell, Eddie Vanderdoes

The breakdown: The defensive front was the strength of Notre Dame's defense in 2012, and it returns the bulk of production up there. While Lewis-Moore will be tough to replace from both a production and a leadership standpoint, Nix and Tuitt are both among the best in the country at their positions. Nix recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble last season. Tuitt fell just shy of Justin Tuck's school season-record for sacks, finishing with 12 (along three forced fumbles, a 77-yard fumble return for a score, and a blocked kick).

After enrolling last spring, Day managed to see the field in every game as a true freshman -- he notched 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a hurry -- and he figures to be the frontrunner to replace the open starting spot this spring. Springmann and Schwenke proved to be valuable reserves as well, while Jones redshirted during his first season and Hounshell sat out the season while recovering from shoulder surgery (after playing as a true freshman in 2011).

Vanderdoes was the last prospect to sign with Notre Dame, and quite possibly the best. The five-star tackle is ESPN's No. 10 overall player in the country, and at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, he has the frame that should give him a chance to play and contribute this fall. Rochell is another ESPN150 player coming into the mix, and the numbers will present both coordinator Bob Diaco and line coach Mike Elston with a good problem to have this offseason.

The last question of Brian Kelly's Tuesday news conference ended up shedding light on the absence of Chase Hounshell through four games.

Hounshell, a sophomore defensive end, will have shoulder surgery this week and miss the rest of the season. He had not played this season despite appearing in seven games as a true freshman in 2011, and Kelly had said earlier this season that he was simply buried behind others on the depth chart before revealing after the Michigan State game that Hounshell had a shoulder issue. Hounshell had not traveled to East Lansing for that game.

Hounshell had offseason shoulder surgery and was limited in the spring. He recorded four tackles last season and has a redshirt option available, much like junior safety Austin Collinsworth, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery and whom Kelly again reiterated will not play this season.

Kelly also said that ends Kapron Lewis-Moore (calf) and Sheldon Day (foot) are at full strength following the bye week, and he added that Everett Golson had a bit of a shoulder issue that has since cleared up.

What's happening, folks?

Kent from Reston, Va., writes: Hey Matt - thank you for your candid reporting on the Irish. Q: Who are the next guys on the depth chart behind Farley, Russell, Motta and Bennett — are the Irish looking to convert more offensive players to the secondary to add depth? Thanks - Kent

Matt Fortuna: Thanks Kent. The second-team corners on this week's depth chart are Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown, with Nicky Baratti and Chris Salvi listed as the No. 2 safeties. Brian Kelly said this week that Baratti, Salvi and C.J. Prosise will be getting into the rotation from here on out, as the Irish simply need to build depth back there with so many blows having already been suffered. Cam McDaniel was cross-training but has seen snaps out of the backfield this season. Davonte Neal was recruited as an athlete but I can't see him getting any more responsibilities on his plate right now, especially in the middle of his first season. And DaVaris Daniels actually played some safety in high school, but the chances of him ever switching positions are, well, zero.

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James Darnell from South Bend, Ind., writes: I first off want to thank you for your coverage of ND, you do a great job. I know Michigan will be a tough team to beat but with the blueprint Alabama put out there and the defense we have I think we can keep Denard wrapped up and make him beat us with his arm. One huge difference I have seen with our secondary is that the corners might be young but they find the ball unlike last year and their speed is an upgrade. What are your thoughts on these? Thanks

MF: Appreciate that, James. Notre Dame's defense did a very good job for nearly three quarters last season, but it all came apart in the fourth. While I think last year's secondary was superior (and much more experienced), I have a hard time seeing Michigan coming down with all of those 50-50 balls the way they did last season. The Irish's young corners have impressed so far, and they need to, in Kelly's words, limit the big chunk plays. The front-seven will have its hands full but I think ultimately can contain Robinson just enough Saturday night.

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James Coleman from South Bend, Ind., writes: Do you think Notre Dame has a chance to be unbeaten heading into the Oklahoma game?

MF: A chance? Absolutely. The toughest test until then has already been passed, last weekend at Michigan State. But it means nothing if it all comes apart Saturday against the Wolverines. The Irish are too young in certain spots — and the more experienced players have been humbled too much already in their careers — to look ahead to that late-October trip. Beating Michigan is still a big hump for this team to cross, and that Stanford contest in a few weeks doesn't look like it will be any easier.

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Greg from Wonder Lake, Ill., writes: Anything more to the Hounshell DNP coaches decision than just his depth chart status? He did not make the trip similar to other injured players (Carlisle and Nichols). Suspecting shoulder injury as others have speculated. Trying to preserve medical redshirt status?

MF: Greg, Kelly finally acknowledged this week that Hounshell has been battling a shoulder issue, but he said that he was going to give it a go this week at practice. Just how bad that shoulder is remains unclear, though if there is any doubt and the Irish have enough bodies on the defensive line — a valid question given the bumps and bruises of the first three weeks — then preserving a year is probably the smart move for a player who has a redshirt option available.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A calf strain that forced Kapron Lewis-Moore out of Notre Dame's home opener two weeks ago and limited him this past Saturday at Michigan State will not be enough to keep the fifth-year senior out of action this weekend against Michigan.

"He's fighting through it," coach Brian Kelly said. "He's at that line of being hurt and being injured. And he's a tough kid. He fought through it on Saturday and had a big pressure on the quarterback late in the game. We'll be careful with him but he'll answer the bell on Saturday and he'll be in there starting for us. You know, that calf is one of those things that just is a bit of a nagging injury.

"We told him: You've got four or five days to get through it and then you've got a bye week. So he'll grind through it and be ready to go on Saturday."

Kelly said that DaVaris Daniels (ankle sprain) and Sheldon Day (bone bruise) are both, in NFL terms, "probable" for Saturday. Daniels suffered a setback Friday and was limited against Michigan State after injuring his ankle a week earlier against Purdue. Day appeared to hurt his foot Saturday after jumping up and down following a near-interception, but Kelly had said that the injury occurred one series earlier.

Kelly acknowledged Tuesday that sophomore end Chase Hounshell, who did not travel Saturday and has yet to play, has been plagued by a shoulder issue but should be ready to go this week. Kelly had said a week earlier that Hounshell was simply behind other defensive linemen on the depth chart.

"We think he's going to be ready to go this week," the third-year Irish coach said Tuesday. "We want to kind of protect him a little bit. But he'll be getting reps this week and we'll see where that goes."

Sixth year in doubt for Slaughter

Jamoris Slaughter ruptured his Achilles' tendon in the second half of the third game of his fifth season, so his chances at gaining a sixth year of eligiblity would appear to be slim to none.

"It doesn't appear so," Kelly said of the safety's sixth-year possibility. "He did have another injury that caused him to miss some time. We're still kind of vetting through all that right now. But the early indication is we couldn't tell you one way or the other. We'll do some more work before we're ready to publically comment on it."

Matthias Farley will start in place of Slaughter, but Kelly said that Nicky Baratti, C.J. Prosise and Chris Salvi will get in the rotation as well.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Greetings from Spartan Stadium, where No. 20 Notre Dame and No. 10 Michigan State are about an hour away from kickoff.

We already know what's at-stake here for the Irish, who begin a six-game stretch in which they face five ranked opponents. They are 0 for their last 9 against top-10 teams, losing by an average margin of 15 points per game. A 2005 victory at then-No. 3 Michigan was Notre Dame's last victory over a top-10 opponent, and the Irish will hope to replicate that performance again tonight in the Mitten.

A couple travel items: USC running back transfer Amir Carlisle did not make the trip after being cleared for action two weeks ago. Carlisle suffered a broken ankle before the spring and has yet to play for the Irish, who bring back former starter Cierre Wood for his first game of the season.

Defensive end Chase Hounshell did not travel with the team, either. Brian Kelly has said that Hounshell not playing through two games is a matter of having too many players in front of him, though. Tackle Tate Nichols (right knee subluxation) did not travel, either, as he has yet to play this season.

One player who did make the trip is linebacker Danny Spond, who is expected to appear in his first game of 2012 after suffering a preseason head injury. Spond will likely see time at the dog spot with Ben Councell, moving the Dan Fox/Carlo Calabrese tandem back to the will spot. Calabrese was at the will last week in his first game back from suspension, but Fox was moved outside, as Kelly wanted Councell to see a traditional offense from the sideline before stepping in.

The student section is full and the rest of the crowd is beginning to file in, with Spartans players heading over beforehand to greet their classmates. We'll be back with any breaking news throughout the game and to recap the night's events here, with in-game observations coming from Twitter. We'll also have a live chat going throughout the game, with yours truly chiming in during the second and fourth quarters.

If history's any indication, it will be a fun one. Looking forward to it.

Brian Kelly re-enforced Sunday that Everett Golson is his starting quarterback, but the decision to put Tommy Rees in for Saturday's final drive had little to do with Golson's thumb injury.

"I had already begun the conversation with Coach [Chuck] Martin about installing Tommy into that situation, so the knowledge of running our two-minute trumped any kind of injury that he may have had," Kelly said during a teleconference. "Now, it contributed at the end to make it an easier decision for me."

Kelly again used a pitching analogy to describe his quarterbacks' roles, though he was careful not to peg Rees as his "two-minute" guy should a similar situation arise in the future.

"I don't see it as a role, I see it as if we feel like Tommy can help us win a game or he can come in a situation where we believe its the right fit, then he'll be prepared to do so," Kelly said. "I used this baseball analogy: We like our starters to finish the game. We want them to go all nine innings. Occasionally we might need some help. Maybe we need long relief, maybe we need short relief. I don't want to take anything off the table but we'd like our starter to start it and finish it."

Injury/personnel updates:

• Jamoris Slaughter (shoulder) and Tyler Eifert (mild concussion) have been cleared. Kapron Lewis-Moore (calf strain) will begin moving around Monday and should be good to go throughout the week. ... DaVaris Daniels (ankle sprain) will progress throughout the week but should be ready for Saturday. ... Manti Te'o (bruised sternum), Ishaq Williams (elbow contusion) and Sheldon Day (dehyrdation) should be fine. ... Nick Tausch (groin) should begin a regimen Tuesday and compete with Kyle Brindza for the No. 1 spot. ... Kelly also said that Chase Hounshell, who has not played in the first two games, is fine physically but stuck behind others on the depth chart.

Odds and ends:

• Asked if he has a No. 1 running back with Cierre Wood back in the fold, Kelly said: "Yes, Theo Riddick."
• Justin Ferguson will wear No. 82 for the rest of the season. Notre Dame was penalized (Purdue declined) during a first-half kickoff Saturday because the freshman wideout, who was No. 15, was on the field at the same time as senior Dan McCarthy, also No. 15. Ferguson changed to No. 82 at halftime. Alex Welch, out for the year (ACL), was No. 82 before.
• Kelly elaborated on why he allowed only Te'o and Zack Martin to speak to reporters after the game: "I had to do what I thought was in the best interests of the team. At times that might put me at odds with you guys, and I understand that. Last night I thought it was best for our team to have a couple captains speak and I'll just leave it at that."

Our breakdown of Notre Dame's 2012 roster continues today with the defensive side of the ball.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The players: Aaron Lynch, Louis Nix, Stephon Tuitt, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Tony Springmann, Chase Hounshell, Sheldon Day, Tyler Stockton, Kona Schwenke

The incoming: Jarron Jones, Romeo Okwara

The breakdown: Injuries forced all three current starters — Lynch, Nix and Tuitt — to play much more than expected last season, and none disappointed. They are all second-year players now, and their pass-rushing ability should have opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks on their heels. Lewis-Moore has been cleared for spring following a season-ending knee injury in 2011 but might not start, though he will likely see plenty of playing time as the line rotates. Hounshell (shoulder surgery) is not cleared yet, but he will likely see significant time this fall after playing as a true freshman last year as well.

LINEBACKERS

The players: Danny Spond, Manti Te'o, Dan Fox, Prince Shembo, Kendall Moore, Ishaq Williams, Anthony Rabasa, Carlo Calabrese, Jarrett Grace, Justin Utopo, Connor Little, Ben Councell, Joe Schmidt

The incoming: None

The breakdown: As we said with Tyler Eifert yesterday, everyone knows what Te'o is capable of, as he likely would have been a first-round NFL draft pick had he left school following his junior year. Fox and Calabrese shared the other inside role last year, and their experience should prove valuable. Shembo has been working at the cat spot this spring, and up-and-coming talents like Williams and Spond figure to see extensive playing time.

SECONDARY

The players: Bennett Jackson, Jamoris Slaughter, Zeke Motta, Lo Wood, Josh Atkinson, Austin Collinsworth, Dan McCarthy, Jalen Brown, Cam McDaniel, Eilar Hardy, Chris Salvi, Joe Romano, Will Salvi, Connor Cavalaris, Matthias Farley, Blake Breslau

The incoming: Elijah Shumate, Nicky Baratti, C.J. Prosise, John Turner

The breakdown: The loss of Tee Shepard really stings this group, which is down to four scholarship corners with a combined zero career starts. Jackson and Wood are in position to take over as the new starters, and playing time last season should help with the transition. At safety, Slaughter and Motta saw plenty of time the last two seasons, and Slaughter in particular has shown a nose for the ball and the capability of providing a leadership force that Harrison Smith is leaving behind. Collinsworth will likely also see plenty of snaps after playing last year.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The walls of the Isban Auditorium inside Notre Dame's Guglielmino Athletic Complex are now decorated with motivational sayings and banners celebrating the Irish's past, something the program will honor this season, its 125th, with a special logo. Moments after the school official unveiled the logo, Brian Kelly took to the podium and unloaded a bag of one-liners before taking questions at his spring kickoff news conference.

"Jeff Jeffers will be able to tell you what the 25-year pin looks like; it's very similar to the 125," the head coach cracked, referring to the longtime local broadcaster.

"You can see we've made some improvements to the room -- there will be massage chairs starting tomorrow up front, so I'd get here early," Kelly added. "That's two warm-ups, how we doing now?"

Anthony Rabasa, Tate Nichols (shoulder surgeries) and Kapron Lewis-Moore (knee) are doing well, as all three have been cleared for the spring. Amir Carlisle (broken ankle) will miss the spring.

Chase Hounshell (also shoulder surgery) is ahead of schedule and will eventually be involved in some form of spring practice, though likely not at the same level as Rabasa and Nichols.

Braxston Cave (foot) and Cam Roberson (knee) are both less than 100 percent but will be involved in some spring drills, and Tony Springmann (discectomy) will be limited as well.

Lewis-Moore and Cave are two of the six fifth-year players who are back for the 2012 season, joining John Goodman, Mike Golic Jr., Jamoris Slaughter and Dan McCarthy, Kelly said Tuesday.

In other personnel moves, Troy Niklas has moved from outside linebacker to tight end, receiver Matthias Farley is now a safety and Cam McDaniel has moved from running back to cornerback, where the Irish were down to four scholarship players after the departure of Tee Shepard last week.

"There are specifics about Buckley and HIPAA and things of that nature that I really can't get into," Kelly said when asked about Shepard. "You know me -- I'd love to talk for 45 minutes on it, I'm just not allowed to. You know, from our standpoint we love Tee Shepard, and it's unfortunate but he's no longer with us, and we have to move on."

The regular season is over and the end of the semester has arrived. Here, we grade Notre Dame's 2011 campaign by position. Part two of the 10-part series brings us to the defensive line.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Grade: B+

Summary: If I told you that the line's three opening-day starters — Ethan Johnson, Sean Cwynar and Kapron Lewis-Moore — would all go down with injuries this season, you would probably think Notre Dame would be doomed up front. (OK, so a segment of very anxious fans would be pleased to see touted recruits take the field early.)

Well, all three of those players were severely hampered throughout the season, and the young reserves impressed when thrown into the fire. Cwynar broke his right hand and was limited for much of the first half of the season, playing with a club on it. Johnson sprained his right ankle and missed four games. Lewis-Moore suffered a season-ending right knee injury and missed the final five games.

In stepped Louis Nix, a sophomore who lost close to 40 pounds this past year and wasn't expected, back in the spring, to see much more than 15 snaps per game. Instead, he started 10 games at nose guard and saw more action than anyone had any reason to expect. Freshman end Aaron Lynch burst onto the scene against Michigan State, recording six quarterback hurries, one more than any Notre Dame player had the entire season in 2010. Fellow freshman Stephon Tuitt saw plenty of action as well, shifting inside and outside during the season.

All three were forced into more action than they and the staff expected them to see this early in their careers, and all have given the Irish plenty to be optimistic about moving forward.

Backups: Most of the backups who entered the season ended up as starters at some point because of injuries, though Chase Hounshell was another freshman who showed promise in his limited time on the field, recording four tackles in five games. If Cwynar returns next season for his final year of eligibility, he and Nix should be a force in the middle and keep each other's legs fresh.

Previous report cards:

Quarterbacks

This is the test we have all been waiting to see: how Notre Dame measures up with a truly elite team.

The Irish have faced three ranked teams so far this season, beating current No. 14 Michigan State while losing to No. 15 Michigan and USC, which is ranked 10th by the Associated Press but is ineligible for the BCS standings.

Stanford, currently sixth in the BCS standings, is truly an elite team, a notch above anything the Irish have seen all season. The Cardinal won a triple-overtime thriller at USC — the best team Notre Dame has faced this season. They are coming off a 12-1, Orange Bowl-winning season and are currently 10-1, in position to notch another BCS-bowl berth.

They boast the likely top NFL draft pick in quarterback Andrew Luck, who is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy as well. But, perhaps even more imposing, they boast an even better rushing attack, powered by a pair of likely first-round draft picks in left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro.

Here is where the Irish will really be tested, particularly if they are without versatile defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt, whose status is up in the air after missing last week with an illness. Stanford has the nation's No. 22 rushing attack and the No. 24 passing attack, which equals the 10th-ranked total offense and fourth-ranked scoring offense, averaging 45 points per game.

During its current four-game winning streak, Notre Dame has held three of its opponents below 20 points, with Maryland scoring a late touchdown to finish with 21. The Irish have surrendered just more than 20 points per game this season. The defense has been stout for most of the season, ranking in the top 30 in both total and scoring defense and putting the team on its back in victories over Pitt, Wake Forest and Boston College — when the offense was average, at best.

Most of all, it knows what it is getting against Stanford, a no-nonsense, smash-mouth team that prides itself on punching you in the face early and often. The Cardinal offensive line averages just 1 more pound collectively (305) than the starting line the Irish defense faces every day in practice (304).

In his two seasons at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly has spoken about building toughness and winning in the trenches. This, of course, is coming from a coach who is 6-0 in November games at Notre Dame and has won 16 such games in a row dating back to 2007 (including December regular-season contests).

But the Irish are young on the defensive line, even if Lynch doesn't play. With senior Kapron Lewis-Moore sidelined for the season, senior Ethan Johnson and junior Sean Cwynar are the only veterans who see meaningful snaps. Starting nose guard Louis Nix is a sophomore in his first year playing, starting end Aaron Lynch is a freshman and another freshman, Chase Hounshell, has slowly worked his way into the rotation as well.

The line has matured at a quicker-than-expected rate through 11 games this season, but nothing can prepare it for the test it is about to face Saturday, one that will ultimately decide this game.

Prediction: Stanford 31, Notre Dame 20

Two-thirds of the season has passed, with Notre Dame escaping with a 5-3 record, 20 turnovers and one drama-filled week that preceded its win Saturday over Navy.

Thus far, Brian Kelly is pleased with the physical nature of his football team -- one that is tied for sixth in the nation in sacks allowed -- while hoping to shore up whatever loose ends have led to the protection miscues.

"I like the fact that we're physically so far ahead of where we were last year, that we haven't given up a sack in the month of October," Kelly said during his Sunday teleconference. "We've controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part the way you want to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. When you're looking at it, those are the things this year that we know where our weaknesses are in terms of turning the ball over, but our strengths are that we've really developed ourselves on both offensively and defensively the lines. And that's a real good foundation moving forward."

What Kelly would like to see improve, naturally, is limiting turnovers.

"I think it's pretty clear that the consistency, week in and week out, and taking care of the football and eliminating some of those sloppy mistakes," Kelly said. "And I think that, if you look at some of the mistakes that we've made, they're all correctable through better coaching, better playing and I think that's where we know we can clean those areas up moving forward."

Kelly and his players beat Navy by 42 points Saturday in wake of a wild 48 hours that featured controversial comments about the difference between his players and predecessor Charlie Weis' players.

The ensuing public reaction from players led to a bread-breaking session Friday.

"I think each job that I've had has its own unique set of circumstances," Kelly said. "I don't know that any job is the same when you're coming in. You're trying to build a winning environment, so that's common in all the jobs. But each university has its own characteristics, so Notre Dame is different than all the other jobs I've had. But no challenge that is insurmountable. All of them, all jobs have those different characteristics, and Notre Dame is like all those others. Just different things that we have to work on."

Notes: Kelly said freshman Chase Hounshell suffered a very slight shoulder injury Saturday but should be able to practice this week and play Saturday at Wake Forest.

Blackberry, you're killing me.

• One Notre Dame player is holding steady on Mel Kiper's Big Board.
• Our Jared Shanker has the latest on the status of recruit Chris Brown's commitment.
• Chase Hounshell has some competition for title of best athlete in the family, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Irish freshmen are using the bye week to get a taste of home, Rachel Terlep writes in the Elkhart Truth.
• IrishEyes.com's Tim O'Malley takes a look at how Notre Dame defended the interior Saturday.

Nobody confuses Notre Dame fans wearing No. 5 jerseys for representing Everett Golson. And that likely won't change for the rest of the season, either.

Whether or not Manti Te'o elects to return for his senior season will be determined once his junior year is complete. Until then, he will probably be the only No. 5 on the field for the Fighting Irish.

"I think you guys can figure out what the rotation is going to be at this point," Brian Kelly said on his conference call Sunday when asked about the freshman quarterback Golson, who has not played through six games.

Told he was giving reporters too much credit, Kelly almost went there: "You know what I would like to say, but I'm not going to say it."

For those late to the party, the term is "redshirt," an eight-letter no-no in South Bend, regardless of the few fifth-year players who trot out to the field every Saturday.

It's a fate that Golson is all but assured of after sophomore -- or is redshirt freshman? -- Andrew Hendrix saw his first career action Saturday, completing all four of his passes for 33 yards and rushing it six times for 111 yards.

Kelly has played 10 freshmen through six games, one more than he did throughout last season. DaVaris Daniels would seemingly be the next freshman in line to join the list, but Kelly said Wednesday that although he wanted to get Daniels in, it was "getting close to that time," another way of saying a redshirt decision could be on the way.

With freshmen Chase Hounshell and Josh Atkinson debuting Saturday while Daniels did not, the receiver's chances of seeing the field this season went from slim to virtually none.

Kelly had plenty to say when asked about the freshmen who have seen the field so far:

"Wow, where do I start? Let's start defensively. Obviously [Stephon] Tuitt and [Aaron] Lynch are great freshmen. I wouldn't put that tag on them as seniors, but as true freshmen, they played great. They made mistakes, but you can see that they are going to be a great building block for us.

"George Atkinson on offense has provided a great spark for us on the kickoff return team. I think if you continue to look at freshmen in terms of their impact, along the line, Ben Koyack has done a very nice job in our tight end set coming in and providing us really some solid play when we lost Mike Ragone, who is an outstanding blocker. Chase Hounshell played very, very well for us at 39 snaps; that's a lot of work when you talk about week six, and his physical conditioning was outstanding. Kyle Brindza has been pretty good and kicking the football, the number of touchbacks, that's really impacted what we've done.

"You know, Troy Niklas, he comes in and has to start against a pretty good team against [Michigan State] and came in and has done a great job for us.

"So a lot of freshmen, a lot of guys that are getting in there and helping us. Cam McDaniel on special teams has been outstanding for us. Again that's a lot of true freshmen. Ishaq Williams, you look at what Ishaq has done, he has not gotten as many snaps as Lynch, but you can see him coming each and every week. How's that so far?"

The early returns are successful, particularly Tuitt and Lynch, who have combined for 21 tackles. Lynch has 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, eight quarterback hurries and a forced fumble, as well.

And as the season progresses and mid-terms and homesickness begin to mount, Kelly is thankful his first-year players have a chance to take a frenetic game week out of the equation.

"You have to understand, Aaron Lynch, those kids have been up here on campus since June 16," Kelly said after Saturday's win. "They have not been home since June 16, and that's hard for an 18-year-old kid. So this break comes at a good time for our guys to get home and see their families a little bit. So any momentum that is lost in that is gained by our guys getting a chance to get home."