For Notre Dame, two QBs may be better than one

So here we are, maybe a month from a decision on whom the top two Notre Dame quarterbacks will be, four months before somebody starts against Georgia Tech in the season opener, and we pose this question:

Why not a quarterback rotation?

It can work, as Florida proved last season. Sure, it’s usually better to have one leader in the huddle, but in these post-Brady Quinn times, what’s usual might not be what’s best.

Coach Charlie Weis, at least publicly, isn’t against a quarterback rotation. He’s always been a one-quarterback guy, but much of that is due to his pro background. College sometimes requires a little more flexibility.

Of course, the big question is how much flexibility is right for the Irish?

“I can’t say completely no to that,” Weis says about a rotation. “I can’t see myself playing one guy half the game and the other guy half the game, but would I ever rule out playing more than one in a game? I wouldn’t rule that out.”

Here’s why a quarterback rotation in some form could work for Notre Dame.

Let’s say Jimmy Clausen and Demetrius Jones wind up as the top two quarterbacks entering August camp. No, that’s not etched in stone. Evan Sharpley and Zach Frazer are still in the running. Weis says a final evaluation will come later this month once spring recruiting is finished.

“I think the number of reps each guy had with the first group is within five,” he says. “It’s that close. So none of them will be able to say, ‘Hey, I never got a shot.’”

Still, Jimmy Clausen and Jones seem to have the biggest upsides and certainly would offer the kind of contrast to torment defensive coordinators.

Jimmy Clausen’s strength comes as a thrower. He can read defenses, makes good decisions and has good fundamentals. Yes, he’s young and inexperienced, but figure that Weis will coach around that.

Jones is a dual-threat guy who can hurt you with his legs, as well as his run. He can make plays even when none seem possible. And he’s had a year in Weis’ system, while Jimmy Clausen has had four months.

Play them both, and you could force defensive breakdowns you wouldn’t get with one quarterback. At worst, you add to opposing teams’ weekly preparation loads.

At least, that sounds good in theory. We don’t know how that will work in games yet, and Weis provided few clues in the spring game’s run-heave atmosphere. He wasn’t about to give Georgia Tech any early insight.

Weis did indicate we might see a more run-oriented approach this fall.

“One of the main things I wanted to get out of the spring,” he says, “was to establish a toughness on offense that I think we started to get away from.”

Running back Junior Jabbie showed spring-game promise (he won the offensive MVP with 87 rushing yards), which was a pleasant surprise for a converted defensive cornerback who didn’t play at all his first two seasons, then was a special teams standout last year.

Still, figure the bulk of the running load to be handled by Travis Thomas, James Aldridge, Armando Allen and Robert Hughes. And all signs point to that load not coming from finesse.

“If we can establish a mentality where we can run with power,” Weis says, “the whole offense opens up. Now you have play action. Now you can throw a drop-back pass. But the first thing is you have to be able to run with power.”

Of course, no matter what the offense does, if the defense continues to rank among the nation’s most mediocre, Notre Dame will never attain true elite status. That’s why Corwin Brown was hired as defensive coordinator.

Brown emphasizes fundamentals, hard hitting and being in the right place at the right time, along with his new 3-4 alignment. He wants a swift, versatile unit that isn’t prone to confusion and breakdowns and allowing big plays.

So, of course, does Weis.

“One of my pet peeves is when people mentally look like they are out of position,” he says.

The good news is that Weis saw little of that in the spring game.

“You could see guys knew what they were doing.”

Now, if they can know it and do it in the fall, this rebuilding year might not be so bad after all.

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