Nov. 13, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame remained steady in the polls this week.
The Irish are ranked 11th in both the Coaches Poll as well as the AP poll. The team registers 12th in the BCS standings.
“They realize improvement is the No. 1 goal for them,” Irish head coach Bob Davie said.
Davie wanted to dispel any ideas that his team had begun to focus on the BCS and the ranking instead of the team’s opponent.
HOLIDAY MOVES UP
The quarterback position for the Irish is consistently in flux.
On Saturday, the Irish coaching staff added another chapter to the ongoing saga. Freshman Carlyle Holiday moved to the backup position behind starter Matt LoVecchio. The staff shifted Holiday into the second position because of impressive performances in the week leading up to the game as well as the bye week and the week prior to the Air Force game.
“He really showed some leadership and picked things up and with his combination of athletic ability, not only running the ball, but explosive throwing the ball as well,” Davie said.
Davie did emphasize that Holiday just slight edged out Jared Clark for the spot.
“Those guys have made a lot of strides,” Davie said. “We would had no reservation about using both of them if the situation called upon it.”
IRISH LEAD COUNTRY
Notre Dame currently leads the country in kickoff returns. The Irish register 26.93 yards per game. The team’s primary returns are Tony Driver, David Givens and Julius Jones.
Driver leads the group, averaging 29.5 yards per return. Givens averages around 22.1 yards. Jones is the only member of the group who has returned one for a touchdown. He averages 28.5 yards per return.