Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has finally made a decision on which quarterback will start the Music City Bowl against LSU. Malik Zaire, the younger of the two options, will get the start for the Irish against the Tigers. Everett Golson is still expected to see some playing time for Notre Dame.
Kelly had been saying for weeks now he intends to give playing time to both Zaire and Golson, and there has been no indication that will change. It was just a matter of which quarterback was going to get the starting nod, seeing as somebody has to be the starter, technically. Ending the year on a good note after a dismal end to the season is what Kelly is focused on, and not a chance to give Zaire a chance to get ready for the starting job in 2015.Brian Kelly says 2014 is the primary concern about this game -- winning it is more important than prepping for 2015. #NotreDame
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) December 29, 2014
Golson’s removal from the starting job was likely bound to happen at some point. His struggles down the stretch of the 2014 season coincided with Notre Dame’s stumble across the finsih line this year. Turnovers happened far too often off the arm of Golson (14 interceptions). The Irish lost five of its final six games of the regular season. Golson’s final game for the Irish this season saw a completion percentage of just 38.9 percent against USC.
Notre Dame will play LSU in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Tuesday, December 30 at 3:00 p.m. eastern.
