#17 Notre Dame Welcomes Back Everett Golson, Routs Rice

Despite the recent off-field distractions of academic fraud that have caused 5 players to be held out of all football activities, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have one very bright spot on its football team. Everett Golson is back under center. And his performance on Saturday indicates that he is better than ever.

Golson threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns and added another 41 yards and three scores on the ground in his first action since being expelled from the university for a lack of academic progress in 2012. Notre Dame used a late touchdown in the second quarter, a 53-yard bomb from Golson to C.J. Prosise, to propel the Irish to a 48-17 victory over the visiting Rice Owls.

Two seasons ago, Golson used his athletic ability to provide one amazing play after another as he led the Irish to an undefeated regular season and the BCS National Championship game. On Saturday against the Owls, Golson showed the same kind of playmaking ability, but he spent more time in the pocket and less time tucking and running.

"Everett Golson was electric," Irish coach Brian Kelly said of his more mature quarterback. "He kept his eyes down field. He knew when to run. He knew when to throw it.

"There's a lot of things that he will tell you that he's got to continue to improve on, but there's a confidence that he carries with him that is starting to emanate, and that's going to only get better and better as he gains more confidence.”

Instead of transferring away from Notre Dame, Golson chose to begin the process of a return to the Irish, spending time refining both his academic standing with the school and his ability to play quarterback with the Irish. Throughout it all, Golson said he dreamed of a return to the Golden Dome.

"That's what inspired me through all the training and all the days of me just working out by myself,” Golson said. “I think that's what helped me get through it.”

Golson showed his improved pocket presence and his amazing arm strength in heaving touchdown passes of 75 yards (to Will Fuller) and the aforementioned 53-yarder to Prosise. Another touchdown pass of 50 plus yards was dropped in the end=zone earlier in the half by Prosise.

While Rice is not a national power - rival Michigan will travel to South Bend next week - Irish fans are excited to have Golson back in the line-up.