The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came out swinging during Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl, and several former quarterbacks noticed the same thing.
The Fighting Irish offense looked noticeably more aggressive than it typically did during the Brian Kelly era. The Irish focused on play-action and quick passes, and they scored 28 points against a quality Oklahoma State defense.
Most of the kudos went to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Some wondered if Kelly’s exit and Marcus Freeman’s promotion had led Rees to be bolder and more creative in his play-calling. The change was so obvious that three former Notre Dame quarterbacks — Brady Quinn, De'Shone Kizer and Malik Zaire — all said essentially the same thing about what Kelly’s exit meant for Rees.
It is only one game, and it remains to be seen if the “freed” Rees actually lasts or if it’s simply a product of one contest. That said, Rees is already regarded as a quality coordinator, which is part of why Notre Dame fought so hard to keep him from following Kelly to LSU. That paid off in the first half of Saturday’s game.
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