Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees has been inconsistent in 2011, but his latest performance helped the Irish move back into the rankings for the first time since the first week of the season.
Looking to win its fourth straight, No. 24 Notre Dame closes its home schedule against Boston College on Saturday.
After opening the season ranked 16th, Notre Dame (7-3) dropped out of the polls following a season-opening loss to South Florida. It moved back into the Top 25 this week with a 45-21 win over Maryland last Saturday.
With two regular-season games remaining, including a matchup with No. 8 Stanford on Nov. 26, the Irish can match their win total from last season with a victory this weekend. Winning both games would also help their slim chances of a BCS at-large bid.
AdChoices
However, coach Brian Kelly said his players aren’t concerned with looking ahead.
“Their focus is on not letting their teammates down,” Kelly said. “We don’t let it get anywhere else. That’s for (the media) to talk about. What our guys know is what’s expected of them today in practice, and that’s how we operate on a day-to-day basis.”
Rees is looking to finish strong after struggling to maintain consistency. The sophomore quarterback lost the starting job to Dayne Crist to open the season, but took over when Crist struggled in the first game against South Florida.
Rees threw five touchdowns, but had four interceptions in the first two games - both losses. He’s been much better since, passing for 14 scores and throwing six picks while helping Notre Dame win seven of eight.
He’s coming off one of his better games, completing 30 of 38 for 296 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against Maryland.
Rees had no trouble running a no-huddle offense, which helped the Irish finish with 508 yards of offense in 84 plays. He completed 14 of 15 in the second half, connecting on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert in the fourth quarter.
Kelly said there’s still room for Rees to improve, but that he’s making strides.
“He’s really close,” the Notre Dame coach said. “He has not put his best game together yet. We’re still not where we want to be on the vertical throws … but in terms of efficiency, pretty darn good.”
The sped-up offense has also benefited senior running back Jonas Gray, who ran for a career-high 136 yards last weekend. In the last three games, he’s rushed for 297 yards and six touchdowns compared to an average of 61.9 yards and five scores in the first seven games.
As effective as the offense was last weekend, the Irish will have to be wary of Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who has finished with double-digit tackles in 32 straight games. He leads the nation with 168.
“We have to identify him because he’s a savvy player,” Kelly said. “There’s no denying his ability to play the game and get to the football. So we’ll have to be prepared.”
Despite Kuechly’s production, it’s a down year for Boston College (3-7).
The Eagles are coming off a 14-10 win over North Carolina State last Saturday. Chase Rettig completed 9 of 13 for 118 yards with a touchdown and Josh Bordner ran for a score.
Kuechly finished with 18 tackles, including nine in the final 13 minutes.
Boston College, which ranks 112th in the FBS with 298.0 yards per game, has scored more than 19 points in only one game against an FBS opponent.
Rettig has thrown an interception in six consecutive games. He has nine touchdowns and as many picks this season.
Although it’s been a disappointing season for the Eagles, who haven’t lost more than seven games since 1995 when they went 4-8, coach Frank Spaziani hopes the team can go out on a high note.
“We’ve got a couple chapters left to write in this season,” he said.
After losing six straight to Boston College, Notre Dame has won the last two meetings, including a 31-13 road victory last year.
Looking to win its fourth straight, No. 24 Notre Dame closes its home schedule against Boston College on Saturday.
After opening the season ranked 16th, Notre Dame (7-3) dropped out of the polls following a season-opening loss to South Florida. It moved back into the Top 25 this week with a 45-21 win over Maryland last Saturday.
With two regular-season games remaining, including a matchup with No. 8 Stanford on Nov. 26, the Irish can match their win total from last season with a victory this weekend. Winning both games would also help their slim chances of a BCS at-large bid.
AdChoices
However, coach Brian Kelly said his players aren’t concerned with looking ahead.
“Their focus is on not letting their teammates down,” Kelly said. “We don’t let it get anywhere else. That’s for (the media) to talk about. What our guys know is what’s expected of them today in practice, and that’s how we operate on a day-to-day basis.”
Rees is looking to finish strong after struggling to maintain consistency. The sophomore quarterback lost the starting job to Dayne Crist to open the season, but took over when Crist struggled in the first game against South Florida.
Rees threw five touchdowns, but had four interceptions in the first two games - both losses. He’s been much better since, passing for 14 scores and throwing six picks while helping Notre Dame win seven of eight.
He’s coming off one of his better games, completing 30 of 38 for 296 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against Maryland.
Rees had no trouble running a no-huddle offense, which helped the Irish finish with 508 yards of offense in 84 plays. He completed 14 of 15 in the second half, connecting on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert in the fourth quarter.
Kelly said there’s still room for Rees to improve, but that he’s making strides.
“He’s really close,” the Notre Dame coach said. “He has not put his best game together yet. We’re still not where we want to be on the vertical throws … but in terms of efficiency, pretty darn good.”
The sped-up offense has also benefited senior running back Jonas Gray, who ran for a career-high 136 yards last weekend. In the last three games, he’s rushed for 297 yards and six touchdowns compared to an average of 61.9 yards and five scores in the first seven games.
As effective as the offense was last weekend, the Irish will have to be wary of Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who has finished with double-digit tackles in 32 straight games. He leads the nation with 168.
“We have to identify him because he’s a savvy player,” Kelly said. “There’s no denying his ability to play the game and get to the football. So we’ll have to be prepared.”
Despite Kuechly’s production, it’s a down year for Boston College (3-7).
The Eagles are coming off a 14-10 win over North Carolina State last Saturday. Chase Rettig completed 9 of 13 for 118 yards with a touchdown and Josh Bordner ran for a score.
Kuechly finished with 18 tackles, including nine in the final 13 minutes.
Boston College, which ranks 112th in the FBS with 298.0 yards per game, has scored more than 19 points in only one game against an FBS opponent.
Rettig has thrown an interception in six consecutive games. He has nine touchdowns and as many picks this season.
Although it’s been a disappointing season for the Eagles, who haven’t lost more than seven games since 1995 when they went 4-8, coach Frank Spaziani hopes the team can go out on a high note.
“We’ve got a couple chapters left to write in this season,” he said.
After losing six straight to Boston College, Notre Dame has won the last two meetings, including a 31-13 road victory last year.
