Concussion still has Irish QB out

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Notre Dame vs. BYU When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday TV: NBC Radio: 1190 AM, 92.3 FM, 107.3 FM

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FORT WAYNE — Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson couldn’t return to the field Tuesday when the No. 5 Irish (6-0) began to prepare for Saturday’s home game against BYU (4-3).

Golson suffered a concussion in Saturday’s 20-13 overtime win over Stanford and didn’t pass a cognitive test Monday, forcing him to miss a day of practice.

Coach Brian Kelly said Golson had passed other numerous post-concussion tests, and that the sophomore could begin practicing today if he passed another computer test Tuesday.

“There’s a number of different things,” Kelly said during his Tuesday news conference. “First of all, there is a balanced test, which he passed. There is also just an exam, which he’s passed. And then there are symptoms, whether it is sensitivity, agitation, light sensitivity, all of those things that he’s passed. Then there is the computer test, the cognitive test that he has to pass. … Once he does that, he will be allowed to go back to practice.

“There is a protocol. There are standards. They are independent of the head football coach. This is strictly on our medical staff. They make all of those decisions, and they come to me and tell me when he’s ready to go.”

Kelly said Golson would use Tuesday to prepare mentally for Saturday’s game, and quarterbacks Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix would split reps with Rees taking 60 percent of the snaps.

Kelly also said Golson, who has also dealt with a shoulder and turf toe injury the last two weeks, could be ready to play even if he missed today’s practice and couldn’t start working out until Thursday.

“(Tuesday) is an opportunity where Everett could take a (step back) and take a look at things, and I could get (Rees and Hendrix), who have not been getting a lot of reps, I want to get them more reps,” Kelly said. “We are going to get three quarterbacks ready. We already know what Tommy is capable of doing … Andrew hasn’t got a ton of work, and if Everett can’t go until Thursday, maybe we have to bring it down a little bit.

“We are going to make sure you have to defend a running quarterback that can run. That is going to be part of the game plan.”

Kelly also wants his team to stick to the plan that got them to 6-0, and by doing that, he believes the Irish will not overlook BYU after the emotional win over Stanford and with a visit to No. 10 Oklahoma (4-1) coming next week.

“It’s college football each and every week,” Kelly said. “Look to the North Carolina State-Florida State game; go to West Virginia versus Texas Tech. Why does that happen? Well, you forget how you got here.

“They’re trap games if you forget how to go to work. We’ve already talked about it with our team, and we’ll make sure that we do everything to prepare the right way.”

tkrausz@jg.net