Notre Dame vs. Navy: Assessing the Play of QB Everett Golson

In his first college game, as a starting quarterback no less, Everett Golson was surprisingly calm and fluid as he began his Notre Dame career in style.

The redshirt freshman from Myrtle Beach, S.C., completed 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 144 yards and one touchdown. Golson often looked most comfortable on the move, completing a number of passes on rollouts and outside the pocket. 

Golson's most impressive play was a 24-yard strike to redshirt freshman receiver DaVaris Daniels to push the Irish deep into Navy territory. 

The "A" game that Golson was having took a blow, though. At the 11:01 mark of the second quarter and the Irish at the Navy 15-yard line, Golson threw a pass intended for tight end Tyler Eifert into double coverage, resulting in an interception.

The turnover brought back haunting memories of last season's opener in which Notre Dame committed five turnovers against the South Florida Bulls, three of which occurred in the red zone.  

Despite the turnover, the the first of Golson's career, he bounced back well, never displaying negative body language or a poor attitude. The 6'0", 185-pound quarterback displayed the poise and presence found in the game's greatest quarterbacks.

Following the interception, Golson led the offense on two more scoring drives, putting the Irish up 40-10 near the end of the third quarter. With the game essentially in hand, coach Brian Kelly pulled the first-team offense, rewarding the starters for a job well done. 

Golson playing well against Navy is an accomplishment in itself, but replicating that performance against the likes of Michigan and Michigan State will be a hefty challenge for the leader of the Irish offense.