Notre Dame Football: Irish Don't Have QB Controversy, They Have QB Scarcity

Notre Dame evened their record up to 2-2 when they won a close game, 15-12, against Pitt in Week 4. Quarterback Tommy Rees hit tight end Tyler Eifert for a six-yard score midway through the fourth quarter, and the Fighting Irish defense held their ground from there. 

Give credit where credit is due: Rees looked impressive on the game-winning drive, but he looked absolutely atrocious before that. 

Rees missed a ton of passes in the games first three quarter and turned the ball over twice.  Given the fact that Rees can seemingly give the ball up at any second, fans have wondered on more than one occasion if he is really the answer at quarterback for the next few seasons.

However, for the time being, the only either option is senior signal caller Dayne Crist.  

Crist was the starter in 2010 through Week 8, where he had 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions, as well as 2,033 yards passing. Not terrible numbers, not great ones, but Rees was given a chance after Notre Dame was soundly defeated by Navy last year.  

Rees threw 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions, alongside 1,106 passing yards, in five full games, so pretty much along the same lines of what Crist had been doing. 

Crist ended up winning the starting job for Week 1...but he looked like anything but a savior under center for the Fighting Irish. 

After going 7-for-15 for 95 yards and an interception, Brian Kelly decided it was time to pull the plug on Crist, and rightfully so.  

Here's the problem though: Rees and Crist are basically the same quarterback.  Both guys are gunslingers, for better or for worse, and both players have their teammates and fans alike sweating bullets every time the ball's in their hands.  There's a pretty decent chance Crist starts again in 2011, and it won't be any better or worse than what Rees has done so far.  

Looks like it's imperative for Notre Dame to focus on a quarterback in this year's recruiting class.