Pressuring Crist Will be Key Next Weekend for USF

Getting pressure on ND starting quarterback Dayne Crist will be key for the Bulls to come away with a victory next week.

Just a few days ago, the Irish named senior Dayne Crist the starting quarterback over sophomore Tommy Rees.

Crist, one of the most coveted recruits coming out of high school, has had a long and tough career while at ND. Dealing with constant pressure, coaching changes, expectations, and more recently, knee injuries, Crist seems poised for a big season, but USF will is there to stop it before it begins. Getting a pass rush on him will be just one big factor for the Bulls to come away with a victory [keep reading]

Crist is a big quarterback. Standing in at 6-4 235-pounds, he seems more like a tight end type build than a quarterback, but he stands in the pocket and delivers strikes.

Before he was knocked out last season due to his knee injury (getting to that point), Crist was a top quarterback and ranked highly among the nation's best arms. He completed 174 passes out of 294 attempts (59.2%) for 2033 yards. He threw 15 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

Crist missed the last 4 games of the regular season and the bowl game due to a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee. This is his second knee injury in his short time at Notre Dame, this one being the most severe, but he is fully recovered and healthy for the start of the season.

Now, can USF take him down? If they are able to win the battle in the trenches and get to Crist, they can make him very ineffective.

Crist is a pro-style quarterback who is running a spread system. Coach Kelly likes the quick passes, will move Crist around a bit, but won't send him running like B.J. Daniels wants to do, plus coming off of major knee surgery, I wouldn't take off running down field either.

The Bulls will have to contend with a senior offensive line that will be looking to keep Crist up on his feet, but if they are able to get pressure, force him to step up in the pocket, move around, and make quick decisions that he is not comfortable, the Bulls could make life miserable for him.

Ryne Giddins and Julius Forte, two of the fastest pass rushers on the team, will do everything to get around the tackles and put pressure and hit Crist all they can. Also expect Mark Snyder, who has been getting his team ready for the high tempo ND offense, to send a blitzer, such as Jon Lejiste, to knock him as well.

The battle of the trenches and getting to Crist will be just one factor during the game. We can't wait to bring you all sorts of coverage next week to get you prepared for the game!