SOUTH BEND -- Yes, last Saturday's 20-13 overtime victory over Stanford was thrilling and one to enjoy. Now, however, it's time for Notre Dame to worry about the next step.
"The 24-hour rule was firmly imposed after a great win over Stanford," Irish coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. "We enjoyed the win and that is now behind us. Our focus is now on BYU."
The fifth-ranked Irish, who improved to 6-0 with the win over the Cardinal, entertain the 4-3 Cougars Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
And while Kelly's team is squarely focused on BYU, part of the focus of Kelly's weekly press conference was on the health of starting quarterback Everett Golson. Golson left the Stanford game with a concussion and has yet to be cleared. Golson did not pass a cognitive test and will take another on Tuesday with the hope of returning to practice on Wednesday.
"We're seeing great progress," Kelly said.
Kelly said that Golson will get mental reps at Tuesday's practice with Tommy Rees taking about 60 percent of the practice snaps and Andrew Hendrix about 40 percent.
The Irish, who have thrived defensively, will be facing another strong defensive team in BYU. ND ranks 11th nationally in total defense with an average of 287 yards allowed per game. The Cougars allow 260.9 per game.
"We don't leave the Big Ten," Kelly said of the rough-and-tumble teams the Irish have faced. "It's another physical football team that plays great defense."
Kickoff is set for 3:40 p.m. (Eastern).
