Clausen Learning By Sitting On Sidelines

by Pete Byrne (pmbyrne@wsbt.com)

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By Jim Pinkerton

Story Created: Oct 23, 2007 at 5:50 PM EST

Story Updated: Oct 23, 2007 at 10:16 PM EST

(WSBT) Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis' plan to play more freshmen doesn't necessarily include Jimmy Clausen. Weis says Clausen might be better served watching on the sidelines.

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"It's not the way everyone wanted it to be ... but it is what it is, and we just have to move forward," Clausen said.

Clausen is talking about Notre Dame's 1-7 start. But he could've just as easily been referring to his own college career, which hasn't exactly gone according to plan, prompting Charlie Weis to bench the freshman after six starts.

"He's been playing every snap his whole life, since he was a little kid," Weis said. "This is the first time he's going to be able to sit back and watch!"

Weis has already named Evan Sharpley the starting quarterback for next week's game against Navy. But he was also very clear that he didn't want Clausen to view this as a demotion. If anything, he feels his freshman QB can learn more by watching than by playing.

"If you ever want to be a good quarterback, the speed it slows down to on the sideline, that's how it's got to be when you're playing," Weis explained. "That's what the great quarterbacks do. They see everything happening before it happens."

Just one game on the sideline already seems to be paying dividends for the young signal caller!

"The speed of the game changes when you play and then go to the sidelines and watch," Clausen said. "You can see coverages slow down. That's the biggest thing. When you play, and go to the sideline, you see things slow down."

Whether or not Clausen gets another shot this season, he feels he's making progress for the future.

"On sideline, or field, I'm getting experience either way," he said. "The only way you get better is experience. Just getting more experience, I think that will help me."

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