Floyd Shows Improvement, Kelly Optimisitc
(WSCR) - Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is optimistic that Michael Floyd will be able to play this weekend against Navy. Floyd showed better movement in limited practice Thursday and Kelly is hopeful the Irish's leading receiver will be able to play Saturday in the Meadowlands.
Having Floyd healthy for this weekend would be a big boost to an already banged up Irish offense. Notre Dame will be without slot receiver Theo Riddick (ankle) and tight end Kyle Rudolph (season-ending hamstring surgery). Floyd, who caught three TD passes against Western Michigan last week, has been nursing a sore hamstring.
"We didn't ask him to do too much," Kelly said. "If Floyd feels that he can play at a high level, then I want to play him every play that he can play."
Kelly also commented on the 2012 schedule that was released this week, which could be one of the most difficult in school history.
Traditional rivals Purdue and Michigan will join Stanford, BYU, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest in home contests. Notre Dame will travel to Michigan State, Oklahoma, Boston College and USC.
In addition to a season-opening tilt against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, the Irish will play Miami at Soldier Field in Chicago.
"It is a pretty strong schedule," Kelly said. "But that is why I came to Notre Dame, to play those kinds of teams in those kinds of venues. We are not in that kind of position to look at the 2012 schedule and say that we are ready to win all those games, but that is where we are going to get to."
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