The last time senior Dayne Crist took part in a quarterback competition was, well, he can’t remember the last time he had to battle for the No. 1 spot. Maybe never.

And while the former blue-chip recruit may be navigating uncharted waters, he has not hesitated to dive in head first. Crist and his coaches agree that he is a much better quarterback than he was heading into the regular season last year with the starting job securely locked up. He and sophomore contender Tommy Rees are now racing stride for stride, but that doesn’t mean that Crist has slowed his pace at all.

“Your first inclination would be that Dayne has slipped,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said at Media Day on Tuesday. “He has not. Dayne is much better. He’s a much better footbally player than he was at this time last year in all aspects—demeanor, focus, buying into Brian Kelly’s system vis-à-vis other system that he’s had taught to him. All those things have made him a better football player and a better quarterback.”

Crist was highly-touted and highly-coached coming out of the Southern California high school football hot bed. Kelly and offensive coordinator Charley Molnar said a lot of that previous coaching had to be undone to get Crist to play the position the way they needed him to play. Rees, on the other hand, was far less polished when he arrived in South Bend two springs ago, which let him start with learning the new system rather than un-learning an old one.

“There were some definite differences.” Crist said of Kelly’s system. “I think that Coach Molnar did a great job of working through those things with me and Coach Kelly, as well, spent a lot of time helping me make that transition. But now we’re at a point that I feel very comfortable with everything that we’re doing and playing a lot more confident.”

Crist, who was 4-5 in his first abbreviated season as a starter last year, spent his offseason improving his footwork and pocket presence. He said the summer, when players are freed from regular practice schedules and schoolwork, is also an ideal time to hole up in the film room. Crist watched his own past performances for hours, but also studied current NFL stars like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

So what did he pick up from breaking down a former Boilermaker and a former Wolverine? No opponent secrets, just how to rely on your head more than any other raw physical talent when on the field.

“I think I’m playing a lot smarter than I was last year,” Crist said. “I think that I’m making the right checks in the run game and just understanding that if you just get the ball in the playmakers’ hands, they’ll make plays. You don’t have to do everything.”

With at least two inches and 25 pounds on Rees’ vitals, Crist is undoubtedly the bigger and stronger of the two candidates. Irish senior Michael Floyd said both quarterbacks do a good job of getting the ball to him and his fellow receivers, but Crist’s passes have decidedly more oomph on them.

“He’s a bigger guy, kind of a long ball kind of guy. He has a lot more force on it,” Floyd said.

But force won’t necessarily win the starting spot this time around. Kelly said with a defense strong enough to build a winning team around, he will be looking for a quarterback who can control the game and avoid turnovers.

Crist held himself to seven interceptions amidst 15 touchdowns last season, but was inconsistent at times. Rees did a good job of allowing the defense and running game to take over during his four starts at the end of last year, but also had turnover trouble throwing eight interceptions and 12 touchdowns.

“The patience that they have to make sure that we don’t turn the football over, we need more of that before we can get to a final decision because it’s going to be such a close margin for the decision we come to,” Kelly said.

In the week to come all of Crist’s long hours in the film room and afternoons spent drilling footwork on his own will be put to the test. Kelly said the Irish would be practicing situational offense and hopes that one quarterback will separate himself through those drills. It has been nearly nine months since Crist has any seen any game action, simulated or otherwise, but he’s not worried about shaking off the rust. Like a football addict in withdrawal, he can’t wait to get back on the field.

“Once you’re away there’s nothing that you want more. [I’m] incredibly excited to get back out there and do everything I can to prepare and be as sharp as I can for that first game,” he said.

Whether Crist, as many suspect, takes the field for that first game or has to wait behind Rees, he will be ready to go.