Rockne's Roundtable

I was corrected by Lou about a month ago on this subject. If a player appears in under 3 games, and these appearances occurred during the first half of the season (6 games), he is eligible to preserve a year. Ronnie Stanley played against Navy, and possibly another game, but has not seen action during the second half of the season. Thus he will be eligible for a 5th year. If he had played in more than 3 games, or appeared in any game during the second half of the season, he would not. I was always under the impression any playing time at all removes the possibility of a 5th year unless injured. However, players may in fact play sparingly during the first 6 games and save a year.

I thought that the rule had been changed to " if you play in one game, you have used up a year". So the correct answer concerning Stanley is .........

If you play one play after the sixth game, you're definitely done is how I'm interpreting it now from reading some of the tea leaves that Kelly has stated during the season. There was a freshman named Emmett Mosely who didn't play all year in 1993 ... then in the infamous regular season finale against BC had to go in for one play and burned his year of eligibility. So that one play aspect is not inaccurate.

Stanley got in for the opener against Navy and had one play against Michigan (fourth game) when Zack Martin's helmet fell off. here's a reason. I'm not certain he's burned a year of eligibility based on some comments by Kelly. I will ask this question, if not of Kelly, people in the compliance office ... although sometimes they can get nebulous with this topic.

This same thing happened Fauria's freshman year. I'm blank on the game, but it was a game ND lost in 2+ OT's his freshman year. Weis put him in for the FG block at the end of the 3rd OT or something. Safe to say he didn't have the kindest things to say post-game.