Notre Dame wideout Michael Floyd cleared to play

Michael Floyd makes a leaping catch against Michigan State. (MCT)

By Brian Hamilton

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The sight of Michael Floyd on the sideline, in full pads on game day, has been a tease for Notre Dame fans for a couple weeks running. It will mean something much more very soon.

Floyd, the dynamic sophomore receiver, has been cleared to play again for the Irish after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 3 against Michigan State.

"Michael Floyd is back, he's ready to go," Irish coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday.

Should Floyd be near 100 percent health, his presence returns to Notre Dame perhaps its most explosive offensive weapon. In 10 quarters of play before the injury, Floyd had 13 catches for 358 yards -- an eye-popping 27.5 yards per catch -- with five touchdowns.

"Once he got cleared to go, I still let Michael make the call as to whether or not this was the week," Weis said. "I let him talk to his mom, they talked about it, and he came back to me and said I'm ready to go.

"And it wasn't too much longer when I was already getting a text from No. 7 (quarterback Jimmy Clausen). As happy as No. 3 (Floyd) was, I think No. 7 might have been just as happy."