Notre Dame notebook: Kelly hoping players energized after bye week
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
Notre Dame has once again been in full game-week preparation mode this week as it enjoyed having last Saturday off from game competition.
Fresh off their bye, the Irish enter the second third of their regular-season with a glowing 4-0 record and No. 9 national ranking.
Now their coach, Brian Kelly, wants them to be re-energized, enjoy the success they’ve had and stay focused at the task at hand. This week, that means a date with 4-1 Miami (Fla.) in the Chicago Shamrock Series Saturday night in Soldier Field.
Notre Dame will be looking to open with five wins for the first time in a decade.
The Irish also know when they started the season, there were five teams on their schedule ranked ahead of them in the polls (USC at No. 1, Oklahoma 4, Michigan 8, Michigan State 13, Stanford 21). Now, not one of Notre Dame’s remaining eight opponents is ranked higher than the Blue and Gold. In fact, only three of the teams left are even ranked (USC 13, Oklahoma 17, Stanford 18), but six of the eight do have a winning record.
Kelly always reminds his team not to get too far ahead of itself. However, he knows there’s talk on campus and amongst Notre Dame fans that the Irish have a chance at going undefeated for the first time since 1988.
You don’t just put blinders on, Kelly said. But what you ask them to do is focus on the task at hand, so there is a balance there as well.
As expected, senior middle linebacker Manti Te’o, one of the Irish captains, was saying all the right things this week when asked about the 4-0 start.
We take it day-by-day, week-by-week and game-by-game, he said. I think when we look back at the end of the season, we will see how we’ve done. But so far we have done pretty good at just taking it game-by-game.
Getting offensive
Notre Dame’s points per game average of 25.75 ranks in the bottom half of college football (76th out of 120 FBS teams to be exact). Its total yardage average – 351.25 – is even worse (95th) with passing offense (211.0, 85th) and rushing offense (140.25, 84th) certainly not being anything you would brag about.
The Irish expect those numbers to greatly improve over the next eight weeks of the season, but don’t want to get overly risky on offense as to jeopardize taking care of the football.
Notre Dame currently ranks tied for third nationally in turnover margin with 13 takeaways and four giveaways.
We want to be more of an offense that can have big-play capabilities, Kelly said. We need to score more points, no question about that. We’re not scoring enough points. But as you can see, and it’s been the theme. We’re going to be careful with the football. We’re not going to be careless with it. Until we’re ready to amp it up, so to speak, we’ll be careful with the football.
Manti for Heisman
You’re hearing more and more about Te’o being not only a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, but among voters top five choices for the prestigious award.
Through four games Te’o has amassed 38 tackles, including two for loss, has three interceptions, recovered a couple fumbles, deflected five passes and forced three quarterback hurries.
Te’o admits being aware of the Heisman hype and is humble by it all to say the least.
It’s definitely very exciting, he said. It’s kind of surreal that I’m on that Heisman list.
Of course defensive players don’t win the Heisman, but a defensive player has finished in the top 10 of the Heisman voting each of the last five seasons, including LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu last year (fifth) and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2009 (fourth).
Worth noting though is no linebacker has ever finished higher than sixth.
Kelly is slightly biased and as expected believes Te’o very much so deserves to be in the thick of things when it comes to all the Heisman hype.
What is the definition of a Heisman Trophy candidate? If you go with he has to be a quarterback or an offensive player, well, I don’t think he plays on offense, Kelly said. But if you’re looking for one of the best, if not the best college football players that impacts your program, look, if you said it was the MVP, does it have to be an offensive player MVP? Sure. He’s got to have some offensive numbers or statistics. But you’re also judged by how you impact your team and what you do on the defensive side of the ball.
So Heisman Trophy, MVP, top collegiate player, we think he fits those categories.
More opportunistic
Last year Notre Dame featured more of a bend-but-don’t-break defense. This year is a much different story as the Irish D features plenty of playmakers who are making things happen and putting the offense in a good position with regularity.
Oh, I think it has a lot to do with how you manage the game., said Kelly, referring to his defense’s knack for coming up with turnovers this season.
The Irish have generated five fumble recoveries and eight interceptions in their four games.
We’re going to make sure that our defense is on a long field, Kelly said. Because if they’re on a long field, they’ve got a chance to take it away and give us better field position, or turn it back to us. It makes an impact in how you manage and call the game.
Also: ISL’s Doug Griffiths talks with Miami play-by-play voice
