Brian Kelly Press Conference: Sept. 13

A recap of Brian Kelly’s Tuesday press conference:

• Junior cornerback Nick Watkins (arm) will have the progress in his bone growth measured next week to see if he’ll be able to play. Kelly said he wouldn't consider moving an offensive player to the secondary if Watkins doesn’t return.

• Kelly said he was really pleased with the way his team prepared on a short week.

“It says a lot about where we are as a group,” he said.

• The seventh-year head coach said this group is resilient and knows how to prepare for games. The next step is to play in all phases at a higher level.

“How we play is now going to be magnified by each and every series,” Kelly said.

• Kelly: “We were sloppy at times on the offensive side of the ball.” He mentioned that the offense can sustain long drives.

• The coach gave the stat that when pinned inside the 20-yard line to start a drive, the opponent has an 83 percent chance of not scoring. “The key from our special teams starting field position last week was outstanding,” he said.

• Kelly on this week’s opponent, Michigan State: “It’s a program and a team that knows how to win and is well coached. They’re going to run the football and be physical on defense. You have to be tough-minded on all three phases.

“Michigan State is going to play the game with that mental and physical toughness and you have to match it.”

Kelly complimented the Spartans by noting how they’re not “neanderthals.” Michigan State also has good athletes and good schemes, he said.

Playing against the physical Spartans makes any player excited.

“When you tell a football player we are going to test you mentally and physically and this is going to be a physical contest, they bow up,” Kelly said.

• Kelly said there were no glaring protection misses by junior quarterback DeShone Kizer and his offensive line against Nevada. Kizer missed a hot read on one play, but it was not the offensive line’s fault.

• The coach was asked about the strengths of his three Will linebackers: sophomore Te’von Coney, junior Greer Martini and sophomore Asmar Bilal. Bilal and Coney bring downhill athleticism, while Martini’s experience defending the pass also makes him valuable.

• Michigan State fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler O’Connor is a prototypical Spartans quarterback.

“He’s not going to be the reason that they lose,” Kelly said.

• Kelly smiled when asked how Notre Dame has taken better care of the ball since 2014: “I think … we probably … just coached it better.”

• On sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown: “The Texas game built some confidence for him.”

• Kelly said he’s expecting senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey and junior left guard Quenton Nelson to be anchors in pass protection. “Not that they haven’t been, but there’s things they can get better at.

“Were much better from Texas to Nevada. There was definitely a jump there.”

• Kelly said the stadium additions and construction have changed the wind pattern. It’s a “swirling” wind now, and he called it “unpredictable.”

• Sophomore kicker Justin Yoon’s directional kicking and accuracy are the reasons he won kickoff duties.

• Kelly on Kizer: “If you’ve got a really good quarterback, you’ve got a chance. He’s a really good quarterback.”

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