When you have a football team that is a 44.5-point favorite in the next game — as No. 9 Notre Dame is this week versus 1-3 Bowling Green — a head coach needs to seek every possible motivational tool possible to keep his troops concentrating on the task at hand and not get ahead of themselves.

Thus, head coach Brian Kelly’s theme for the week was clear.

“This is a week for our football team to really look at themselves and say, ‘Do I want to be great, or is this as good as it gets?’” the coach said. “This is a week where you can focus on being a champion. All the details that are so important to being one, you get the opportunity to sharpen that this week.

“… If they’re outside those lines, if they’re not locked in, not great in the weight room, if they’re not great in the classroom and not locked in on the practice field, then it’s a great indication to me that they don’t want to be great, and so we'll be able to address it accordingly.”

The outcome is projected to be something similar to the 66-14 drubbing of New Mexico (which was “only” a 36-point underdog) Sept. 14.

Get a FREE 60-day trial and four FREE copies of the BGI digital magazine using promo code Irish60

• With senior drop end Daelin Hayes out for the remainder of the season (torn labrum) but eligible to apply for a fifth season in 2020, this week’s depth chart from Notre Dame had sophomore Justin Ademilola or sophomore Ovie Oghoufo listed behind senior Julian Okwara at the drop position.

Behind senior Khalid Kareem at strongside end were seniors Ade Ogundeji and Jamir Jones.

It will be interesting to see if the staff is still looking to preserve a year of eligibility for Jones.

• With fifth-year senior cornerback Shaun Crawford (dislocated elbow) shelved an estimated three to four weeks, per Kelly, the starting spot opposite senior Troy Pride Jr. has sophomore TaRiq Bracy or senior Donte Vaughn.

• Sophomore wide receiver Braden Lenzy was cleared from concussion protocol last week but did not play versus Virginia. He is expected to be utilized this weekend and was listed the No. 2 X wideout behind junior Michael Young, who saw his first action.

• Sophomore slot receiver Lawrence Keys III was not listed on the two-deep — either at receiver or on kick returns where he normally starts — that is handed out weekly during Kelly’s Monday conference.

The two deep at receiver had Chase Claypool and Javon McKinley in the boundary, Chris Finke and Joe Wilkins at slot, and Young and Lenzy at the field side X position.

It is a different world at quarterback when you are the backup and when you become the starter. Book is just now experiencing the other side of the world.

His popularity soared at the end of his sophomore year when he came off the bench to lead Notre Dame to two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 21-17 victory over LSU in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018, and escalated during the 2018 regular season when he replaced incumbent Brandon Wimbush as the starter in the fourth game while helping steer a 12-0 run to the College Football Playoff.

Last year he provided much needed oomph to the attack that offensive coordinator Chip Long wanted to run. But this year as the senior starter, expectations are grander for Book. The progress, especially in reads, downfield vision and pocket presence, have not been as evident.

“I think in some areas he’s made really good progress,” Kelly summarized. “I think there is room for improvement in others. But I could probably say that about a lot of players. … We all know this — the spotlight is on the quarterback, so the scrutiny on him is 10 times than it is on other positions. He knows that.”

Kelly also wants to see improvement in calling the right protections and in the run-pass option (RPO), and indicated that being more explosive is an important next element. When asked if Book is where he’d like him to be, Kelly responded that no one is with a 3-1 record.

“But we’re in a pretty good position, top 10 in the country,” Kelly said. “Could we be a little bit better? Sure, I think we all could be. I could be coaching a little bit better. I'm certainly not displeased with Ian Book, that’s for sure.”

All other analytics asides, these two areas remain the bedrock of sound, physical football. Out-rushing Virginia 178-4 was a start. Even minus the eight sacks of quarterback Bryce Perkins, the Cavaliers averaged less than three yards on their 15-20 other conventional rushing plays.

Especially gratifying to Kelly was the fourth-quarter surge from the Irish ground game, and with the help of two-tight-end formations.

“After watching the film, I was really pleased with the offensive line and the way we were able to exert ourselves in terms of physicality, both with certainly the running backs, but the tight ends as well,” Kelly said. “That's going to bode well for us."

The rebuilt linebacker corps and defensive interior also have played with better consistency and overall production within the team framework the past two weeks.

“Those two things have to continue to be areas of improvement for us as we move forward,” Kelly said.

A pleasant surprise and even a team strength in the first three games, special teams took a step back versus Virginia.

The two most conspicuous mistakes among many were Virginia recovering a surprise on-side kick to begin the second half and fifth-year senior Finke dropping a punt that the Cavaliers recovered in Notre Dame territory.

Neither outcome produced any points for Virginia, but …

“We have got to be aware of, in all situations, an on-side kick — especially when a team chooses to kick into the wind when they have the choice in the third quarter,” Kelly said.

Finke has built up much equity the past three years, so a switch there is not an option for now. On the current depth chart, senior safety Alohi Gilman is listed No. 2 as the punt return man.

“We trust him,” the coach said of Finke. “He’s the best player we have at that position.”

Of the overall play on special teams, Kelly admitted “we just weren’t as good.”

“And that is flat-out want and desire,” he added. “That will be addressed today.”

The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator from 2014 through the 1-3 start in 2016 — before becoming the first known Fighting Irish assistant coach to be fired during the season — is in his first year with the Falcons. He and BGSU first-year head coach Scot Loeffler both were on the 2012 Auburn staff during a 3-9 campaign.

Since then, VanGorder, a former Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year at Georgia, held defensive analyst roles at Georgia (2016) and Oklahoma State (2017) before becoming the coordinator at Louisville last season. The Cardinals staff was replaced after losing the last nine games, with the defense allowing 66, 38, 56, 77, 54, 52 and 56 points over the final seven.

Kelly said he’s not been in contact with VanGorder since that 2016 split, but still maintains respect for him personally and professionally.

“Going against Brian is always a challenge because he’s multiple defensively, you’re going to get a lot of different looks,” Kelly said. “So you have to be prepared for a lot of different things.”

When asked what direction he wanted to go after the firing of VanGorder, Kelly conservatively stated the change was mostly about the way the defense was getting taught.

• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.

• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @CoachDeDario and @AndrewMentock.

• Like us on Facebook.