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Irish Secondary Becomes Primary Topic

Sophomore cornerback Nick Coleman will be targeted in coming weeks by the opposition, per head coach Brian Kelly. (Bill Panzica)

A little more than a month ago, Notre Dame’s plans in the defensive backfield were figured out: Seniors Cole Luke and Max Redfield would be the mainstays at right corner and free safety, respectively. Junior Nick Watkins would man the other corner spot, sophomore Shaun Crawford would handle the nickel, and junior Drue Tranquill would supply another veteran at strong safety, with sixth-year senior Avery Sebastian behind him. Maybe even senior Devin Butler could help by midseason after recovering from a broken foot.

Plans can be altered quite quickly in college football.

Redfield was dismissed from school on Aug. 21 after being arrested two days earlier … Butler remains on suspension for a separate incident that same night/morning … Watkins re-fractured his arm in August … Crawford suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Nevada’s first series yesterday that will sideline him the remainder of this season … Tranquill was benched the second half of the opener versus Texas and missed some time against Nevada with a neck injury — after coming back from two separate ACL surgeries … Sebastian has had an injury ravaged career, including late in the Texas game …

What’s a coach to do?

All Brian Kelly said that can be done is press players into action — ready or not — and continue to make evaluations. Against Nevada, 27 different defenders saw the field, including a multitude of freshman defensive backs. Devin Studstill started at free safety, and his backup could be classmate Jalen Elliott. Julian Love is now the top nickel, and the rangy Donte Vaughn is working his way into the No. 2 role as well, while sophomore Nick Coleman takes over as the starter. Kelly said the Nevada contest became more like “an evaluation day.”

“Unfortunately, we had an injury that is forcing our hand to play some guys,” Kelly summarized of Crawford's second setback in as many years. “But with the kind of schedule we play and the length of the year, this was a great opportunity for us to get a better glimpse and know who we need to continue to press and push to get better at their craft.

“… It’s too early for me to point out one guy over the other … all these guys are capable of contributing this year.”

The loss of Crawford might have been mitigated by the return of Watkins, who started in the Fiesta Bowl, but there is a chance he might be medically redshirted this year. Watkins missed pretty much all of preseason camp, and the baseline for when he might be able to fully recuperate to where he can be effective is diminishing.

“We will get an X-ray next week to see what kind of bone growth he has in that forearm, and that will determine where we are relative to being able to play him this year or not,” Kelly said. “We’re going to have to see some growth there that will allow us to believe that he can come back in the next few weeks or we’ll use this as a medical redshirt year for him.”

In the opener, Texas went after Coleman like sharks smelling blood in the water. Eventually, Crawford had to replace Coleman while Love slid into Crawford’s nickel spot. With Crawford now out, Coleman is going to be the starting left corner, and the opposition is well aware of what Notre Dame’s game tape against Texas revealed, although he made significant strides versus Nevada.

“They’re going to keep going at Nick Coleman,” Kelly said candidly. “We’re quite aware of that situation, but I think Nick has showed himself that he’s up to the task and he’s going to continue to work to get better at it. When you lose a player like Crawford, the guy that comes in, they’re going to pick on him. But I like the fact that Nick has made the kind of corrections necessary to go out there and compete for the football.

“Nick played a much better game [versus Nevada]. He used his technique, he was much more disciplined, made some really good plays on the ball. The one that he stumbled on he was in position. He’s got the athletic ability to do it. I think he gained some confidence and he’s going to need to continue to do that.”

Luke is the rock of the secondary and will be playing in the NFL next year. Meanwhile, the safety play also improved against Nevada, but the stakes go up in coming weeks with teams or coaching staffs that are much better and/or proficient at throwing the football than Nevada, likely the lightest game on the Irish schedule given that Army has defeated Temple and Rice to start 2-0.

“We still have to tackle a little bit better,” Kelly said of the safeties. “We were much better playing the ball in the air — that’s another facet of good safety play.”

Tranquill did not suffer a concussion or concussion-like symptoms versus Nevada, per Kelly. It was mainly a neck injury, but he returned to action and checked out well this morning.

Amid all the concerns in the secondary, it was overshadowed how well the front seven performed in mainly a more basic package. Kelly said junior nose guard Daniel Cage has played his greatest football at Notre Dame the past two weeks, especially versus the Wolf Pack, and sophomore Will linebacker Te’von Coney, who made his first career start in the Nevada game, also displayed a physicality and style the defense seeks.

Protecting a green secondary is essential — as it was during the 12-0 regular season in 2012 — and Kelly believes the nucleus of a strong front seven just might be able to do that.

“This is still about stopping the run on early downs,” Kelly said. “It’s going to still come back to basic tenets of [defense]: tackling, being really solid against the run and keeping the ball in front of you and playing the ball in the air.

“If we get those four things down and we make good progress on it, that’s what we're really looking to do at the end of the day.

News & Notes

• Senior Torii Hunter Jr., who did not play against Nevada after suffering a concussion at Texas, has been cleared for a full practice this Tuesday.

“He is in the last step of what we call our protocol, which is a controlled practice setting on Tuesday,” Kelly said.

• Kelly attributed some of Cage’s improvement this year to solving a sleep apnea issue the nose guard had last season.

“He’s getting proper rest, the kind of rest he needs to be to be the kind of player we thought he could be,” he said.

• The experience, maturity and patience of junior quarterback DeShone Kizer are prime reasons why Kelly said the red-zone offense has been effective so far this year, despite a much less proven receiving corps. Plus, Kizer has become more proficient at extending plays. Notre Dame scored five touchdowns in six red-zone chances versus Nevada, and three touchdowns in five opportunities at Texas.

“A lot of times when you're getting double-zoned down there in bracket coverage, last year he rushed into some throws,” Kelly said. “When you’re a lot more patient and can recognize what you’re getting, you’re not rushed into making that first throw.

“A lot of that just comes with patience and understanding what you’re getting and knowing where the openings are going to be in some of those bracket coverages that he’s getting down there.”

Kizer also demonstrated the ability to extend the play when he found Hunter Jr. on a short scoring toss at Texas, and the same with sophomore slot receiver C.J. Sanders versus Nevada, after scrambling away from pressure.

• Notre Dame’s tight ends have combined for only one catch this season, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been contributing to the offense’s success. According to Kelly, their turn will come based on how defenses adjust.

“They’re part of our progression, so sometimes relative to where they are, they’re opening up other things within our offense,” Kelly said. “It’s really never a situation where we just leave the tight end in and he’s not part of our progression.

“If they don’t cover the tight end, we’re going to throw it to him. If he’s open and he’s part of our progression, we’ve got to get the ball to them. We’re just not going to force it to him.

“It’s just one of those kinds of situations where the tight end is going to get his touches if, in fact, they’re not covering them as they should be.”

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