Quick-hitters: Brian Kelly on Georgia Tech QBs, Jeff Quinn, Isaiah Foskey
Notre Dame still isn't quite past the flu outbreak that hit the locker room last week, held 13 players out of at least one practice and sidelined graduate student captains Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Drew White for last week's win at Virginia. Head coach Brian Kelly, though, can see the potential ending.
“We had a bunch of guys out on Tuesday,” Kelly said Thursday. “We had a bunch of guys back yesterday. I think we just have one guy today who was new. Hopefully we’re turning a corner here.”
No. 8 Notre Dame (9-1), then, could avoid any last-minute sickness scratches when it plays its final home game Saturday against Georgia Tech (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC). Kelly met with reporters for the final time before the Irish and Yellow Jackets (3-7, 2-6 ACC) face off. Here are some topics he addressed.
On preparing for two Georgia Tech quarterbacks in case starter Jeff Sims is out again
“You have two outstanding quarterbacks there. We’ve been down this road before with two quarterbacks. Sims and [Jordan] Yates complement each other really well. Sims is long, athletic. I think he’s a game-wrecker. He can open up the game for you running the football. Very, very dynamic.
"Yates is a spark. He’s a playmaker. When he gets out on the perimeter, he’s difficult. You have to keep him in the pocket. He has moxie. He’s not Sims in terms of that explosiveness, but it’s a good one-two package.”
On senior day
“It’s always an interesting juggling act where these guys are graduating but still have eligibility remaining. You want to recognize they may be playing in their last game, but still have left open the opportunity for them that if they want to come back, they can do that.
“This is really awarding those guys who are getting their degree or have used up their eligibility, and let the rest play out from there. That’s the spirit of it.”
On TaRiq Bracy helping clarify the entire cornerback room rotation
“It’s the emergence of TaRiq Bracy and his consistency, his play inside and out. Once you’ve established the guy who can play inside at nickel and out, that really gives you the ability to set your defense. It was TaRiq Bracy who help us begin to really move the pieces around.
“He’s playing with toughness, playing with a consistency that was at times inconsistent at points in his career.”
On mental performance coach Dr. Amber Selking’s impact on quarterback Jack Coan
“Amber’s role is far-reaching. If you look at the quarterbacks in particular, it’s de-cluttering. It’s taking away a lot of the noise associated with the position and keeping things simpler. For Jack, getting that assistance and getting someone to help him with that has been really helpful for him.
“Dealing with a lot of the noise earlier in the season and putting that in perspective for him was really useful and helpful. Dr. Selking was very instrumental in getting him through that.”
On Isaiah Foskey’s no-sack game at Virginia despite the defense notching seven total sacks
“If you do a deep dive on the game, Isaiah Foskey was doubled the entire game, which freed up virtually the entire defensive line in having some one-on-one opportunities.
“This is probably more of what you’re going to start seeing with a focus towards Isaiah Foskey and teams over-committing to him, which opens up opportunities for other players.”
On offensive line coach Jeff Quinn
“A veteran coach in this situation is the one who’s needed when all kinds of criticism is being heaped on a group. A coach who has not been in it as long as he has would maybe look toward trying to do things not consistent with what we’re trying to achieve here, and that’s patience and sticking with our process.
“Jeff was really good at it. He was under a lot of criticism early on — not from me or anyone internally. We knew what was going on. But the noise is out there. He stuck with what was most important, and that was continue the developmental process of a young group. One that had a revolving door at left tackle and one where we didn’t know what our best unit was.
“Veteran experience, been in that position before, been a head coach, just having that kind of experience serves you well when things aren’t going as well as we wanted early on.”
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