Notre Dame begins its 12-day stretch of relocated Rose Bowl preparation without any major injuries.
Brian Kelly said safety Kyle Hamilton, who left the ACC Championship loss with an ankle injury, has no structural damage and should be ready to play when No. 4-ranked Notre Dame (10-1) faces No. 1 Alabama (11-0) Jan. 1 in Arlington, Texas, the one-year home of the Rose Bowl.
"Kyle’s is the nagging injury, the ankle," Kelly said Sunday. "With good treatment, he’ll be back out there in the middle of the week.”
Kelly met with reporters Sunday afternoon following Notre Dame's College Football Playoff selection. Here are some of the topics he addressed.
On Facing Alabama
“They have been a buzzsaw against everybody. I’d think there would have to be some ball control, which we can play that kind of game, and limiting some big plays. You have to make then earn it all the way down the field. Those two components will certainly – after I get a chance to watch some film – be part of our game plan.”
On The ACC Championship Loss To Clemson
“We have a really good football team. We didn’t play to our capabilities yesterday. And Clemson played really, really well. We didn’t play with the same edge and tenacity necessary in a championship game. That’s on me. I have to get our team to play better in that moment. There wasn’t this gap of physicality that had been there in the past. We’ve got to play with a higher level of urgency. We have to have guys step up and make plays.
“We just didn’t make enough plays. Certainly capable as a football team to beat any team on any day. That probably wasn’t the case a few years back. But we have to play up to our level.”
On Alabama’s Evolution Since The 2012 Meeting With Notre Dame
“It’s the proliferation of talent on offense, certainly at the receiver position. Running back, they’re probably where they are and continue to evolve at offensive line. Their No. 2 and 3 running backs are as good as anybody in the country. I’d point to great quarterback play – not good quarterback play — and the skill players, particularly the wide receivers, who elevated the explosiveness of these Alabama offenses.”
On Notre Dame’s Changes Since 2012
“We’ve certainly evolved since 2012. It’s a deeper roster. It’s more physical on both sides of the ball. There were certainly some talented players on the 2012 roster, some who are still in the league, but the depth of the roster, ability to make plays on both sides of the ball, and the size and physicality on the offensive and defensive line is probably the biggest departure since 2012.”
On The Center Position And Competition Between Josh Lugg and Zeke Correll
“Moving forward, we’ll continue to make that a competitive situation. I would not say right now after watching the film that Josh had a subpar game at all. There were a number of different breakdown at the running back position to any singular player on the offensive line. Josh would not be the guy who you’d single out and said, ‘We were ineffective running the ball because Josh Lugg did not play well.'”
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