TRANSCRIPT: Brian Kelly Addresses Low Irish Running Back Production, More
The day after a 52-20 win over Navy, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly addressed the media. He touched on the injury to sophomore linebacker Shayne Simon, the recent lack of production at the running back position, controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and more.
On the positives he's seen from his team in recent weeks:
Kelly: "Playing fast, playing physical and executing at a high level right now. Those three things, which are obviously pretty good tenants to playing winning football. Fast, physical and again, anytime that you execute at a high level, which we are, you're going to see good things happen."
On where his team has become more physical as of late:
Kelly: "I would say both lines. We controlled the line of scrimmage again, defensively as well, against obviously the No. 1 rushing team in the country. You've got to win the line of scrimmage. You do that with a physicality. I think they played outstanding against Duke as well.
"I'd say both the offensive line and the defensive line controlling the line of scrimmage has definitely been a highlight."
On the injuries the Irish suffered against Navy:
Kelly: "Shayne Simon is really the only one to have an [injury of] significance in terms of not being able to play next week. He'll have an MRI later this afternoon, which will give us a little bit more information.
He had a dislocation of the patella, the kneecap, and it was put back in out on the field. What kind of structural damage, all of those things, we'll find out later today after an MRI."
On how the role the forced fumbles played in the win:
Kelly: "Anytime that you're able to take the football away from a team like Navy, that obviously can't find themselves in the kind of hole that they were, because they're not built that way. They're built really to shorten the game.
"It takes time for them to score, provided you're doing your job the right way. As I had mentioned earlier in the last line of questioning, we were fast and physical and they hadn't seen that kind of defense all year. It led to some turnovers. It's one thing to turn the ball over, but we capitalized offensively.
"Our defense did a great job of rallying around the football, taking it away, and then capitalizing on it offensively. It certainly changed the whole scope of the game early on."
On the progress of running back Jafar Armstrong as he works his way back from an early-season injury:
Kelly: "I think it's been a process for him. It's taken him time to develop his core strength back. He had a pretty significant injury.
"For him to get back on the field the way he did is a great testament to him. That doesn't mean you're, you're back to the level of playing the game before the injury. I think each week is an opportunity for him to continue to get back to the elusive quickness and power."
"He's giving us what he's got right now. I think there's more. As he continues to play, you'll see glimpses of more of what we saw before he got injured."
On what he sees from this running back room:
Kelly: "I don't know that we need to really look that hard. I think we know what we have there. They were so assignment correct in blitz pickup and blitz detail, and it allowed for us to hit a lot of big plays yesterday.
"Tony Jones, C'Bo Flemister, Jahmir Smith, they were all outstanding in pass protection and that's a big piece of what we need done. We don't have Adrian Peterson back there, but we have a bunch of guys that are giving everything that they have to contribute in all the dirty areas, if you will.
"These are guys that are going to go into the corners and dig and grind and there's no glamour there, if that's what you're asking. I think they know who they are and they're giving us all that they have.
"I think we will continue to use more than one back. I think Tony still is the leader in that clubhouse, in terms of the group of guys, but I think we'll continue to use at least three or four backs."
On how the defensive line played against Navy:
Kelly: "I think, overall, they controlled the line of scrimmage. They were extremely physical. Guys that really stood out, some young guys for me, Jacob Lacey was outstanding. Howard Cross plays really physical. Heavy hands. He's going to be a really good football player.
I thought Ovie [Ogoufo] did a really nice job in really his first kind of assignment. Those young players really played well and were impactful in terms of what we did."
On his long-term view of the running back position at Notre Dame:
Kelly: "I think in the future it'll kind of work itself out. I'm not really that concerned about the future, as much as getting the most out of the group right now and I'm really happy with what they're giving us.
I'm watching C'Bo Flemister really grow up and mature and Tony Jones being a tough hard-nosed guy for us. Jahmir has fought through a couple of injuries. Avery has given us a little bit in there. Jafar obviously coming back from an injury.
"I'm really pleased. I know everybody's looking for that thousand-yard back, but we are going to be more of a committee and the one thing about them is that they all do the dirty jobs. They're going to pick up a blitzing backer, they're going to run interference on blocking areas.
"They do a lot of different jobs that some backs won't do. We're going to get the most out of this group and so far, it's been pretty good."
On how his team has done handling the "outside noise":
"I think you have to be aware, but I think it's important that you're not bogged down by so much noise that you can't get to your process and that is your preparation and letting it affect how you prepare to the level that it gives you a distraction on a day to day basis.
"That's what we want to avoid, our guys being distracted, because it can be distracting when the season's over in everybody's minds, and it's only beginning. We talk to the guys quite a bit about how to manage that.
"We do that in the locker room and we go back to work and when we're done practicing, they come back to the locker room and that stuff's still there.
"They know they got to deal with it, but they don't have to deal with it while they're preparing. They don't have to deal with it while they are playing. Just giving them cues on how to deal with those things has been really, for them, probably the best tool that they've had over the last month."
On if Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea has done anything different to have success against Navy:
Kelly: "Our scheme has been very similar over the last couple of years. We've had a very disciplined approach to how we want to defend Navy.
"I would just say that we've put them in longer third-down situations, we have made it more difficult for them to convert, and I just think that we're physically a better defense.
"We have gotten better over the years and that has allowed us to be disruptive, much more than any schematic thing that has addressed the third and fourth down success ratio."
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