TRANSCRIPT: Brian Kelly Post-Virginia Tech Teleconference
The day after a 21-20 victory over Virginia Tech, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly addressed the media at his weekly teleconference. He provided a few injury updates and touched on wide receiver Chase Claypool's development, why cornerback TaRiq Bracy didn't play more, the team's demeanor at the end of the game and more.
On injury updates from the game and how the replacement offensive linemen have performed:
Kelly: "Hainsey, he'll have surgery on Thursday. The only other injury that we have is Jack Lamb.
"He's got kind of a hip injury. We're going to get a further evaluation on it. It's non-surgical. But he will be out this week. And then we're going to have further information on that after we have a specialist Look at him.
"Let's see. I think we should have Tony Jones back and up and going. He was close and he probably could have done some things for us, but he'll be full-go for this week.
"And for the offensive line, we thought that Lugg and Ruhland played well, especially Josh coming in and seeing his first extended time. So we were happy for both those guys that they got in there and were able to impact and compete and gain some confidence."
On what he saw from his team on the final offensive drive of the game:
Kelly: "First of all, what did we see from our guys? Well, they knew that they needed to obviously make a play on this last drive, but they had just driven the football from a tough situation when we started on the one-yard line and move the ball all the way down the field and then we got a very interesting call on the one-yard line for cutting a blitzing linebacker that that backs us up, but they had already done that and shown the resolve.
"So it was just a matter of telling them, let's do the same thing. You know what you're going to see this drive again. You're going to get a lot of drop eight. You're going to get pressure here and there. So it was just kind of confirming what they had already done and felt like they could do that again. And that's essentially what they were able to put together on that last drive."
On the where wide receiver Chase Claypool has made the biggest strides since last year.
Kelly: "He's in a different role, obviously. He was much more complimentary in a sense and that he's a go-to guy and a go-to guys got to make big plays in a big situation. So fourth and 10, we're going to call your number you got to make a big play.
"I think he's still the same guy. Obviously, he's bigger, stronger, faster. He's had another year to develop. But I just think that that tension for wanting the ball and not being afraid of the big moments. I think that's probably the biggest change from one year to the next."
On the sideline catch Claypool made on the final drive:
Kelly: "Yeah, it looked from my vantage point that he did get his toe in. We felt pretty confident at the time. Of course, they. put it up on the board. You could see that he did it. He's done that all year. He's got great body control. He did it at Georgia. He's done it many times. He's got a great sense of awareness of the sideline. As I mentioned to you earlier in your first question, is that when you need that big play, he steps up and he makes it."
On using different personnel groups against USC and Virginia Tech:
Kelly: "I think it depends on who you're using in those situations. Our five-down package was with Jamir Jones. He's a veteran player.
"He's a very conscientious player. I think these packages are really determined based upon who you're bringing into the game. Shawn Crawford, him being part of our rotation allowed us to do a lot of things that we're not normally able to do. That helped us quite a bit as well.
"I really think more than anything else, the packages are one thing and having a scheme is certainly part of this process of taking on some unconventional offensive structures, but you got to get the right people and understand it. And those two guys did a great job on Saturday."
On if they need more offensive skill players to make one-on-one plays:
Kelly: "No doubt. Jafar is certainly a guy that is just coming back from an injury. I think what he feels more comfortable doing right now is using his size and running somebody over. But there's no question that yards after the catch are also the ability to make people miss.
"We've got to earn everything. It doesn't come easy. We've got to scratch and claw and that's why we can't miss open receivers or miss some easy opportunities. We've got to take advantage of those, because we're putting it together, certainly, but it doesn't come easy and we got to continue to develop and continue to recruit and continue to put our kids in good position."
On how the pass-rush has done this season:
Kelly: "Well, college football, as you know, is very difficult to get sacks, pure sacks, because the ball comes out so quickly. I think we've been really good at forcing quarterbacks to get out of rhythm or simply get the ball out of the hand quicker than they want to.
"Sacks from one perspective sometimes come from a lot of different players. They could come from secondary players, linebackers, not necessarily your defensive line. But I think what our defensive line has done really well is, certainly, forced the ball out of the quarterback's hand or put them in a position where the ball has had to come out quicker than they wanted to."
On cornerback Donte Vaughn playing exceeding the four-game limit to possibly redshirt this season:
Kelly: "That's a conversation that Donte and I had about playing this year and we wanted him to play, he wanted to play, so we were both on the same page for that. We felt like Donte and Troy gave us the best chance of winning this year. That's why both those guys are on the field.
"As for next year, we'll get to that when we get to that. We will have some young players there, certainly next year, but there are a number of things you can do to help young players from a defensive standpoint. We put those two guys on an island obviously yesterday. They were playing man to man virtually the whole game. We'll see what happens next year."
On offensive lineman Trevor Ruhland being advised not to play this season:
Kelly: "I think the medical people were just giving him all of their best advice as to where he was physically and whether he could take the pounding in the weight room, all the running that you need to do through the summer. They couldn't modify him that much or he wouldn't be ready to play. He said, 'I think I can handle it. I want to do it. I want to be with my teammates. I want to make my senior year one where I'm not inactive. I want to be active.’
“This is a conscious choice on his part, even after medical intervention, in a sense that this may not be the best decision for you down the road, but he wanted to do it and he's taking care of himself. He's kept himself ready and consequently, he's able to step in at a critical time when we need him and come through for us. So, good for him. All the credit to him for getting himself ready mentally and physically."
On if he had flashbacks to 2011 when the fumble was returned 98-yards in the first half:
Kelly: "I don't know about a flashback, but it seemed like it had happened before. So, maybe in my subconscious, I was thinking of it. We met immediately and maybe that's why I pulled the team together and said we're going to overcome this. I don't think we did overcome that in 2011, if my memory serves me correct.
"Maybe it was South Florida and we ended up with losing that game. Maybe my subconscious was working in that respect that I called the team together and said, 'listen, that certainly was their momentum gain. You could feel it. You could see it. But we're going to overcome this. So, get yourself ready and get ready to get back out there.' Maybe that's what happened."
On getting if true freshman nose tackle Jacob Lacey was hurt this week:
Kelly: "Lacey was banged up. I think he held his own in there. We were asking him to play a specific technique and in talking in our staff meeting today, Mike Elston was pleased with the number of snaps. He didn't have many, but he did his job quite well."
On when Lacey is expected back:
Kelly: "We expect him back this week."
On what Donte Vaughn played so much more than Donte Vaughn yesterday:
Kelly: "Size. We just wanted a bigger body on Hazelton. As you know, we used Donte on 14. We just wanted a little bit more length while the ball was in the air. That's really it. We are pleased with TaRiq.
"He's given us some really good play and we will continue to do that moving forward, but this is a matchup game. This is going to be a one on one, kind of throw the ball up there, and we felt like the matchup that we would use with Donte would give us a better chance."
On if they may have additional offensive linemen rotating in this season:
Kelly: "Right now, the next two guys up for us would be Gibbons and Dirksen. Those would be considered as an alternate to come in and spell Trevor Ruhland if he needed it. We'd like to keep him on a pitch count if we are able to do that. We'll evaluate both those guys as potential guys that may be able to step in and give him a blow here or there."
On if the team played with the physicality he was hoping for:
Kelly: "I think it was pretty good. We would have liked to have done some things a little better along the perimeter. I don't know if we executed at the level that we're pleased with at this time. We need to execute better.
"That's not just the offensive line. Tight end and wide receiver blocking was not where it needs to be. We got to really do a good job this week in making sure we know who to block and how to block them. We come out of that feeling pretty good about the five guys and where we're going from here."
On the low snap from John Shannon on the game-winning extra point:
Kelly: "That's the only one I can remember, really, that stood out. Obviously, it was a big moment. It was 20-20. Look, those guys work together all the time. Jay [Bramblett] and John have been together all year, and they've had some snaps that they've had to adjust to and good that Jay was there for him.
"John's been great for us and he deserves a little help once in a while."
On the streak of 1,273 running back carries without a fumble coming to an end:
Kelly: "That was a long streak. We certainly have to hold onto the football there. We have to execute better in blocking the middle linebacker, but certainly, they'll be well aware of ball security again this week."
----
• 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.