Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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The Next Step Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco prepares his unit to stay ahead of the curve after a strong performance in 2012 N By Dan Murphy otre Dame's defense had, statistically speaking, its best season in more than three decades last year. The Irish kept five of their 13 opponents from scoring a touchdown and held teams to an average of 12.8 points per game. The last time a Notre Dame defense allowed fewer points in a season was in Dan Devine's last year coaching in 1980, when his team gave up 10.6 points per game. defense Q&A The 2012 team finished second in the nation in scoring defense, seventh in total defense (305.5 yards allowed per game) and 11th in rushing defense (105.7 yards allowed per game). Nine players with staring experience return this fall, but defensive coordinator Bob Diaco's group will have a different look in 2013. Diaco said the defense is constantly evolving as players filter in and out of the program. This year, he and the rest of the coaching staff have to find ways to replace three veteran leaders — linebacker Manti Te'o, defensive end Kapron LewisMoore and safety Zeke Motta — and keep the defense moving forward. Blue & Gold Illustrated: What do you do as a staff to try to foster new leaders on defense, or is that a process that happens on its own? Bob Diaco: "It doesn't just happen. The environment needs to be created, definitely by Coach [Brian] Kelly, to allow for it. That's first. There are a lot of environments that you can be in that don't even allow for it. It needs to be allowed for before it can even be fostered. "Then it really needs to be taught, and then it can be fostered. From a program standpoint we're constantly focused on making sure that those pieces are in place and not forced. You can't just force it. That never works." BGI: Is developing players to step into that role a focus for you and an area where you spend a lot of time? Diaco: "I don't think it's that big of a deal. The defenders have things that they need to do on a specific play. Period. End of sentence. If they do their jobs, we'll play good defense. If they don't their jobs, we'll play bad defense. Under Diaco's leadership last year, the Irish ranked second in the nation in scoring defense (12.8 points allowed per game), seventh in total defense (305.5 yards surrendered per contest) and 11th in rushing defense (105.7 yards permitted per outing). photo by joe raymond "The call is sent in from the sideline and everybody has to get it. It's not communicated by one person. There's an expectation of the performance during the play and the amount of energy that is going to be exerted by every player. I'm going to hold those players accountable. "I think in the locker room and on a dayto-day basis, and when you're out at night, and when you're with your team and you're not on the field, it's real positive. But on the field and at practice, we're rolling." BGI: Coach Kelly says he designs Notre Dame's offense to fit the strengths of the players he has on the roster each year. Does the defense operate the same way? Diaco: "It's always evolving. As players leave your organization and players get added into an organization those players can do things not as good as the ones leaving or other things better than the ones leaving. You have to do the things that the players can do." BGI: What will change with this year's defense in order to play toward their strengths? 76 ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview 76-77.Defense Q&A.indd 76 6/25/13 10:50 AM