2015 Notre Dame Football Preview

2015 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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78 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY LOU SOMOGYI O n June 17, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly spoke with Blue & Gold Illustrated exclusively about the 2015 Fighting Irish defense. Blue & Gold Illustrated: At the end of the 2014 spring practice, you said the de- fense couldn't afford to have Joe Schmidt off the field because he was too valuable at get- ting everyone set up. That proved true. Has the defense evolved with virtually everyone returning to where losing one player doesn't create a huge crack in the infrastructure? Brian Kelly: "Yes. We probably have two guys at safety now that can help us in the communication they struggled with a lot last year. Getting KeiVarae [Russell] back helps us a great deal. A veteran like Sheldon Day helps us a great deal. I think there is so much more there now. Add Jarrett Grace to the mix. "We still don't want to take Joe off the field, but we won't have the communication difficulties — and we learned, too. It wasn't just players, it was coaches, too. We had to do a better job communicating on our end and making it so we could communicate more effectively to our players." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Now that he has a year under his belt, does Jaylon Smith have the experience and the knowledge base to move around with consistency at Will and Sam linebacker? Kelly: "We're going to put him in positions where he can absolutely impact our pass rush as well as put him in a position where he can't be taken out of the game. There were times last year when if you went into some two-by- two sets, you could displace him. Northwest- ern did a good job of going two by two [two receivers on both sides] and getting him out of the box … he didn't get the ball run to him maybe three-quarters of the game because of that scheme. We've put him in a position now where he can impact the game. Now he can play inside or outside, and he will be a factor in everything. "He was feeling his way through it and learning it last year, the inside piece. He's very comfortable with it now, and this spring we were able to do some things on the out- side which can impact our pass rush." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Regarding the pass rush and not having probably a dozen- sack figure on the team, what can be done to take the burden off coordinator Brian Van- Gorder looking at different ways to generate a rush? Kelly: "If we can generate a four-man pass rush — in 2012 we did it with a three- man pass rush — that's the ideal situation. We think we have some guys that can bring pressure, but we just don't have the proto- typical sack master coming off the edge. Two years ago, Michael Sam led the SEC in sacks and he can't even play in the CFL. Those guys are hard to find. "What you need then is inside guys that can pass rush and do a good job of forc- ing that quarterback to move in the pocket. We do have pass rushers we think can push the pocket and force a quarterback to do that. You've got to find some guys that can singularly bring it without bringing all our pressures." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Sheldon Day had only one sack last year playing inside, DEFENSE Q&A Better Communication Seasoned players and more knowledge should enhance defense Head coach Brian Kelly does not believe that coordinator Brian VanGorder's defense was too complex for his young unit, so instead of scaling it back during the offseason the coaching staff focused on finding ways to get it communicated more effectively. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA

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