Category: Notre Dame Football Defense
IRISH NEWSLINK: “How one personnel pickup changed Notre Dame’s defense” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame linebacker Te’von Coney realigns with his promise” – South Bend Tribune/ ND Insider
IRISH NEWSLINK: “No. 9 Irish defense in takeaway mode under new coordinator” – AP/WTOP
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Points off turnover differential becoming theme to Notre Dame’s season” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Beyond the Boxscore: Notre Dame Continues Redzone Perfection” – UHND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame’s Drue Tranquill is excited to play under the lights this Saturday night” – DieHards
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame defense focused on stopping Georgia’s rushing tandem” – Chicago Tribune
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Three sacks show much more of Notre Dame’s defense” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame defense already showing signs of improvement” – Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame’s Nyles Morgan senses ‘clock ticking’ entering final season” – Chicago Tribune
Nyles Morgan didn’t like what he was seeing out of Notre Dame’s defense during practice. …
IRISH NEWSLINK Goshen News/Batesville Herald Tribune: “Kelly, Irish readjusting to traditional offenses” ….. #NOTREDAME #FOOTBALL
“In the four games against modern offenses since defensive analyst Greg Hudson took over coordinator duties once Brian VanGorder was fired, Notre Dame has displayed steady defensive improvement. The defensive line is more active and applying more pressure, while the youth injected into the secondary has limited the frequent big plays through the air. …”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “No big changes coming to struggling Irish” – Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
“… immersed in … the worst of his 27 seasons as a … head coach, it would be easy for … Brian Kelly to make wholesale changes within his program. He did so last month by firing … Brian VanGorder, but from a personnel standpoint, Kelly has decided to stay the course even after losing for the sixth time in nine games …. ‘If you look at the six games that we’ve played,’ Kelly said, ‘what needs to change is a little bit better play calling here, maybe a little bit better execution there, and the players just maturing.’ … To Kelly’s point regarding the ‘maturing’ of his team, the Notre Dame depth chart listed 39 players out of 59 that were either in their first or second season of being on the field. …”
Click here for Fort Wayne News-Sentinel: “No big changes coming to struggling Irish”
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IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Double vision for Notre Dame’s defense?” – South Bend Tribune
#NOTREDAME #FOOTBALL:
“The vision Brian Kelly is selling to recruits of how Notre Dame’s defense will evolve … ‘Quite frankly, we’re going to be in both (3-4 and 4-3 fronts), because I’m not going anywhere,’ he said. ‘So it’s going to be a three-down, four-down defense, and they’re going to have to be somebody that can do both.’ They are the eight defensive recruits already committed in the 2017 class, the four defenders in the 2018 group, and … prospects Kelly and his staff are still chasing [for 2017]. The nuances and even some of the basic tenets of the next scheme … attacking vs. read/react, how much man vs. zone — will and should likely have to wait until Kelly makes perhaps the most momentous hire of his head coaching career, deposed defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s permanent replacement. Interim Greg Hudson … remains in the running.”
Click here for South Bend Tribune: “Double vision for Notre Dame’s defense?”
IRISH NEWSLINK ESPN: “Greg Hudson making presence felt as Notre Dame defensive coordinator”
“… Hudson … gained control of the Fighting Irish defense when Brian VanGorder was fired Sept. 25 after a 1-3 start. And while the only tangible evidence of Hudson’s impact to the outside world has been a 50-33 win over Syracuse in his debut, he has certainly carried a presence about himself inside the Irish football complex. …”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Sunday Brunch: Kelly Demands a Little Fun—and Gets It” – und.com/John Heisler
As much as tackling and coverage and pass rush all played key roles, Irish coach Brian Kelly had maybe more interest in ensuring his players enjoyed themselves. … That’s what comes from a 50-33 triumph over Syracuse in East Rutherford, New Jersey. … inside the locker room, there was hooting … hollering … dancing. … shouting and laughing. If Kelly wanted his team to find some enjoyment in their hard work and sacrifice, he absolutely saw that reaction on Saturday.
Notre Dame’s win over Syracuse was punctuated by a fast start and explosive offense; a defense that made strides and took care of business, including with tackles-for-loss; and a team effort through the air with receptions by ten players.
… Notre Dame started insanely fast. … less than five minutes into the contest Notre Dame had run four offensive plays and led 23-13. … The Irish generally held Orange receiving star Amba Etta-Tawo in check. …. Kelly wanted his defense to get a sense for the pace and then find a way to settle in — and the Irish did just that. … Notre Dame took over the football game in the third period because the Irish defense held Syracuse to 17, 10, 18 and one yard on the first four Orange possessions after intermission. … the Irish felt like they could shut down the the Syracuse run game — and that happened. … Kizer completed passes to 10 different receivers, Josh Adams quietly and effectively ran for 102 yards of his own (and had 52 receiving yards) — and the defense responded with seven tackles for lost yardage and a Nyles Morgan sack.
Click here for “Sunday Brunch: Kelly Demands a Little Fun — and Gets It”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame’s re-energized defense holds off Syracuse” – South Bend Tribune
… Notre Dame defensive players, bullied on the field and bashed off it for the first four weeks of the season, single-mindedly pushed for new defensive coordinator Greg Hudson to sing the Fight Song in the jubilant postgame aftermath of Saturday’s 50-33 subduing of Syracuse …. ‘He brought an energy to the team, a new type of leadership,’ Notre Dame middle linebacker Nyles Morgan offered. ‘And guys really bought into how he coaches and what he coaches.’ … But the question that lingered and mixed with the euphoria … was all about sustainability. …
Brian Kelly is looking for Notre Dame to tap into a number of players to contribute.
‘We’ve got a lot of depth,’ Kelly said. ‘We’ve got a lot of really good players that deserve to get on the field, and that’s the kind of defense this is going to be. There are going to be a lot of players playing in this defense. There’s a lot to do, but I thought it was a good start.’
Click here for South Bend Tribune ND Insider: “Notre Dame’s re-energized defense holds off Syracuse”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame finds a fix in week of chaos” – South Bend Tribune ND Insider
…. A firing. A defensive overhaul. A 1-3 record. A crisis of confidence and execution. … the Irish persevered. … As the top executive in the Notre Dame athletic department, athletic director Jack Swarbrick had a vested stake in the upheaval. Kelly said he came to Swarbrick with his decision to fire VanGorder …. ‘My message, publicly and privately, is the (football) program is in great shape,’ Swarbrick said after the victory. ‘When there are big program problems, that’s harder to deal with. When you just have to start playing as well as you can, it’s a narrower search. “How do we fix that?” My basic message (after the firing) was: 90 percent of what we’ve got here is not broken. I’m confident, you should be confident. Let’s focus on the few things that are (broken). They did this week.’
Click here for South Bend Tribune ND Insider: “Notre Dame finds a fix in week of chaos”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame Bounces Back” – Blue and Gold Illustrated
Blue and Gold Illustrated reports on Notre Dame’s defensive improvement against Syracuse, following a change in defensive coordinators.
… though the 50-33 #NotreDame win over Syracuse … featured plenty of room for improvement on defense, it was a step in the right direction. Syracuse’s high-powered offense started fast …. But some halftime adjustments proved crucial, and the Irish limited the Orange to just six second-half points. … Kelly fired third-year defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder before preparation for Syracuse’s uptempo offense started. He was pleased with the team’s response. …
Meanwhile, Notre Dame quarterback Deshone Kizer had a strong first half, but Brian Kelly looked for improvement in some of Kizer’s situational decisionmaking.
Offensively, junior quarterback DeShone Kizer had another career day for the Irish. … 23 of 35 passes for a personal-best 471 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. … though Kizer put up huge numbers en route to a 33-27 halftime advantage — he had 170 yards and two touchdowns through the game’s opening period — Kelly said he liked his quarterback’s second-half performance even better. ‘He has a tendency to want to do too much,’ said Kelly. ‘He puts too much pressure on himself. He’s got to stop doing that. What I liked about him in the second half was he dropped the ball down, took the easy completions, made the smart decisions, He needs to continue to do that.’
Click here for Blue and Gold Illustrated: “Notre Dame Bounces Back”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame trying to simplify its defense” – Chicago Tribune
… Brian Kelly somewhat simplif[ied] Notre Dame’s defense since he dismissed defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder … [he also played] a lot of freshmen. … Troy Pride Jr. became the 13th freshman to play for Notre Dame this season, a high for Kelly since he joined the Irish in 2010. Pride was one of four freshmen in Notre Dame’s secondary at one point Saturday. Kelly vowed to become more involved with the defense during practice to help interim coordinator Greg Hudson. ‘It’s really a short-term approach,’ Kelly said. ‘It’s, “Let’s put these guys in a position to succeed this year, utilizing a lot of young players, gaining experience as we go and being smarter about utilizing our personnel.”‘” … Kelly hopes … it [also] could pay dividends in the future.
On another note, Notre Dame running back Tarean Folston was out against Syracuse after a turned ankle, yet he will be back for North Carolina State.
Kelly said Folston turned his ankle during practice and he’s optimistic Folston, who suffered a season-ending injury in last year’s opener, will play Saturday against North Carolina State. ‘He wanted to give it a shot,’ Kelly said. ‘But he was just not even close to being able to.’
Click here for Chicago Tribune: “Notre Dame trying to simplify its defense”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame-Syracuse 2016: Yet Another Challenge for Irish Defense” – und.com/John Heisler
… the fast-paced Orange offense ranks seventh nationally (and leads the Atlantic Coast Conference) in averaging 371.8 passing yards per game (and also averages 496.5 yards in total offense per week). … [the] new Irish defensive coordinator is Greg Hudson. … Bank on plenty of eyeballs being affixed to the action at MetLife when the Irish defense takes the field. … Irish coach Brian Kelly has played it close to the vest this week when it comes to detailing potential changes. … the numbers say the 2016 Irish defense to date ranks 103rd nationally in total defense (454.0 yards allowed per game), 96th in rushing defense (201.0), 87th in passing yards allowed (253.0) and 101st in scoring defense (33.5). The Irish rank 126th in team sacks and 100th in turnover margin. Even with all that, Notre Dame’s three defeats have come by a combined 14 points (4.7 per game). One loss came in double overtime, and the Irish arguably had late opportunities in all three contests to potentially change the outcome. ….
Click here for und.com/John Heisler: “Notre Dame-Syracuse 2016: Yet Another Challenge for Irish Defense”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Requirements for Notre Dame’s Next Defensive Coordinator” – UHND
Brian Kelly will be forced to make the most important hire of his Notre Dame tenure in the near future as he looks to find a permanent replacement to former defensive coordinator Brian Vangorder. … here’s a run down of the requirements …. Defensive Coordinator Experience …. Big Program Experience …. NFL Assistant Need Not Apply …. Relentless Recruiting Acumen …. A DC Who Can Make More With Less …. A 4-3 Defensive Philosophy …. Outside the Brian Kelly Coaching Tree …. The Ying to Mike Sanford’s Yang ….
Click here for UHND: “Requirements for Notre Dame’s Next Defensive Coordinator”
IRISH NEWSLINK Blue and Gold Illustrated: “Greg Hudson In Audition As New Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator”
IRISH NEWSLINK und.com: “Van Gorder Relieved of Duties; Hudson Assumes Responsibilities”
IRISH NEWSLINK Purdue Exponent: “Former Purdue coach assumes DC role at Notre Dame”
NEWSLINK WNDU: “Brian #VanGorder fired as #NotreDame defensive coordinator”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Beyond the spin cycle of Notre Dame’s defensive woes” – South Bend Tribune NDInsider
… Michigan State … gashed the Irish for 260 rushing yards and 501 yards in total offense. … The statistical snapshot, one fourth of the way into the regular season, features a high-water mark of 89th nationally out of 128 in any significant defensive category. … 103rd in pass-efficiency defense, 102nd in total defense, 94th in scoring defense, 100th in tackles for loss, 89th in third-down defense, 104th in fourth-down defense, 93rd in red zone defense, 89th in turnovers gained, and — most alarming — 99th in rush defense (198.7 yards allowed per game). … Nevada, ND’s Sept. 10 opponent, and the Irish share the statistical bottom in the team sacks category. Neither one of them has recorded a single one yet.
Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder has some stats that are weaker than defensive stats under former DC Bob Diaco, as well as Charlie Weis and Ty Willingham:
… Saturday night marked the sixth time in the VanGorder Era than an opponent surpassed 500 yards in total offense and the 12th time it blew past the 200-yard rushing mark. … that’s 41.4 percent of the games VanGorder has presided over [with] 200 or more rushing yards recorded by the opponent, and 20.7 percent in which 500 total yards were reached.
Under Bob Diaco, VanGorder’s predecessor … those percentages were 23.1 and 5.8, respectively. In former head coach Charlie Weis’ five seasons, they were 25.8 and 6.5 percent, respectively, 10.8 and 8.1 in Tyrone Willingham’s three seasons and 18.3 and 1.7 in Bob Davie’s five-year run.
Click here for South Bend Tribune NDInsider: “Beyond the spin cycle of Notre Dame’s defensive woes”
NEWSLINK Irish247: “Notre Dame head coach continues to support VanGorder”
NEWSLINK Irish247: “Brian Kelly responds to his like of tweet suggesting he fire DC
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Brian Kelly defends Brian VanGorder, says staffer liked tweet by mistake” – ESPN
As for whether he is confident in VanGorder, whose unit ranks 104th in total defense through three games — after finishing 37th and 69th in 2015 and 2014, respectively — Kelly is standing behind his [Defensive Coordinator]. …
‘Oh, absolutely. Yeah, without question. That’s not even part of the conversation’ …. ‘It’s really about the fundamentals of defense. … I mean, this is not rocket science what we’re talking about here. These are plays that we’ve got to continue to work on and fundamentally get better at. There’s not a question about scheme. There’s not a question about who’s leading it with Brian. This is about coaching, communicating and teaching the fundamentals and getting our young players, those that don’t have a lot of experience, better at execution.’
Click here for ESPN: “Brian Kelly defends Brian VanGorder, says staffer liked tweet by mistake”