Notre Dame football: “There will be personnel changes”

For Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame football team, a 1-3 start is about as bad as it gets. After Saturday’s loss to Duke, Kelly sent a clear message to his squad.

If you are a Notre Dame football fan, it goes without saying that this season has not lived up to expectations. Not many thought the Irish were legitimate title contenders, but even fewer thought they would perform this poorly. Among the most disappointed is clearly Brian Kelly.

After Notre Dame lost to Duke on Saturday, Kelly had some strong words in his postgame press conference. Not holding any punches, Kelly said the players on this team are not performing to the standards he expects of them. He went on to say that all 22 starting positions are up for evaluation. Perhaps most shocking to fans was Kelly’s stance that the Irish did not lose yesterday due to poor coaching.

You can watch Kelly’s full postgame press conference here:

While Kelly’s words were certainly abrasive to some, I find it particularly hard to disagree with much of what Kelly is saying here. Last week, after a 36-28 loss to Michigan State, Kelly took much of the blame for his team’s poor performance. Saturday, Kelly sang a different tune. When asked about what an evaluation for all 22 starters meant, Kelly was blunt: “Oh yeah. There will be personnel changes. Absolutely.”

Kelly went on to mention that he was actually pleased with the coaching on the defensive side of the ball before again touching on the fact that no current starter’s position is safe:

“Every position — all 22 of them — will be evaluated. Each and every position. There is no position that is untouchable on this football team. That’s the quarterback all the way down to… maybe the long-snapper’s okay. Everybody else is vulnerable.”

With all the defensive struggles the Irish have had this season, the coaching leadership and the defensive scheme has been called in to question. On Saturday, the Irish didn’t lose because of a bad scheme. The Irish lost because of bad execution by personnel.

A play late in the first quarter was indicative of poor execution: Duke was at Notre Dame’s 18-yard line in a second-and-1 situation. Running back Jela Duncan got the handoff and ran right. Freshman safety Devin Studstill rushed too quickly and found himself too close to the line of scrimmage, unable to find the ball carrier. Seeing Studstill vacated his normal area, Duncan simply cut off a block and went untouched to the endzone.

Studstill made the same error on Michigan State’s 68-yard touchdown run just one week prior. It is understandable that Kelly wants to pull his hair out.

However, the most concerning part of this football team has nothing to do coaching, missed assignments or anything of the sort. According to Kelly, this Irish football team lacks energy and life. In his postgame game press conference, Kelly was only able to cite one player, Dexter Williams, who he thought played with adequate passion and energy.

Kelly hinted at a new attitude going forward. Players who show the passion and desire fans expect out of a Notre Dame football player will be the ones who see the field.

Next: Irish defense struggles again in Duke loss

Many wonder whether Kelly’s words will cause his players to tune him out. However, it’s hard to imagine that Kelly won’t be able to find 22 players who are dying to play football for one of the world’s greatest universities. Expectations for this team have certainly changed since the beginning of the season. Rest assured, though, that this Irish team will continue to grow, even if there are a few bumps along the road.