Five Takeaways From Brian Kelly Pre-Temple Press Conference

Brian Kelly met with the media prior to Notre Dame’s opening game against Temple. Here are five takeaways from Kelly’s Tuesday press conference:

Brian Kelly Prepared if Temple Plays Multiple Quarterbacks

Temple Head Coach Geoff Collins may play up to four Quarterbacks when the Owls visit South Bend on Saturday. Kelly believes his defense stands prepared to meet the challenge. He told reporters, “You just have to be prepared for football from zone read to the different types of offensive sets.”

Alohi Gilman’s NCAA Waiver Denied

After a significant wait, the NCAA denied Safety Alohi Gilman a waiver. The waiver allows non-graduate transfer player to play immediately without sitting out a season. Kelly said that the football program may appeal the ruling.

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This potentially harms Notre Dame’s secondary. According to the first depth chart, Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko plans to start Junior Nick Coleman and Sophomore Jalen Elliott at the Safety position. Gilman played in 14 games for the Midshipmen in 2016. He tallied 76 tackles, a total that ranked 2nd on the team.

Gilman failed to make a significant impact on the Notre Dame defense during camp. The coaching staff likely held back the Safety from Laie, Hawaii due to the uncertainty surrounding his eligibility.

The Three-Headed Monster in the Backfield

Brian Kelly believes that Josh Adams, Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr. “all have futures to play past this level.” Kelly plans to play the “hot-hand” but also plans to play all Running Backs to keep them fresh.

In 2013, Notre Dame relied on three Running Backs including George Atkinson, Cam McDaniel, Amir Carlisle and Tarean Folston. The group only achieved moderate success because the players failed to get into a rhythm. The Irish coaching staff needs to prevent this from happening in 2017.

A Healthy Rotation

“11 guys playing 85 snaps is not the defense that we are about,” claimed Brian Kelly when asked about how players would be substituted on defense. Trumbetti, Coney, Crawford, Vaughn, Hinish, Tagovailoa-Amosa all figure to factor into the rotation on a weekly basis.

The Irish coaching staff played a ton of players when the season was lost in 2017. If Notre Dame’s season hangs in the balance, will this coaching staff hold true to its promise to rotate frequently on defense?

Lonely and Quiet Press Box

Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko and Quarterbacks Coach Tommy Rees represent the only members of the Notre Dame staff that will coach the game from the press box. Offensive Coordinator Chip Long plans to coach from the sidelines.

Fans discuss where a coach views the game from too much. If the coach paces the sidelines, fans believe that the coach inspires his players because of his ability to communicate directly. If the coach takes a bird’s eye view of the field, he better grasps the difference schemes and concepts of the game. Frankly, both approaches work in their own ways.

Next: Kelly Needs Eight Wins To Return As Coach in 2018

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Five Takeaways From Brian Kelly’s Pre-Temple Press Conference

By Andrew Hall | Aug 29, 2017