Al Golden says linebackers showing Notre Dame football's 'bigger picture'

While the Notre Dame football team’s offense has had a rather up and down season so far, Al Golden’s defense has been pretty much exactly what Fighting Irish fans expected. Even in the loss against Northern Illinois, there were reasons to be optimistic about the DC’s unit.

Chief among the reasons why there’s plenty of optimism in South Bend after the Purdue blowout is the linebacker corps. That despite the fact that quite a few of the guys that make up that room are still pretty young. 

Speaking earlier this week, Golden talked about how happy he was about the way the linebackers, especially the young ones did against the Boilermakers. The Notre Dame football team is showing some things it’s not clear even Golden expected this soon. In particular, they’re showing versatility that’s going to go a long way as the season unfolds.

“We like the linebackers being versatile and being able to play a multitude of positions,” Golden told the media. “It leads into the bigger picture of we’re not: he’s Mike, he’s Will, he’s Sam. We don’t really believe in that. That part of it’s good. Obviously, to have the intelligence that they do and the preparation that they put in really helps.”

Notre Dame football’s Al Golden knows the linebackers see the bigger picture

“They really got better as the game went on,” Golden added. “Especially those young guys that went in late in the third or into the fourth.”

That of course, is big for most coaches. Finding a way to build up depth. Finding a way to get the backups enough playing time that they can eventually become starters. That’s one reason why the 66-7 win over Purdue was so important to Golden.

“It’s always tricky as a coach. Who do you sub for? Who do you play? We just had so many young guys that needed those reps, and we got better doing it. We really improved in the second half as the game went on.”

This week, the Notre Dame football team faces off against a Miami team that might be 0-2 but went 11-3 a year ago. Golden might need that depth and what the young linebackers learned so far this season as one of his weapons.