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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 14, 2015

Matthias Farley

South Bend, Indiana

Q. Coach Kelly was commenting on last year's game against USC and he basically said that that team wasn't mentally and physically tough enough at that point of the season in order to play well in that game, but he assured that this year's team is mentally and physically tough enough. What has changed? Why is this team in that position?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Well, I think we have a lot of guys, obviously going into last year's game against SC we were real banged up, a lot of guys were out. We had a lot of true freshmen playing that had never played in that environment, never played in that game before. I think this year everyone is more prepared and you've got guys that have a lot more experience and guys who are healthy.

Q. What about in terms of every team has its own identity and leadership; is the identity and leadership of this team a cut above?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it is from last year, and I think that guys have bought in from freshmen to fifth years, and everyone has a common goal and everyone is striving to achieve it.

Q. Going back to the game on Saturday, I don't know if you heard about this, one of the announcers, I believe he called you the champion trash talker of the secondary. I had a feeling he was mixing you up with somebody else, or was that accurate?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I mean, I didn't hear that. I don't know.

Q. I know, but are you a guy that normally engages --
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I like to have friendly conversations from time to time. (Laughter.)

Q. And then last thing, and correct me if I'm wrong on this, as well, the two long runs by Ezell, their big fullback, from watching I got the sense that you had difficulty finding him behind their line of scrimmage, you personally.
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Right, yeah.

Q. Was that true, because he's kind of squat?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: He would get lost in the wash there, and you're coming down to key in the A-back, and if nobody touches the fullback by the time you get over there, he's going to be out.

Q. Matthias, Coach Kelly has talked about he'd like to see the secondary be more aggressive. What does more aggressive mean to you guys?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Well, it's just coming down, making hits, and tackles for loss. You know, playing the ball very aggressively in the air, really going after receivers, going after the ball when it's in the air, and just attacking in all phases.

Q. And from a defensive standpoint, after you play Navy, there's been talk about a Navy hangover. How tough is it to play the next game after that physical contest against Navy?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: There's always a recovery factor, but I think having gone through that earlier this year with Georgia Tech, guys are a little bit more used to it, I guess you could say, or kind of accustomed to that transition after an option week. So I think having played Georgia Tech earlier has definitely been beneficial moving forward to this week.

Q. Coach Kelly talked about how last year Sheldon maybe was a little more hesitant to speak up in his captain role, and this year that's kind of been the big difference with him is now he's really being vocal as a leader. What have you seen between last year and this year and the differences?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it's just being comfortable in the leadership role. I don't know this, but I mean, I think being a junior, he might have felt like he couldn't speak up because there were guys older than him potentially. I don't know that, so don't quote me or anything like that, but I think it's just being more comfortable and understanding that guys, the way we look to him last year we look to him this year but even more so, and just really growing and becoming more comfortable himself and speaking up, and he's done an incredible job with the D-line and with the entire team. Everyone looks to him, and I think he's embraced that role of leadership.

Q. Is it something where he's speaking more on the field, on the practice field or in the locker room or both?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it's across the board. Sheldon is always going to be heard. If he has something to say, he'll say it. He picks people out, he'll call you out, he'll do everything you expect a great leader to do, whether it be on the field or off of it.

Q. Matthias, I assume the revenge factor for anything is overblown and it's a fan and media thing. Do you get a little of it this week, not that that's the key point of the game for you, but do you get a little of it, considering how the game went last year against USC?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I don't know if it's revenge, I think it's just getting that -- not letting last year affect this year more than anything and focusing on this is an entirely different team, this is an entirely different season, and just -- we don't like USC, USC doesn't like us. There's no secret about that whatsoever. I think it's just being ready and being prepared for a 15-round fight.

Q. Was it basically brought up once by Brian Kelly, remember what happened last year but that's not this year so you move on?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Absolutely. I mean, last year was something nobody wants to look back on, and no one looks back on fondly, so I think it's just taking that step and moving forward.

Q. How do you help a player, especially at your position, that struggles a little bit when you kind of expect more from him, or a player -- like Max Redfield had a great game against Clemson and then he was removed from the game against Navy. Obviously the wrist has impacted his season a little. How do you help a guy like that or in general a position mate kind of through tough times?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Max is one of my good friends, and there's other guys, too, but it's really just trying to take it one step at a time and not get too up or not get too down, whether you play well or play poorly. It's just a process, and to really buy into the process and not let one performance change you too much, kind of stay even keel, and then you see the potential you do have after playing incredible games, and you just kind of build on that consistency and try and be more consistent.

Q. Does it kind of change it that a player like that has had success in the past? If you're lacking depth you may have to bring along a guy that hasn't had success, but Max obviously has. Is it more of a challenge almost that he has had success and you've got to bring him back to that level?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I don't know if it's more of a challenge. I think it's just an understanding that he does have that potential, and then once you do show you have potential, especially that much potential that you need to play to it, and I think he's been very, very locked in. He was locked in all last week. He's locked in all this week. So I think he's just becoming -- it's not just Max, it's all of us need to get more consistent in our play.

Q. Matthias, in terms of just that Navy hangover effect, the fact that you were so prepared this year as a defense, do you think that lessens that at all, that you didn't have an offensive tackle hitting a safety in an ear hole because he didn't see him coming, you guys had a better handle on it this year so you come out healthier?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think so, maybe to an extent, but at the same time we play Navy every year and it's one of those things you have to deal with. It's a very physical game every time you play a triple option team because of the way it's played, so I don't know if it's a hangover. I don't necessarily agree with it being a hangover, but I think it's definitely something that guys have to recover from and then just keep on keeping on.

Q. You've been getting some questions about USC last year, but in some ways is Clemson more relevant to this team in terms of the response, adversity, playing against a really talented team in terms of how you handle that, how you sort of keep it together?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it's just focusing on one opponent at a time. We can't sit and look at SC from last year because they're different team, we're a different team, and then also Clemson; we can't let Clemson have a huge effect on us at all moving forward.

Q. I guess I just mean that more in terms of learning what didn't go well there and making sure that you guys are --
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I mean, as a defense we have to start faster, obviously, and can't have mistakes in any phase of the ballgame. Got to protect the ball, can't turn the ball over on special teams. There's a lot of things we could do better, but I think we could have learned that from any opponent; we've just got to start faster across the board.

Q. How would you sort of evaluate KeiVarae's comeback here, getting up to speed? BK has mentioned a couple times that it's not easy to just not play for a year and then pick up exactly where you left off; there's a little bit of a rebuilding process. How do you think he's sort of managed that in terms of his own expectations, which are obviously really high?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think he's managed it well. It's hard to speak to it because I've never taken that amount of time off, but even just coming back from injury or something small, you come back and you rest a year going from the season to spring ball, the rust has to get knocked off. Especially with that in mind, I think he's done an incredible job of refocusing and really buying in and taking extra time to watch film, or he's always there after practice doing extra drills.

It's no secret KeiVarae wants to be great and is great and has the potential to, and he's going to work his tail off to achieve that.

Q. Matthias, what makes Cody Kessler a really good quarterback?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: His level of experience. That's big. He has a lot of weapons around him. He has an incredible arm. He's smart. He protects the ball. He fits the ball in tight windows and he really commands and understands that offense. It's that and just him having a lot of comfortability and experience.

Q. And going back to Sheldon, can you just -- his on-the-field performance this year, how integral has that been for you guys and the amount of plays he's making for you guys right now?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it's huge. I think Sheldon is probably playing his best football. I think Coach alluded to that probably. You know, he's playing with his hair on fire, and I think that's infectious for the D-line. It's infectious for the front seven. I think it's something that our defense really pulls a lot of energy from because Sheldon has been balling. I think it's big for him, obviously, but I think it's really, really big for us.

Q. And can you ever hear his mom from the stands?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Yeah, you can. You absolutely can. "That's my baby." You can hear her. "Go, Baby." It's no secret when she's here.

Q. There's been a lot of questions as far as the secondary goes. Coach Kelly said you guys need to be more consistent. When you're taking on a team with guys like Cody Kessler and Ju-Ju Smith, do you feel like this is maybe a week where you guys can silence some of those questions and maybe give some answers, I guess?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Yeah, absolutely. I think that each week is an opportunity to play more consistently as a secondary, and what better way to do it than go against some incredible competition in USC or whoever it may be, but it really is just becoming more consistent week in and week out no matter who we're playing and trusting each other that you're going to do your job because everything does fit when everything is doing the right thing in the secondary. So I think it's a great opportunity for us.

Q. And I know you probably don't pay attention to any of the stuff they're going through right now, but as a player when adversity hits, how much juice do you get from just being able to focus on football and maybe tuning all the other stuff, all the other questions out?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I think it definitely draws you closer. I mean, when a lot of noise or anything is going on outside of you, it's important that you really draw close to each other and pull together. I don't know if it's a bunch of juice, but it's definitely an added dose of focus.

Q. You talked about fast starts. Against Texas, Virginia and Georgia Tech, you guys came out and dominated the first two series with a couple three-and-outs. Clemson and Navy kind of got you for touchdowns. I know your focus isn't different going into any of these games. Do you notice a common theme when you guys have a fast start versus when another team hits first?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I can't pinpoint one thing specifically. I think everyone goes in the game focused and with the right mindset, but I think it just goes to show that you can't have any lapse whatsoever, even if it's tiny, because all these teams we're going to play, they're incredibly talented, and if you let your guard down, they're going to move the ball on you.

Q. Coach has sometimes talked about adjusting to the speed of a game. Do you notice that when -- did Clemson seem faster until you settled in, or obviously Navy is a different animal than other teams, but did Clemson all of a sudden seem faster and then you just settled in and you're adjusted to their speed?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: I honestly can't answer that. Yeah. Sorry.

Q. I was curious with Elijah, he was talking about how because he's not naturally a vocal guy, it took him some time to be more vocal in the back of the secondary. Have you seen a change from him compared to when he started as a starter?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Yeah, absolutely. He's a lot more confident. He's a lot more demonstrative in his communication. I think he understands the game a lot more and his defense really, really well, so I think it obviously helps to speak up when you know you're 100 percent right, you're not second-guessing yourself, and I think also he's just been playing really well, so that gives him more confidence. He sees things and reacts faster and makes checks quicker now, especially from when he started. It's just like an awesome thing to watch and a great development of him in the last couple years of just settling in and becoming more comfortable.

Q. Do you think that's the biggest key for him in being able to settle down and be so steady?
MATTHIAS FARLEY: Yeah. I mean, he's just comfortable. I think when you're comfortable and confident it allows you to play a lot faster and not second-guess yourself.

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