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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 18, 2015Nick MartinSouth Bend, Indiana An interview with: NICK MARTIN THE MODERATOR: All right, folks, Nick Martin is here. We can open the floor up for questions. Q. How does their defense compare with what you've seen clearly? With their front seven, it's going to be a battle up front with you guys. NICK MARTIN: Yeah, absolutely, they don't do a lot but what they do they're good at. They have controlled defense, they like to move around. They're tough players. They play the whole play. And they're older, too, which really helps. They've been in that system for a few years now. Q. For a gap-control defense, they have an astounding amount of tackles for loss. Is that just them playing their scheme so well? Is it that those four to five guys that are exceptional players? NICK MARTIN: Yeah, absolutely. Obviously they will blitz and they have their change-ups. But it does. I mean, they're good at what they do. That's tough to block. Q. Are you guys concerned about the hit-or-miss approach of the running game? You're getting so many big plays out of the running game, but there are also a lot of minimal gains along the way. Is it something that is part of the learning process with young tight ends, young running backs, or is it something that you can control going forward? NICK MARTIN: We just try to -- our philosophy is to take one play at a time, especially the offensive line and keep grinding. Not every play is going to be a "big chunk" play, but if you can keep grinding you find your spots. Q. DeShone's ability to call out protections in games, how has that gone from week 2 against Virginia to where it is now, and what sort of -- Coach Kelly talked about his retention ability. So if he makes one mistake, he doesn't make it again. How has that progressed in that manner? NICK MARTIN: He does a great job with that. That's a huge attribute of a football player -- once you see one thing, it's not going to get you again. He does a great job of reading protection the right, so he knows he's protected. Or if there are more blitz's than blockers, you know who he's hot off and get the ball off quick. And he's done a great job with that. Q. Even if you don't specifically tell him, hey, you missed this one, if you're calling something out, you know, on a play and then you know, a couple of plays later he notices the same thing, even with you not directly telling him, is that something he's been able to do? NICK MARTIN: Absolutely. We all help when we see, we will be in there and we'll watch blitz tapes and protections together, without the coaches, so we can try to get in each other's heads. Q. Nick, staying with DeShone, how have you -- since he started, what's the biggest uptick in confidence that you've seen in the way he carries himself on the field? NICK MARTIN: He's very comfortable, which is huge. I think he's found his voice, which no matter what age you are when you are a quarterback, people are going to look to you, look to you to make plays and look to you be to be the guy to lean on. And he's done a great job with that. Q. With the voice specifically, have you been able to tell a difference in the way he commands himself and the way his confidence comes out through the way he communicates with you guys? NICK MARTIN: He's naturally a comfortable person and naturally a leader. And he's stepped in right away and had that. But I think it's just progressively gotten better since then. Q. Nick, when you've seen film of BC, how have offenses tried to attack their defense? NICK MARTIN: You know, they try to -- they twist a lot and stunt when the single-backer blitzes, and people maybe go more lateral. You've got to get your hands on them and be able to push that forward and change your line of scrimmage with your back to the hole and make a run. Q. It seems on the surface you would try to attack them outside of the hash marks? NICK MARTIN: Uh-huh. They like to force everything inside and set the edge, make their linebackers make plays. And with teams like that you have to be able to both go inside and -- you've obviously got to be able to run inside, just as every game, but also outside is a big part of the game. Q. So why haven't people been able to spread them out and attack them inside? NICK MARTIN: They're a good defense. They know they're responsibility, they trust each other, and they do their job. Q. You might be on the run a little bit this week? NICK MARTIN: Uh-huh. Q. I wanted to ask you earlier in the season you lost Tarean and then Malik. Was there any point where you guys said, Can there be anything else happen to us? NICK MARTIN: Tough losses. Always is. But at the same time, it's part of the game. With Coach Kelly's next man mentality, people bought into that. That's huge. When you buy into what Coach preaches and believes in, and you have a team like this who fight together, that's how you get past it. Q. I guess the lessons that that shows you, and maybe you've known those lessons since you were a little kid or been brought up that way, but to just keep plugging away and working hard and good things happen, I guess? NICK MARTIN: Absolutely. And that's what this team does. They fight together; they keep plugging away, like you said. And that's shown and that's proven that's a good thing to happen. Q. Just being in the top four, and knowing that there are other teams right behind you, does that keep you guys focused? In years past, maybe you're out of the national championship hunt and you're playing to get into the best bowl game possible. But you guys are right in the thick of things. NICK MARTIN: We are. Our team has a vision, and we have a mission we want to accomplish, and we see it. But right now we have to focus on BC, and that's what we have to do to complete that mission. Q. Where are you physically at this stage of the season, ten weeks in? I'm not going to ask you for an inventory of your injuries, but what it's like ten weeks into the season, the toll that the pounding takes on your body? NICK MARTIN: Personally I feel great. With our strength and conditioning staff and our medical staff, they do an unbelievable job. Obviously every team has bumps and bruises. It's week ten. It's football. You hit, you hit during the week. And that's no surprise. It's no different for any other team. Everyone is banged up. Q. I find it kinda interesting playing week after week, how do you feel better in week ten than maybe you did in week seven or week five? NICK MARTIN: The little things. Once you get to a certain point -- it goes back to nutrition, what you eat, take care of your body more, get more sleep. You take advantage of the lifts that you have. Little things that add up. Q. So you can overcome certain injuries even while you're playing on a weekly basis? NICK MARTIN: Absolutely. It goes back to Coach Kelly's attention to detail. You spend more time in the training room taking care of little things to make you feel overall better. Q. In terms of time in the weight room, how many times do you actually get in there a week during the season? NICK MARTIN: We lift twice a week in the morning during the season. And you really got to take advantage of those. Especially now because you have to keep your strength up, if not gain, which we do in our program. Q. Are you going as heavy as you normally would -- you can't possibly be going as heavy as you will in the off-season. NICK MARTIN: Coach Longo has his programs, and we do different things at different times of the year. Q. Nick, I had a question regarding Coach Kelly. You mentioned how everybody has bought into his "next man up" approach, but how have you seen him in the time that you've been with him, who have you seen him evolve as a coach from the time that he stood on the sidelines in the 2012 Championship game to now in terms of developing this team? NICK MARTIN: I think he's done a great job. And obviously it's been the program now where he has all of his players who he recruits. So everyone fits in the system. If a man goes down, you know what he can do, what he's capable of, and he's going to fit in the system. Everybody believes in that person coming in. Q. Were you recruited by him? NICK MARTIN: I was. Q. What was that like for you, when he told you his concept and his vision for his program? NICK MARTIN: You know, I was fortunate to have a brother in his program and already knew his ideals and the philosophies. And he was bought in, and that was enough for me. Q. What did your brother tell you about him as a coach? NICK MARTIN: I remember one of the first things he told me is he believed he would take Notre Dame to a National Championship. Q. And here you are now, going to Fenway Park. Do you see a pep in his step this week, knowing that he's coming home? NICK MARTIN: I always think that's very cool. A lot of us have been able to play in our hometowns. And we're very fortunate like that. Notre Dame plays all over. He does a good job of preparing the same each week, but I think obviously it's probably a little bit more special to him. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Nick. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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