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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 27, 2017Greer MartiniSouth Bend, Indiana Q. What's the reason you think the team has made the changes with the turnover ratio improved? What kind of things are you guys doing in practice that maybe you weren't doing last year that has helped you in that category? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, so every practice we have a period that's dedicated to turnovers called the turnover circuit, so every single day we're practicing, so it's become kind of engrained in what we do, and I think that's helped a lot. Q. I know you guys treat every game the same, but considering how the game against Michigan State unfolded, a pretty thorough physical handling of them over 60 minutes, do you think that that performance can be a demarcation for this program or something that can be carried over moving forward? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, I think so. Definitely when you beat a good opponent like that, that can transfer over, and we want to continue to treat each Saturday like we approached the Michigan State game. We were ready for that game, and I think going forward we're going to prepare like that for each and every week. Q. And I know every team, every coach wants to -- no letdowns, same level of enthusiasm from one week to the next. You've played three straight physical teams, and obviously expended a lot of emotional energy last week. Realistically, how do you carry that over? What are the buttons that you push in order to achieve that? GREER MARTINI: So I think reach week you've kind of got to take a deep breath after each Saturday. Coach Kelly stood up in front of us and said, hey, take a deep breath, this was on Monday, and then we've got to get back after it. So just kind of putting all that, getting all those emotions, it's just like a high stakes game, and then just to kind of take a quick breath, and now we've got to get back after it. Q. We just asked Nyles about the defensive line and what they've done up to this point. It was pointed out that the top four linebackers, including Drew at rover, are the top four tacklers, so obviously you guys are getting some pretty good run fits from that D-line. GREER MARTINI: Yeah, I think the D-line has done an amazing job. It's allowed us to make more plays this year and us to be more effective, so the D-line has done an amazing job at that, and also, too, it's our job as a linebacking corps to take double teams off them quickly so they can be productive, as well, so it goes both ways. Q. Can you notice a significant difference in the ability to get the run fits, the ability not to or to be able to avoid offensive linemen in your face which obviously makes your job very difficult? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, I think that just knowing where you've got to be and doing it quick doesn't allow you all that time to get blocked, and I thought at times in the past it had been like kind of buzzing our feet, not really knowing where we needed to be. So this scheme allows us to play fast, and we kind of just fit the gaps, and that allows us at times to go out and block. Q. I know I'm asking you to go back a few years, it was a challenge for Nyles, but when you were being recruited by Notre Dame, who were the main assistant coaches that recruited you, and who made the greatest impression on you? GREER MARTINI: So my recruiting was Coach Booker, who's no longer here, but he came to visit me at Woodbury Forest multiple times, and he was kind of the main guy that kind of came each and every year and kind of got me to Notre Dame. Q. Anybody else maybe during a visit or something that made a strong impression on you? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, so when Coach Diaco came to my school, as well, and that was a big impression. He came to like a spring practice and just interacting with him was a big influence on why I came here. Q. What do you see from the Miami quarterback that makes him such a challenge and makes him so talented? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, I think that he's a smart kid, can run the ball, is athletic, and I think he makes a lot of really good decisions. Q. Do you think he's, from what you're seeing, the best quarterback you'll have to go up against so far this year? GREER MARTINI: I think that we've seen a lot of good quarterbacks. I can't really tell you it's the best quarterback we've seen, but he's a good quarterback, that's for sure. Q. And then through four weeks with the defense, obviously the turnovers have been so huge that we've talked about, but what are the other areas of growth that you've seen from you guys from the start of the season? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, so I think that I've talked about this before, but I just think from a level of confidence, I think the defense itself just is playing a lot faster and trusting each other, playing one as 11, and just kind of doing your job because the guy beside you is doing his job. Q. How does that carry over when that confidence continues to build each week? How does that help you guys as you get to the next game? GREER MARTINI: So I think it frees you up to make more plays, so once you know where you're supposed to be, then when you get there, you can improvise and get to the ball because you know where you're supposed to be, so you're not worrying about your assignment as much as making a play. Q. Obviously you guys have done very well on the road the last couple weeks, but are you looking forward to being back at home this week? GREER MARTINI: Yeah, I think the guys can't wait. I love playing in our stadium. It's going to be an exciting game. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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