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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 28, 2018

Brian Kelly

South Bend, Indiana

BRIAN KELLY: Good afternoon. My folder, which has all of my notes and breakdowns of my opponent is quite full this week. Michigan is an outstanding football team, it certainly is exciting for our football team to finally get into game week and that game preparation the last few days has been one of managing the focus and concentration, as you kind of flip the switch, if you will and get ready to play somebody. It's been, oh, about eight months since we have played a football game. It seems like a lot of preparation to actually get to a game. So you can imagine our guys are excited about now getting into the game week preparation and playing an outstanding football team in the University of Michigan. Where do I start in certainly from an offensive standpoint you're talking about an offense that returns some very good offensive linemen that have experience. I think they have put the pieces in the right place on the offensive line. Ruiz goes back to center, which is a natural position. Runyan at tackle, I think they have now, where I think they all fit together quite nicely. Certainly two running backs with a lot of Big-Ten experience. Higdon and Evans compliment each other extremely well. I could go on and on. I think everybody has heard the lead up to Michigan. We have a great deal of respect for them, Shea Patterson will come in and run their offense quite well. Again an experienced player in the SEC, very talented, can throw it, he's athletic, can keep plays alive. I think again a guy that will get the football out to some talented players, certainly we're aware of the news reports on Tarik Black and feel terrible for him, but Nico Collins will be a very, very good receiver for them, along with Donovan People-Jones, who we know quite well is a talented, talented receiver. Two very good tight ends who will be featured. So this is an offense with weapons that Patterson will get the ball, disburse the football around and again I think extremely talented and it is certainly one that will pose a great challenge for us. Defensively they have gotten certainly a lot of the recognition in preseason and deservedly so. I think they have got a number of elite players on the defensive side of the ball. Rashan Gary, obviously is one of them. He's certainly not the only one. I think he's complemented quite well in a number of areas on the defensive line -- Winovich -- but it doesn't, it doesn't end there. Solomon -- I mean, I could go down my list, I've got more notes on their defensive line maybe than any group that I've had, other than maybe North Carolina State last year, Georgia, these, those three are groups of defensive linemen that rate out at a high level. Gary is a Chubb like player and we know what kind of player he was last year. I'm not comparing or contrasting, but we know what kind of player he was, taken in the top few picks of the NFL draft. Hudson. I mean, he stood out at all three levels of the defense last year. That's pretty hard to do. Outstanding player. Bush, Furbush, these are really, really good football players and I'm really repeating what probably you already know about an outstanding defense. And the back end, again, outstanding. Hill, Long, great corners, got some depth at the position as well. And they're coached by Donny Brown who I know very well, have a great deal of respect for and what he's accomplished as a defensive coordinator. So great football team, again, a great matchup for us. We're excited about it. This is something that Jim and I wanted to get on the schedule -- and be careful what you wish for -- but I think it's great for college football, we're excited about this matchup, we think it's great for college football and I know our kids and our coaches can't wait for Saturday night. So, with that, I think I probably covered what everybody knows about Michigan. I will say this, we got some really good football players too. Sometimes as you go into these press conferences you forget about the fact that as you give the proper accolades to your opponent, I don't want to forget our football team. We have got a very, very good football team, really proud of the work that our guys have done and we have got some really good football players too and are excited about watching them compete as well.

Q. Is there any player or position on Michigan that has kept you up at night, you lost sleep over trying to figure out how you're going to scout them and stop that position or that player?
BRIAN KELLY: I think in each and every week when you're playing Top-10, top-15 teams, you have to have plans, a plan or plans for guys that can impact the game. There's no question. And so losing sleep, no, I think I've gone through that in my career. I think now you have to have answers. If you're losing sleep you're not doing your job in the sense that you better have answers for guys that can impact the game.

Q. This is the first time this team has played Michigan. You've obviously coached against Michigan before in this type of a rivalry game. Are you trying to relay any message to the players about what it's like playing a Michigan-type team in a rivalry game, things like that?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, so we had some guys that were on this team, obviously in 2015, you I think that was the last time we played them. 2014, excuse me. So we had some guys here in 2014 that did in fact play them. So it's not a distant memory from that perspective. And again, there's a lot of guys that are on our team that are from Michigan, that are aware of them. But they know the University of Michigan and its tradition certainly. So I just think that from a player' standpoint, this gets their attention. They knew who they were playing back in January as they prepared for the game. So it just heightens the excitement that they're playing a marquee game right out of the gates.

Q. With Shea Patterson on their team, with some new offensive coaches I would imagine the possibility of them not being so traditional on offense on certain downs would pop up. How does that affect your recover position who is playing it and is Shayne Simon somebody that you anticipate will see action in the game at that position?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, there's no real identity that has been established from a Michigan offense right now. Add to the mix that it's the first game, it's a new quarterback, you've got a new, Ed Warinner is there, Pep's there, I mean you've got a lot of new pieces that are going to go on here. So I think, not to say that Shayne won't be out on the field, but the last thing you want is a true freshman trying to sort this thing out, too. So he's in the mix certainly, but we're going to have to -- there's going to be some adjustments that need to be made and you want to rely on some guys that have some experience in those situations. Shayne's going to have to be ready, he's prepared to play, but again I think there's certainly going to be those times where we're going to be sorting some things out on the sideline and you would like to rely on some experience in those situations.

Q. Then beyond Chase and Miles Boykin and Chris Finke, you had a lot of kids that seem like vying to get into that rotation. Who ultimately do you feel like made it into that rotation and how deep does that wide receiver rotation go?
BRIAN KELLY: Well I think you're going to see Kevin Austin's going to be part of it, Michael Young's going to be part of that rotation. I think those two guys have proved themselves to be part of it as we move forward. You know that we play three and four tight ends, so I think you have to include that as part of what we do. And then the multiple running back situation. So I wouldn't look just as just being a wide receiver group as much as incorporating tight ends and running backs into all of that being pass receivers and touching the football.

Q. It's been eight months since you played, where are your two safety positions today compared to when you walked off the field eight months ago in the Citrus Bowl?
BRIAN KELLY: In a different place in the sense that I think -- well I know that we are further along in terms of their ability to impact the game at the safety position and where we need them to be for us to play the kind of defense necessary to beat Michigan. Alohi Gilman has been a guy that has changed it immediately and then I think all the other safeties that played for us last year are further ahead from where they were last year. From Jalen Elliott to Nick Coleman, to Devin Studstill to Nicco Fertitta to Houston Griffin. And I really think you may see multiple players and us taking advantage of all of their skill sets on Saturday night.

Q. During media day Mike Elston indicated that he felt like this would be not only the best pass rush since 2012, but potentially better. Which is a big statement. Do you concur with that? What have you seen?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, I'll reel him in from that. This will be the deepest defensive line that I've had at Notre Dame and look, when you can go and play -- and we can play eight on the defensive line without feeling as though we have to cover somebody up -- that's pretty good. And how that impacts what we're doing is that we can stay after you for four quarters when you can go eight deep. There's not going to be a drop off in terms of somebody has to play 60 or 70 snaps. That's where you'll see ultimately the biggest difference. Does that mean one guy is a Stephon Tuitt or a Lynch per se? No. But when somebody can be fresh and keep getting after somebody, it changes the way that person looks in the third and fourth quarter. So this will be the deepest group that we have put out there and we expect it to have great production for us.

Q. Last Thursday you talked a little bit about the quarterback situation with Brandon and Ian, that they might be used together and the running back situation with Tony and Jafar, could you comment a little bit more? Are they still at the same situation?
BRIAN KELLY: Which one.

Q. Quarterbacks and running backs.
BRIAN KELLY: I'll try to clarify whatever I said and sometimes I'm not the clearest. So Brandon's our starter. We're going to go into the game that he needs to win the game for us. We'll put a game plan together for Brandon Wimbush to win the game for us. If there's any need, we feel great about Ian Book as our number two. As it relates to the running back position, it's much different in the sense that I think we rely on different skill sets as 1 A, 1 B, 1 C, 1 D in a sense, that they all are capable of helping our football team, but we haven't established a 1-2 kind of like we have at the quarterback position. So I hope I clarified it in that sense relative to the difference between the two.

Q. You talked about earlier today you talked about how you and Jim really wanted this game back after the acrimony of how the thing ended. Was there a call between the two of you?
BRIAN KELLY: Um-hum.

Q. And the other thing is, I know you live on Diamond Lake and Greg Madison lives on Diamond Lake. Do you ever run into him at any time during the summer?
BRIAN KELLY: First of all, Jim reached out to me and we were both of the same opinion that we wanted to try to get this game back if we could. Now, there are so many other things, as you know, that make this difficult. I know we play next year, but after that, who knows if, how this might work again, given both of our limitations relative to scheduling. I do know Greg lives on Diamond Lake. I won't confirm or deny that I live on Diamond Lake, but I do see a boat that comes by quite regularly that does play the Michigan fight song. And I assume that that might have something to do with the Madison family.

Q. What are some of the things that are difficult in an opener in terms of just you think you know things about your team but you don't really know them until you see it on the field and what are some of the things that maybe you're most concerned or curious about heading into Saturday?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, I think there are years where you're still learning about your team at different levels. This team I know a lot about. There's a lot of players back from last year. So there's different levels of concerns or question marks that you have about each team. The '17 team we were still major question marks about the quarterbacks, right? There were major question marks about defensively a lot of different positions and Mike Elko's first year, right? So each year there's different questions about teams. This football team I don't have any concerns about its ability to go and compete against anybody. They have played USC and Georgia and they have played North Carolina State, who had a really, really good football team, and they have competed at the highest level. So I'm not really concerned about how they're going to show up and play against Michigan. We'll have to execute extremely well. So there's different levels each year. Sometimes I'm more concerned about how we'll adjust to seeing things for the first time against an opponent that we're really not sure of some things that we'll see on offense so maybe some of the adjustments that we're going to have to make on the sideline, because we have got a pretty good sense of what's going to happen defensively, and there will be some wrinkles there, but we got a pretty good sense there. So I think it will be just some of the adjustments that will have to be made in game will be the question more so than how are my guys going to react in this first game.

Q. Has the vibe amongst the players been any different the last day or two and if so what's it kind of like as they get close to game time?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, I think as you get into game week there's definitely, they begin to get more focused. This is where your guys have to really begin to lock in on their process. And I know you hear that a lot of times, what does that mean really, they have to hold on to something so they don't become distracted. This is where distractions -- look in January, February, March, through April, May, June, July, there's not a lot of talk, you go to weight training, you go to practice, nobody's really talking about you. So there's not a lot of distractions. You can really focus in on what you're doing every day, so sticking to a process is easy, right? But when you get into game week, there's a lot of talk about the game and what's going to happen and are there tickets, can I get tickets, all of that. And so you can get distracted. So you really have to focus in on your process and that is your attention to detail and really staying focused on what's important right now. So as we get closer to the game, that's why you hear coaches talk about process because there's a lot of buzz, there's, these kids can get easily distracted when it's really important to be locked in on what they're doing.

Q. I know you've been asked about him quit a bit during the off season, but could you revisit for me why Nic Weishar is so important to your team?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, each team has guys that are important to them from an emotional heartbeat sense. In other words, that they mean more to them as a person than maybe just a football player. What Nic brings is just his personality, who he is as a person, what he represents and in particular the Weisharfest and what he's done for his brother and his family, resonates throughout our entire football team. So he's so respected and revered by our team it's much more of a love for Nic and what he represents and that kind of over shadows anything that he does on the football field.

Q. And can we expect to see Dexter Williams on the field at all Saturday?
BRIAN KELLY: He'll be dressed and he'll be on the sideline and we'll see what happens when we kick it off.

Q. A lot of talk about each team's offense and defense so far. Special teams looks like it would be a real thing for the Irish with a veteran punter, veteran kicker, quality depth at the secondary, put some of those guys on special teams, give us an idea of what to expect from special teams.
BRIAN KELLY: Well, that will be an important part of this game, all three phases in games like this are absolutely crucial and nobody likes to talk about it because it's not the hot topic, but the kicking game will have an impact in this game. Closely fought games, the kicking game is going to show itself. Generally in early contests, they generally show themselves. Michigan is extremely aggressive in their punt rush, we're going to have to do a great job, Donovan People-Jones is an explosive returner, we think we have got some obviously some weapons as well. This will be one that you'll have to keep an eye on because it could very well be the difference in this football game.

Q. A lot of great work goes on in the spring and summer, is there anybody that stepped up like in the last three weeks you said I wasn't sure we were going to be able to count on him, anybody that surprised you so far?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, I think any time a true freshman finds his way on to the football field, that's, I don't know if it's a surprise any more, but you have to have maturity, you have to have athletic ability, you have to have recall, you have to have a lot of traits that are hard to bring to the table at a place like Notre Dame or Michigan or any of the top programs because there's so much scrutiny that you're under. But a guy like Kevin Austin, a guy like Shayne Simon, those guys are unique breeds, that can come in and are certainly going to be guys that are going to be playing as true freshmen.

Q. Curious about the concept of contested catches press coverage, Michigan's pretty aggressive there. How do you sort of drill that with Miles Boykin, Chase Claypool during the last month or so, what, how do you feel like they sort of responded to that aspect of this part of this game?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, I think it's part of the game now is that there are 50/50 balls that on one side of the field I'm over there and we're talking about defenders winning the 50/50. And then on the other side when I go to the offense you got to win those 50/50s. Sometimes it's a matter of catch radius and size and we win them because we got two guys that are six-four plus. And on the other side you're in really good position and you're able to use the sideline as a friend and squeeze them out. So that's why they call them 50/50 and there's going to be some plays made on both sides of that. I think where they show themselves the most is when they count for six. And that's where teams are going to have to make a play when big plays are needed, because we know that they're really good and we think we have got some good guys as well.

Q. Curious about your level of concern, high or low, about Eichenberg, Jafar Armstrong, Gilman, guys who just haven't played in the stadium in a live bullets type situation. What do you look for during the week, what do you look for on Saturday during the day, pregame, and just sort of how do you feel about that group at large?
BRIAN KELLY: Alohi, I probably have the least amount of concern for him because he's played, he's been out there, plays with an edge. I would probably say he's not on my radar. Jafar, he has the ball in his hand, so you're always looking at ball security. As it relates to the kind of football player he is, his athleticism and his ability for workload, I have zero concern, it's like any coach, ball security will dictate his play. Liam's a ferocious, physical player, but he's going to be challenged over there. There's no question. He's playing against one of the best players in the country. So he's got to know that there's going to be some times that he's going to struggle. And that we have got his back. And that it's our job to help him out at times and get a tight end over there, get a back over there. But keep fighting, keep battling, because we believe in you. So sometimes it's more about how we support him more so than him worrying about, hey, you got one of the best players in the country over there, keep fighting.

Q. Michigan and Notre Dame are probably among 20 or so teams that have a genuine chance to make the college football playoff and obviously the loser is going to be up against it after this. Do you have any feeling on whether the field should be expanded to eight teams or are you pretty content with four?
BRIAN KELLY: You know, if the coaches had a way I think you would know it's unanimous, but we have no say in this, so I don't even know why the question's brought up any more, it's pretty clear the field is going to be what it is and so we have to play accordingly. Until the new agreement comes up and there's negotiations with it, we are playing at four and it's very selective. So hunker down and fight, fight, fight. And we all know that, certainly, win them all and you probably are in. If you lose one, better be at the right time and you better play well at the end. Well at the end usually helps you more than it hurts you.

Q. Quickly, did Robert Hainsey make it all the way back to be part of the first team?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, he was taking reps with the first team the last two, three days.

Q. Anything lingering for him or did that time off, was it what he really needed to heal up and be full go?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, the inflammation has now fully is out of the joint, so we want to be smart and careful. We have limited his the pitch count has been what it is, just to make sure that we don't have anything flare up. But he's good to go.

Q. You've got consistency at the quarterback position for the first time or a returning starter I should say for the first time since Tommy Reese, just what does that consistency do for an offense?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, certainly any time that you have a guy that is coming back that understands the offense there is a confidence with the other 10 players that is implicit in the way things operate. So if you just go back to last year's game against Georgia versus this year, in a big game setting, things will move a lot quicker with much more confidence as an offensive unit than they did say in that game. And that's just because the offense hasn't changed, the nomenclature hasn't changed and there's so much more confidence at the end of the day when you have a returning signal caller.

Q. You mentioned ball security earlier with Jafar. What about with Brandon? How have you tried to attack that balance between obviously avoiding turnovers, but a player that's very capable of making big plays and wants to make big plays?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, we can't be, we can't have a fear of failure at that position. We're going to make mistakes. We have to understand the difference between letting our guys make plays and be who they are versus being paralyzed with fear of failure. And Brandon falls under that category. At times he got himself in a place where he didn't want to fail. The quarterback position can't be that. You have to be a guy that is out there making plays. Now, within the scope of the offense, we're not drawing it up in the sand. But he's a playmaker and he's got to go out there with the confidence to make plays. He's going to make some mistakes but as long as he understands that within the scope of the offense making good decisions, he's a smart kid, he cares, but it can't be that we're handcuffing him that he can't go out there and make plays.

Q. You said at times he had that fear of failure in the past. What got him out of that?
BRIAN KELLY: I think just our confidence in his ability to go be who he is and not try to conform him to who we want him to be. This is much more about calling the offense for who Brandon Wimbush is than who we want him to be more than anything else and that's what you'll see Saturday night.

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