Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly met with the media this week ahead of the Fighting Irish's trip to Ann Arbor when they'll take on Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines on Saturday night.
Kelly went in depth on what he has seen from U-M so far this year, gave an update on some injuries and more. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 30-27 win over USC two weeks ago and had a bye week last week.
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Brian Kelly On Notre Dame vs. Michigan Rivalry
As the ND head coach, Kelly is 3-3 in games against U-M overall, and 0-2 in games against the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. He notes that the rivalry is one his team is well aware of.
"I think it’s a game that our players are keenly aware of its great history and tradition over the years," Kelly said of the rivalry. "A lot of these guys are recruited to Notre Dame as well.
"You’re only two hours away. It’s one of our two bus trips that we take during our time here. The proximity is one that we’re quite aware of.
"Clearly the guys know Michigan, so we know the history and tradition of it and we know it’s a really good football team. What gets their attention more than anything else is that it’s a really good football team. If it wasn’t, we’d be talking about other things."
Brian Kelly On Michigan
Kelly has noticed that U-M's offense is playing better as the year has gone on, especially in the second half of its game against Penn State last week.
"We’re playing a really good football team," Kelly said. "It seems that they played very well in the second half in particular.
"[They have] an offensive line that is playing a lot better as a unit than they were earlier in the season. Experienced, they’ve got four of five starters back.
"I thought [Shea] Patterson probably had his best game of the year. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s accurate when he throws the football. He can run it. I think he throws a very catchable football and he’s got big, physical receivers that will go up and get the football for him.
"Running game — I think the freshman, Zach Charbonnet, has done a really nice job for them.
"I think the receiving corps — [Nico] Collins, [Tarik] Black, [Donovan] Peoples-Jones — are big, physical. But I think [Ronnie] Bell is really the playmaker for them. He’s their best receiver, an extremely competitive kid. Look to see him have a really big game. He’s that kind of player for them.”
Kelly also talked about the challenge ND has in going against a quality Wolverines defense.
"I think we all know defensively they’ve been a high effort group," Kelly said. "Especially the defensive line — [Kwity] Paye, [Carlo] Kemp, [Aidan] Hutchinson — all great players, athletic, can pass rush, really good against the run.
"These are guys that have really developed in the program, as well. I know Paye, coming out of high school was like 225, he’s put on 50 pounds. Hutchinson [has a] great motor.
"Linebackers — [Cam] McGrone, we knew him really well in the recruiting process. He’s stepped in for [Josh] Ross and has played very, very well. I think [Khaleke] Hudson is the guy, really. He can play on all three levels. Really, really good player for them.
"And then, in the defensive backfield, a lot of experience with [Josh] Metellus and [Brad] Hawkins. [LaVert] Hill is a really really good corner, we knew [Ambry] Thomas really well in the recruiting process. It’s a really good defense. Don Brown does a great job with them. It seems like their offense is finding themselves in terms of their production.
Kelly noted that ND can take some of what it did last year in a 24-17 win over U-M into this week.
"What we did really well last year is we put some pressure on the quarterback," he said "I think we need to do that again."
The hostile environment of playing in front of 110,000+ fans at Michigan Stadium is something that also has Kelly's attention.
"I think our guys are really tuned in to understanding that the atmosphere will be loud and that you cannot be distracted if you are interested in executing at a high level," he said. "If you’re distracted, then you’re not in the right place emotionally.
"Our guys are pretty locked in on that. We’ll continue to talk about it throughout the week and I think they’ve got a pretty good understanding of that."
Brian Kelly On Injuries
Kelly commented on two ND players that have been injured, junior running back Jafar Armstrong and fifth-year senior cornerback Shaun Crawford.
Armstrong had 383 rushing yards and seven TDs in 2018, but has only appeared in two games in 2019. He sprained his toe in an early September practice. Armstrong worked himself back into the lineup two weeks ago against USC, but only had one carry for -4 yards. Kelly said he will be key this week against U-M, however.
"Jafar is going to be an important part of our game plan, so as much as it was just getting him through a game situation and getting the taste of it for USC, it’s now a full-go for him," Kelly said. "This week we'll be him getting factored into our game plan, playing a prominent role, and I think he’ll have an impact."
Crawford suffered an elbow injury in ND's game against Virginia on Sept. 28, but looks to return this week against U-M. Crawford has 12 tackles and one interception on the season in four games played.
"We expect him to play," Kelly said. "We’ll see at what level he can play at. But, he’s a guy that I wouldn’t count out of being a contributor in some fashion and being around the ball next Saturday night."
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