Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1418303
28 OCT. 23, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY … On playing so many freshmen: "On the road in this en- vironment, we were poised to get them this experience. This what we talked about this week. We're reaching the halfway point. We're going to be who we are. We have to get these guys in the game to get this experience. "If we want to win the rest of the games that we play, they've got to get in this game. They've got to feel it. They've got to be part of it." On Jonathan Doerer's mindset before the game- winning field goal: "My gosh. Is that kid — I mean I don't know if he's got blood in his veins. I mean, I was nervous on the sidelines. "I was trying to get the guy [in the stand] to stop with the laser and finally Jon says, 'Coach, let's just kick it.' I mean, I was like, 'OK, I don't know why I'm here.'" On containing Braxton Burmeister's scrambles: "We were talking about if I'm Isaiah Foskey, I don't know if I want to rush the passer anymore because I chase the quarterback down and he gets out the other end all the time. "We've got to be able to keep the quarterback in the pocket. Isaiah's chasing him out every time and he gets a free release. So there are some things that we've got to tighten up there, certainly. I would say we did some things there that we feel good about, but there's some room for improvement." On holding tight end Michael Mayer out of the game: "He was close. This is more our decision. Talking to [assistant coach] John [McNulty] in pregame, he wanted to go. He was like, 'Put me in in the red zone. Let me get in on third down.' "We're like, 'We're going to put you in on red zone and you're going to really hurt yourself.' So we scratched that and took him out." NOTRE DAME GRADUATE STUDENT LINEBACKER DREW WHITE … On the team's overall level of play: "I thought we pre- pared really well. I think we had a good idea of what kind of game plan they were going to come in with. At some point guys are going to make plays. Their offensive players made plays. I thought [quarterback Braxton] Burmeister was great the way he used his feet, but I thought the defense played really good. "The best part about it was reciprocating of the offense and defense balancing off of each other. It really tells the story of what kind of guys we are." On the return of Kurt Hinish to the lineup: "Kurt is one of my best friends on the team. We've roomed together for three years. Just to know he's in front of me taking on double teams and he ain't moving. It feels better when one of your best friends is lining up right in front of you. "All of our defensive tackles and nose guards are capable, but to have a veteran guy, a captain on our team with that look in his eye and communicate with the D-line is very useful." On the physicality of the game: "I want to think we play with an edge every game. They were doing a lot of [12 person- nel], so the odds are it's going to be more physical than a team that's spreading us out. "We have the mindset to come in and be physical every game. We have a lot of things to work on but you can't sell yourself short. It's a 'W' on the schedule." NOTRE DAME JUNIOR RUNNING BACK KYREN WILLIAMS … On freshman running back Logan Diggs: "He showed up big time. We expected that from Logan tonight. We always knew that he had it in him and he came out tonight and proved himself when he needed to prove himself on our last drive when the crowd was going crazy." On the physicality of the game: "Being able to put our physicality on our opponent each and every down is going to wear and tear on them. They're going to fold eventually, and we know that." On his 10-yard touchdown run: "It was an RPO [run- pass option]. I wasn't even supposed to get the ball. Buchner was just supposed to fake to me, but I told him 'Give me that ball.' I'd seen there was one backer in the box and I said, 'Give me the ball, do not pull it, do not throw it, let me get this,' and I just made it happen." FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Freshman running back Logan Diggs carried the ball six times for 29 yards, plus had a 15-yard catch during the Irish's game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN