Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/160704
✦ quoting kelly unless there's a disconnect with their position coach and coordinator relative to do you want to play. We've already had those conversations, so we're in pretty good shape." "We've got a lot more depth than we've had at any time coming into the season at this point." On the battle for playing time between Austin Collinsworth and Elijah Shumate: "Both will play. It's a 1a, 1b situation. Depending on where we are in the game, down and distance, a lot of those factors will be involved. "You've got to look at both of those guys playing an equal amount of football." On the number of players expected to play against Temple in hot temperatures: "We're going to play the guys that we believe at this point have shown that they're ready to play. I don't know that anybody is going to get themselves off that status today [at practice]. We have a really good idea. "I will tell you this: It's a lot deeper than we've had at any time. I think that there are five running backs that can help us play. We feel like there are a number of players at the receiving position that can play for us. "We've got a lot more depth than we've had at any time coming into the season at this point." On preparing players who will see their first extensive action this weekend: "There's constant observations, communication. We're very keen and aware of it going in — this will be my 22nd year of being a head coach — where yeah, every time I go into the staff room I'm asking about the young guys, how they're doing, how they're handling things, are you seeing any anxiety, are you looking through the back of their head at this point. So those questions are asked quite often. "But we haven't seen anything. We actually — it was interesting — we were talking about it [Monday] night, that switch where game week starts kicked in at about halfway through practice … and then you saw the switch. And you saw it with the freshmen. They did it after the veterans kicked it in. So it was an interesting observation. "They're going to do a lot of this after the veterans do it, so we're going to have to keep an eye on them all week because they're going to follow a lot of the leads that our veterans have." On determining which freshmen will play and those whose eligibility will be preserved: "We like to get our freshmen in on special teams early on and get them acclimated, especially those guys that we plan on or have a vision towards playing. You could probably get an eye towards what our intentions are based upon those guys you see on special teams on Saturday. "If you see a lot of guys that are freshmen on special teams, you could probably take a pretty good insight into that we have an eye towards playing them. "The running back situation, though, might be a little bit different. We think that that's a position that you can impact the game in week six. That might be a little bit different. Whereas the defensive players, if we're going to play those guys, I like to get them on special teams right away." On communicating with freshmen about playing time: "I communicate before the fact. We have conversations before, and we let them know what our intentions are. I will tell you this: The group of freshmen that I've had conversations with, they all want to play. It's a group that they really … want to get on the field right now. "But I do like to have that conversation so we're not on a different page. All the freshmen that we've had conversations with, they generally don't come to my office Sophomore Elijah Shumate (above), who served as Notre Dame's nickel back as a rookie last year, will split time at one of the safety positions with senior Austin Collinsworth in 2013. Photo by Joe raymond ✦ Page 11 On the differences between Manti Te'o and freshman linebacker Jaylon Smith early in their careers: "He's in a different position. Manti was in a four-down defense. We're going into a three-down defense. Jaylon is playing on the edge of a defense asked to do a lot of different things. It's probably not a fair comparison, other than they're both great freshman players. Jaylon is asked to do a different job. He plays so well in space. Very smart player, plays instinctively. "The one thing that Jaylon has done as well as a lot of freshmen that I've been around, he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He's a guy that comes back the next day, and he can eradicate the same mistake. That's a hallmark of a guy that's going to play a lot of football for us."