Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/165246
✦ News & notes By Lou Somogyi The Game Beyond The Game It took Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly less than 15 seconds to address and quell the latest "controversy" during his weekly Tuesday afternoon press conference with the media. Two days earlier when he was asked about the ending of the regular-season rivalry with Michigan after the 2014 season, Kelly's response was interpreted as taking a jab at the Wolverines. "I really haven't seen it as one of those historic, traditional Notre Dame rivalries," Kelly said on Sunday afternoon. "… I've always felt that the Notre Dame-Michigan game was a big regional game, but in the Notre Dame history books, there have been some years where it hasn't been played for a number of years [none from 1910-41 or from 1944-77, by Michigan's choice]. "… From my perspective, I've seen it more from being in Michigan as being really hard-fought and really high-profile games." When he received some backlash for perhaps devaluing the game or giving Michigan "bulletin-board material," Kelly was in no mood to stir the pot during Tuesday's meeting with the media. "It's a great and historic rivalry that we'll be playing this Saturday — so let's get that out of the way right away so we don't have to answer any more questions about this rivalry," Kelly said at the outset. "We're excited about the game, excited about playing it. This will be decided by the players on the field, and the preparation that goes along with it. We can stick to that and dispense with the nonsense." The verbal sparring began last May 13 when Michigan head coach Brady Hoke, in a meeting with a Wolverine alumni club Michigan head coach Brady Hoke (left) created a stir in the spring by telling boosters that Notre Dame was "chickening out" of the series, and Irish head coach Brian Kelly ruffled some feathers this week when he initially downplayed the historical significance of the rivalry. photo by bill panzica in Grand Rapids, Mich., said: "We have unbelievable rivalry games at Michigan. The Notre Dame game, that rivalry, which they're chickening out of … they're still going to play Michigan State, they'll play Purdue; they don't want to play Michigan." The statement drew an instant response from Irish senior nose guard Louis Nix III on his Twitter. Replied Nix: "Chickened out? #MeatChicken will taste delicious Sept 7th. #GoIrish." After Notre Dame joined the Atlantic Coast Conference last September, which will require the Fighting Irish to play five ACC opponents every year starting in 2014, it had to trim future schedules to make room for all of its contests. Michigan became the casualty on the schedule among Notre Dame's three Big Ten regulars — with Purdue and Michigan State the other two. Regardless, Hoke echoed Kelly's sentiments this week about focusing on the game instead of the comments by the two coaches. "I don't interpret what other people say," Hoke said. "I have a hard time interpreting what I say. Anything I say or he says really doesn't matter because we're not playing [as coaches]." He understood that Notre Dame might use his comments from last spring against him, but didn't backpedal from the statements. ✦ Page 12 "Well, I said it," Hoke stated. Kelly was the head coach at Grand Valley State in Michigan when Hoke was an assistant for the Wolverines, and the two competed against each other in the MidAmerican Conference when Kelly was the boss at Central Michigan while Hoke led Ball State. The Irish head coach said he understands the frustration of Hoke and Michigan. "Look, he's talking to his alums," Kelly said. "I didn't take anything from it, really. I know Brady. He's never been one to show disrespect to anybody or anything. It's really, for me, about two programs that share a border that it makes sense to