Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197760
✦ quoting kelly "Coming off a satisfying victory against our rival USC, as a coach, you're excited about the win, but you're also cognizant of the fact that you've got to get your players back mentally and physically after an emotional and tough football game." On the contributions of Danny Spond, whose football career ended in August due to continued issues with migraines: "[He] hasn't missed a day. Hasn't missed a day, hasn't missed a trip. He got upwards of 10 job offers on the trip to Dallas. He spoke at the pep rally, and after the pep rally I think he had 10 job offers. He's an amazing young man. "He's done a great job of handling the transition, which, for somebody that has played football all his career and now in his senior year has it taken away, now he's on the other side of it, he's been great. He's been upbeat. He's been positive, coaching. "His coaching has been more of a communicator and translator of information. He doesn't sit in the coaching room breaking down film, but he's at every practice. And he travels with us. He's on the sideline. Just been a great mentor to our linebackers, in particular [freshman Jaylon Smith and junior Ben Councell]." On whether the bye week provides a challenge in keeping the players busy outside of the regular routine: "We've had this before and we've handled it. We bring them in; for example, right now they're in having brunch. So they're in early, getting some treatments. They'll have lunch here. We practice a little bit earlier, which gives them a little bit more free time. "I don't think it disrupts the routine too much. I think it's a welcome relief for the guys that they get a little bit more free time. But I think we still stayed with the same kind of, they know the mid-afternoon it's go time for them." On the next step for an improving Notre Dame To view this video you must log in at BlueGoldOnline.com with your print subscription username and password VIDEO: Head coach Brian Kelly spoke to the media Oct. 15 about last week's win over USC and Saturday's upcoming game against Air Force. defense: "You have to take the schedule as the evolution of our defense, because I think we're all in agreement that the evolution of college football for defense is winning football games. We want to win against two option teams. So the next evolution of this defense is to play assignment football, disciplined football. Eleven players fitting a play. "If one guy breaks down in the 11 here, it doesn't matter how well [junior defensive end] Stephon Tuitt plays. It doesn't really matter how well [fifth-year linebacker] Danny Fox plays. If we don't have our corner playing football, we're going to give up a lot of points. So this is about 11 players playing together. That's the next step for this group, and playing that for the next couple of weeks is really the most important thing." On the difficulties of facing a triple-option offense like Air Force's: "It's something that you don't see and prepare for, so it's difficult in its preparation, because you have to be so disciplined to face it. And you know the game of football, especially on defense, ✦ Page 9 is that you want to play a little bit reckless at times. And it really slows you down and forces you to play assignment football, and takes away sometimes that skill advantage that you have. "That size advantage becomes minimized in some instances, because you have to play so disciplined and play assignment football." On whether it was intentional to schedule the triple-option teams consecutively on the schedule this year: "You can ask me how the Democrats and Republicans work together more so than putting the schedule together. I don't know how they put the schedule together. It's just a complicated moving of games with the ACC and trying to get alliances that have been out there with different contracts. And sometimes it just falls that way. "I think this is more of a coincidence than it is, 'Hey, you know Coach Kelly would like to get both option teams together back-to-back weeks.' I don't think that conversation ever happened." ✦