Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/204831
Under the Dome November: When Less Can Be More In long-distance foot races, runners will usually pace themselves so they can have a final kick in the home stretch. A more violent football season can require a similar approach. "Your guys have to be mentally and physically fresh," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "They have to feel as though when they come in in November that there's an energy to them. They enjoy coming; that it's not a chore." Notre Dame's practices grow shorter as the season gets longer. The week of preparation for Navy began with only 90 minutes of work on Tuesday. The previous Thursday, the team practiced without pads for the first time. Kelly said it's also important to make sure the team knows what's coming each day before practice. Entering the Nov. 2 game against Navy, Kelly's November/December regular-season record in his last 26 games was 24-2 (.923), including the Mid-American Conference championship game at Central Michigan in 2006. His lone loss at Notre Dame in November was 28‑14 at Stanford in 2011, when quarterback Andrew Luck led the Cardinal to the BCS. Kelly said much of the November success is based on year-round conditioning plans, headed by his longtime right-hand man Paul Longo. This includes proper try it F r e e! nutrition, hydration, and pacing of training and practices throughout the year. A huge part of conditioning is not over-working players. "We make it such that it's not a grind," Kelly said of how the practices are set up. "… We try to ingrain within our players' [and] coaches' mind that this is now the time to kick it into gear. This is where you get the opportunity to play for championships. "You can't have a great November without having a great plan as it relates to your conditioning. That goes back to January. That goes back to what you do in June. If you try to win the battle in June and July and August, you're probably going to come up short in November. "We want to make sure the tank is full in November." Some luck also helps. Just ask Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Losing a game in November, especially at home, used to be a death knell for a college football team with championship aspirations. The Crimson Tide has lost at home in November each of the past two years (LSU and Texas A&M), but still went on to capture the national title. "You've got to be lucky, too," Kelly said. "You've got to stay away from the injury situation and make sure your players are developed and count on guys … to play a big role for us in November." Get BlueandGold.com FREE until end of the year The Inside Scoop on Notre Dame • • • • • Daily Notre Dame Sports News Blue & Gold Radio Extensive Recruiting Coverage Mobile Access Message Boards With An Irish Attitude