Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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more speed, which Kelly and Van- Gorder are hoping will help Notre Dame get off the field more effectively on third downs. The Irish ranked 85th in the Football Bowl Subdivision by allowing opponents to convert 41.7 percent of their third-down attempts last season. Their solution, which will likely spill over into first- and second- down defense against more athletic teams, is to add defensive backs and add pressure. The chief beneficiary of the move to more nickel coverage this spring was senior Matthias Farley. The two- year starter at safety moved to corner- back to start the spring, but quickly found a niche as the team's new nickel defender. Farley will face some com- petition at that spot when fifth-year transfer Cody Riggs arrives on cam- pus in June. He said the transition to the nickel spot took some getting used to, but he is starting to feel comfortable in the role. "When you switch a position you have a lot of questions," Farley said. "You have to switch your brain in a lot of ways. Everything looks differ- ent where you're lined up and your responsibilities are different. It's just trusting that the coaches know what they're doing and if they didn't think you could play the position they wouldn't switch you." Even when Farley isn't on the field, Notre Dame's third linebacker spot has taken a dramatic shift toward pass coverage this spring. The Irish shifted two new players — former safety John Turner and wide receiver James On- wualu — into the Sam linebacker spot. There they can use a blend of physical- ity and speed to make Notre Dame's defense more flexible. Both players can match up with a slot receiver if needed, and the plan is to get both ready to also help in stopping the run as a seventh player in the box when needed. A GROUP RUSH Any pass defense is only as good as the rush in front of it. Getting con- sistent pressure on opposing quarter- backs next season will be a challenge for a young group of defensive line- men. "Affecting the quarterback and changing the pocket on him [are things] we always emphasize. Cover- age and our defensive line play, they work together," VanGorder said before the spring game. "It's a concern right now." The defensive front's eight sacks during the spring scrimmage were a strong sign of progress, but they came against an offensive line that had to mix and match to get a full group on the field and against quarterbacks who weren't allowed to break tackles. The best sign from the Blue-Gold Game was the many different sources of pressure. If Notre Dame is able to figure out a way to make quarterbacks uncomfortable in the fall, it will have to be a group effort. With All-Ameri- can linemen such as Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III along the line in past sea- sons, the Irish relied on their big play- ers to beat offenses with individual efforts. This group will have to lean on one another for those opportunities. "Everybody has to take a role in it," said junior Sheldon Day, the most ex-