Blue and Gold Illustrated

UNDER THE DOME enjoy seeing No. 9 on the field because there are few like him. " S h o r t a n s w e r, I h a v e n ' t c o a c h e d a player like him before, p e r i o d , " K e l l y s a i d . "He is a unique talent. He can line up with his hand on the ground. He can cover the inside receiver. He can play in the box. He can tackle in open space. There's not much he can't do. "He's a rare, rare de- fensive player. It's just fun watching him play." Few linebackers have the size (243 pounds) and speed (4.4 to 4.5 in the 40-yard dash) that Smith boasts. That ver- satility allowed him to start as a freshman at outside linebacker in former defensive co- ordinator Bob Diaco's scheme before moving inside to Will linebacker Brian VanGorder's Defense Settles In A little more than one year ago, Notre Dame shut out Michigan 31‑0 in the temporary stopping point of the series between Midwest powers. In first‑year defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder's second game with the Irish, his unit stifled the Wolverines and impressed with its depth and pass‑rushing ability. That performance proved to be a bit of a mirage in 2014, with Notre Dame allowing 30‑plus points in each of the final eight games and suffering through a four‑game losing streak in November with oppos‑ ing point totals of 55 (Arizona State), 43 (Northwestern), 31 (Louisville) and 49 (USC). Injuries and turnovers by the offense contributed heavily to that total, but so did the installation of a complicated defense that players claim is much more easily understood in year two. "Absolutely," junior linebacker Jaylon Smith said when asked whether the 38‑3 blowout of Texas was different from the Michigan win. "We have an understanding of what we're supposed to be doing. Last year, there were a lot of learning tools. Coach told us from the beginning when we skunked Michigan it was way ahead of our time, and they really tried to humble us. … Now with a year under our belt, it's about continually getting better." When asked whether the 2015 Irish defense could rival the dominant 2012 unit, head coach Brian Kelly carefully measured his words while still displaying the confidence he has in VanGorder's group. "If we stay injury free and if we can stay away from, obviously, losing key personnel, I think we can continue to grow as a defense and continue to get better and play the kind of defense necessary to compete nationally," he said. "That's what we're going to need. We certainly couldn't do that at the end of last year. I think it's predicated on keeping these guys on the field." One of the main storylines heading into the season was whether VanGorder could better adapt to up‑tempo college offenses, something he admitted in August he struggled with a year ago. While the results against an up‑tempo look in Texas were promising, that offense hardly compares to some of the faster attacks the Irish saw in 2014 and will see later this season. "The first thing was communication through our tempo and making sure that we could get our calls in," Kelly said. "We worked with the personnel that we have and developed our personnel to get to that end. It doesn't matter what we know — it's what our players know. The coach and his staff on the defensive side of the ball have done a great job of making sure that the players know what they know." — Andrew Owens

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