Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/899989
18 NOV. 20, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI W hen it was brought to the attention of Brian Kelly that the Nov. 11 Miami game would be his 100th as the head coach at Notre Dame, he was in a relatively jovial mood. "That's like a thousand dog years, isn't it?" he shot back. Yet when queried about what has changed in him the most in his eight years on the job, especially after the 4-8 meltdown in 2016, he turned more reflective. "It's really focus, refocus at Notre Dame," Kelly said. "You have to stay on top of it." For Kelly, that has meant not being set in one's ways. Through most of his tenure with the Fighting Irish, he was known as the "pass happy" coach. Yet in year eight he has demonstrated that the proverbial leopard's spots don't need to remain. Where Notre Dame in 2017 has made the most pronounced upgrade is in its physicality, especially with the run game. Through Kelly's first seven seasons from 2010-16, the Irish had averaged 162.4 rushing yards per game, including 163.3 last year to finish No. 80 nationally in that cat- egory. During this year's 8-1 start that vaulted Notre Dame to No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, it averaged 324.8 — exactly double — to rank No. 5. Three of the teams ahead of it — Army, Navy and Georgia Tech — run the triple option, while the fourth — Arizona — was at 327.0. Kelly admitted the pieces always had been in place to thrive with the run, but the commitment this year was fully invested because of the COMPLETE MAKEOVER Will Notre Dame's move to the physical ground attack be a long-term commitment?