USA TODAY International Edition
Quick fix unlikely for 1- 3 Notre Dame
There are myriad reasons for the decision, made by Brian Kelly several hours after Notre Dame’s home loss to Duke, to dump his defensive coordinator.
Through four games, Notre Dame is allowing 33.5 points per game, ranking 101st among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Other significant statistical categories aren’t any better.
Duke, which had scored 27 points — total — in its losses to Wake Forest and Northwestern, scored 38 against the Irish. Notre Dame’s first sack of the season came Saturday — in its fourth game.
Going back to last season, Notre Dame has lost five consecutive games to Power Five opponents. Continuing that theme, Notre Dame has allowed at least 30 points in seven of its last nine games against Power Five opponents.
We could go on. But all of the above, added to the tension that occasionally had been evident between Kelly and Brian VanGorder, were factors. In the end, though, it probably comes down to this:
“When you’re 1- 3 at Notre Dame, changes are going to be made,” Kelly said in a teleconference Sunday.
So VanGorder is gone, replaced by Greg Hudson, a veteran assistant ( he’s been the defensive coordinator at Purdue, Minnesota and East Carolina) who was hired last summer as an analyst. Kelly, who had become more involved in recent weeks with the defense, said he would remain hands- on.
He also said this: “Everybody on our staff for the rest of the year is on a very public interview.”
It only makes sense, considering after the loss to Duke that Kelly questioned players’ enthusiasm and said every spot on the depth chart was up for grabs. Coaches shouldn’t be immune. And that goes for all of them — including the head coach.
Notre Dame entered the season overrated, because it’s Notre Dame. It has become apparent the Irish lack elite talent, especially on defense. Perhaps there are structural and schematic problems, too, and it seems unlikely the in- season staff move will lead to significant improvement. If it does, however, that would be a very good thing for Kelly and the Irish, because as we’ve seen elsewhere in college football — goodbye, Les Miles — patience is in short supply these days.
No one is suggesting Kelly is in trouble. But if 1- 3 means changes, they’d better work. THREE TO WATCH
No. 6 Stanford at No. 9 Washington ( Friday, 9 p. m. ET, ESPN): Are the Huskies really back? We might find out in the first top- 10 battle in Seattle in a very long time.
No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 5 Michigan ( Saturday, 3: 30 p. m. ET, ABC): A matchup of Bo Schembechler- approved, old school style football that’s exactly what you’d think a matchup of highly ranked Big Tens should be. No. 4 Louisville at No. 3 Clemson ( Saturday, 8 p. m.
ET, ABC): What’s not to like about Lamar Jackson vs. Deshaun Watson? No big deal, but this Atlantic Coast Conference matchup is the early leader for Game of the Century This Year.