Gilman & Notre Dame Ready To Attack Louisville On Monday Night
Starting the season at Louisville may not be as high profile a matchup as last season’s debut against Michigan, but don’t tell Alohi Gilman. The junior safety is taking this game as seriously as any.
“Throughout spring and summer, we’ve attacked anything that was put in front of us,” Gilman said. “Sometimes you focus on certain things, but for us, we focused on being warriors out there and attacking everything.”
Coming off a 2-10 season, Louisville fired coach Bobby Petrino and hired former Appalachian State boss Scott Satterfield. Gilman and the rest of the team recognize the challenge of scouting a team with a brand-new coaching staff.
“With a new coaching staff from App State, you have to look at both teams, but we recognize that personnel-wise Louisville has a lot of good players," Gilman explained. "The receiving core is probably their strength, but they have a quarterback who can make a lot of plays, so we have to respect what they have on that side of the ball. It’s hard week one because, like last year with Michigan, you have to prepare for so much because you don’t know what they’re going to come out with.”
Gilman was one of the main leaders for Notre Dame’s elite defense in 2018, both on and off the field. He recognizes the strengths and weakness of this year’s defense, and some things they’ve been working on, such as run-pass option plays.
“Eye discipline is the number one thing, and understanding where your leverage is,” Gilman said about defending RPO’s. “You have to know where your help is. Once you get those things down, you’re able to play to the offensive strengths and take away those RPO’s.”
Gilman, along with fellow safety Jalen Elliot, had the opportunity to meet with legendary safety Ed Reed over the summer. He noted the impact Reed had on them and what a great opportunity it was to meet one of his idols.
“Just talking about football or life in general, that was one of the coolest experiences," stated Gilman. "He’s a guy I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. Seeing him in person was kind of a fantasy, so that was really cool. Some things I learned from him are the leadership that he brought and things we can change in the locker room to be a better team and take this team to the next step.”
Gilman also spoke about other Irish players making an impact in practice.
“His instincts are off the charts,” Gilman said about cornerback Shaun Crawford. “Shaun’s football IQ, he’s one of the smartest guys in the room. Out on the field, those instincts make a great player, and with his competitiveness and tenacity, I love having him out there. Having a guy like that in the room makes a big difference.”
With the injury to Michael Young Jr., Irish fans should expect to see WR Lawrence Keys III on the field in the slot position. As a safety, Alohi has a unique perspective on his skillset.
“Keys is a great player," Gilma said. "I’ve seen him grow over the past year or two and he’s taken his game to a new level. He’s fast and his speed makes him different from most guys, but he’s also creative with his routes and good in open space. He has all the things you want in a slot receiver, so he’s a difficult matchup for anyone.”
Most of all, Gilman is excited to finally get back to playing football.
“I’m ready to line up right now," Gilman stated. "We’ve been going at it for 23 practices now, so it’ll be good to line up against someone else.”
And if you’re wondering about the team’s confidence looking ahead to Monday night’s game, Alohi left us with this quote.
“We’re not sitting back on Monday night," said Gilman. "This game doesn’t have to be close.”