Kelly High On Virginia & Cole Kmet
Notre Dame didn’t leave Athens with a victory over the weekend, but the Irish did earn respect across the country despite the 23-17 loss to Georgia.
There were positive to build on and like every program, Notre Dame’s coaches and players said the right things following the game, but the week of practice will determine if the No. 10 Fighting Irish will move up the rankings.
“They know what's at stake for them this weekend,” Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly said on Monday. “They're playing a really good football team that's nationally ranked. I think it is the first time they have been ranked for three weeks in a long time. They feel really good about themselves. They'll come in expecting to win. They're going to be challenged and they're going to have to respond. Yeah. You want to find those things out.
“I have a good feeling that they're going to respond in the right way. Again, its closer to defining who you are after coming back from a loss than it is any time after a win.”
No. 18 Virginia needs a signature win and the Cavaliers will undoubtedly be motivated as this is a chance to accomplish that goal.
“Virginia has their attention,” stated Kelly. “There's no doubt about that. They know they have to pay attention to their detail and play well against a quality opponent. There's no question when you play a team of this caliber; they recognize how important it is to go back to work.”
Virginia will bring one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses to South Bend on Saturday and while there are some schematic similarities to Georgia, the Hoos have different personnel than the Bulldogs.
“They're really long and athletic,” explained Kelly. 3-4 defense, some similarities there, some carryover there. They're different in that they run the 3-4 a lot differently.
“I wouldn't say that there's a lot of carryover in terms of personnel, other than (Charles) Snowden is long and athletic (6’7/235). He's kind of like the kid they had a couple of years ago out there. Just a really good defense. The best comparison I can give you is 3-4 with really good players, similar to Georgia. Another challenge for us.”
Notre Dame will likely add another weapon to the offense this week as receiver Michael Young Jr. is expected to return after breaking his collarbone in fall camp, but the Irish also added a piece to the puzzle last weekend as tight end Cole Kmet made his season debut.
Kmet recorded nine catches for 108 yards and one touchdown in the loss to Georgia, but his return will put pressure on Virginia’s defense as he did over the weekend to the Bulldogs.
“It certainly allows us to do things schematically that provides openings on the field for other players,” Kelly stated. “When you have a tight end that can push the middle of the field, it creates some problems.
“If you want to play two-deep zone, whose got that guy? Does the safety have him? Does the linebacker have him? So he creates a matchup problem that can spread the field for other receivers to get some favorable matchups. He’s a big piece to what we're doing.”
Kmet could just be on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. The former four-star prospect has played over the last two seasons, but not as much as some think, which is a good thing as Kmet has plenty of room to grow.
“He's a cross between maybe a Troy Niklas and Tyler Eifert,” said Kelly. “He brings that physicality and big body type tight end where he's imposing, but still has the ability to catch and run. So you're getting kind of a combination there.
“He's still young at the position and still emerging. We were just talking about how sometimes we're asked about the development of our players. Ian Book has had 13 games as a starter. That's one year. Tommy Reyes had 31; Brady Quinn had close to 50. Sometimes you try to equate Ian Book to where Brady Quinn was. Well, tell me when Ian Book gets up to 50 games and I'll let you know where he is.
“Cole has only had six real starts. He's emerging and getting better. He hasn't had a ton of playing time. He's gaining a better sense of where to be, how to find the soft spots in zones and things of that nature. He's certainly not a Tyler Eifert in terms of the savviness after three years of experience, but he's making good progress in a very short period of time.”