Brian Kelly Pleased with Notre Dame's Purpose and Intent

Quality over quantity is a famous saying and Notre Dame football is embracing that as the Fighting Irish enter Saturday's season-opener against Duke. 

Brian Kelly's team will fall short of the mark in terms of practices allowed before the first game, but Tuesday was an extremely positive sign for the Irish. 

"We had a great Tuesday," Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book stated earlier this week. "Coach Kelly said it was one of the better Tuesday's he's been around. So, bringing energy. We got young guys in there. Bringing up their confidence and then just diving deeper into the playbook and into any type of defensive recognition and just understanding more football."

Book and the veterans would have been counted on to lead the Irish, but it might be even more critical this year as Notre Dame lacks time on the practice field, including just one spring practice. 

Kelly echoed Books statements and still challenged his team on Thursday as he made it clear they had yet to win a game, but instead potentially set a standard. 

"Working is one thing, but working with a purpose - it was as purposeful as I've had during my time at Notre Dame, Kelly said of Tuesday's practice. "That can only happen when your quarterback is on top of things and you have a returner like Ian Book. You've got a lot of veterans on both sides of the ball. You don't do it with a young team. This is a veteran team. They know how to practice in the right way. It was extremely purposeful. It was high energy and done with intent. There was an attitude in the way they went to work."

"There's a difference between working with a purpose and just running out there and thinking activity is achievement. They didn't do that. They were looking to set a standard and they certainly did that. 

"Now, we didn't win anything on that day, but we certainly set a standard of what this group can do. If they practice and have a purpose like that consistently, their preparation will be outstanding and they will have success on Saturdays." 

In a normal year, head coaches worry about how players will respond to game atmospheres or competitive situations. Kelly’s concerns surround the lack of practice time.

"This team had no spring practice," stated Kelly. "We've gotten in 22 of our 25 practices. We didn't get our 25 in, so there are so many other factors when you put COVID in here that are different than any other opener that I've ever experienced."

Kelly admitted 2020 wouldn't be his first year not hitting the maximum number off practices the NCAA allows before week one, but it was his decision in those years. 

"I have fallen short of 25 before, but it's the manner of it," said Kelly. "I have been in a position where I have chosen not to get to 25. This time I would have liked to have gotten to 25, so I think it's a different intent. 

"I've had teams that were prepared to play after 20-21 practices with strong spring balls and where we've had double sessions where I knew our team was fit and ready to play. You get that sense when they're banging each other and we've had enough of hitting each other. You start to pull back. 

"We could have used another week or so. I'm sure Duke is going to feel the same way. No excuses. We'll be ready to play. It's just different in a sense of the years where I didn't get to 25, it was my decision not to get to 25."