Marty Biagi Notebook | Indiana Week
Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi spoke ahead of Friday's College Football Playoff game against Indiana.
On how he’s structured practice to help Mitch Jeter:
”I think the very first thing, we really wanted to give him a true time off to get healthy. We were able to capitalize on that week after USC because he had been getting better and better from a soreness standpoint. When you go out there, it’s trying to feel like can you really trust a kick? After we gave him that time off, the past 10 days in the opportunities that we’ve given him he’s done a really good job. The field goal unit as a whole has done what we’re expecting.
“We gave him some different situations where it was a little more sporadic on days where we knew we were already kicking. We also did some sessions, like you all probably saw today, a more repetitive setting. There’s positives for both. Then it’s getting to the standpoint, which I feel like even after talking to him at the end of practice, that he’s really confident after the way he was striking the ball.”
On if the miss vs. USC was physical or mental:
”There was a little technique actually involved. They can be paired together. When we went back and watched it, there was a technique flaw in terms of just being able to make sure everything was right in line. Which again, when you haven’t gotten to practice week-in and week-out, or hey, I’m going to hit just a couple in this period, then I have to shut it down, it’s hard to get into a routine – at any position – but especially one like that. He’d had, in my opinion, his best warmup for USC, so we felt really, really good. It’s something now I feel like he can go out there and really have confidence.”
On if Jeter was limited in practice November:
”Correct. We had pretty much shut him down just to be able to get through or to see if we felt like he could be the best option for us on game days.”
On him getting through warmups:
”Yeah, and talking with him. What I would say is most impressive about him is there’s times he said yes. And early on, after the injury, a lot of kickers would’ve just out of pride forced the issue and tried it. It was really a credit to him that he was honest with it.”
On what Jeter would tell him after warmups:
”‘It’s not there. It’s not there.’ And that just doesn’t happen normally. Normally guys try to force it or they’re scared and shy away from wanting to turn down an opportunity. I definitely feel like when he says he’s good, we’re like, OK.”
On if he thought Bryce Young could be a special teams weapon when he arrived on campus:
”Yes. It’s great. That’s what’s great about getting to see some guys that do come in in spring, but even in summer. With his size and frame and twitchiness, you feel really confident. Then it’s just, can we get it to connect. And then genetics just takes over. He has taken a lot of pride in terms of all the little details that people wouldn’t notice to block a field goal or to block a punt, or to set up somebody else getting free.”
On Young embracing his role on special teams:
”It was something he wasn’t real familiar with at first, but he was anxious to learn and he didn’t shy away from it. It wasn’t something where he said, hey, this isn’t normally what I do or I came here to have this role. It was literally from Day One: OK, what do I need to do? Try it. Coach him up. And you just saw so rapidly the next time we’d be in that phase in fall camp, you’d start to see it show up.”
On when he realized this was a playoff team:
”I don’t know if you could point to one specific moment as you could look at our leader. You look at Coach Freeman and how he would set up each week and the mindset he would make sure he held everybody in the building to the standard of what he was looking for. You started to see a consistency of a culture. We can’t ever predict the outcome of a game, but we can control through our preparation. You started to go, OK, we know we have the players or the talent. Now it’s can we start to consistently piece it together as a coaching staff, as a full team. Each game you just started to feel a little bit more confident that this is something that can be special.”
On what he remembers about the staff meetings the Sunday following NIU:
”I don’t think anybody wants to remember that, but as coach would say it’s good to keep the pain to remember it. I think what’s amazing is it was something that coach Freeman does such an incredible job of being a leader, not just a coach, and would be the first to challenge himself for us as a staff of where did we fall short, what could we do better? Put it at us, point the arrow at us, instead of going in and just blaming players or making excuses. That’s something that is special as an assistant coach. While nobody wants to hear it, you definitely feel confident that he’s doing what’s best for the team.”
On if Marcus Freeman celebrated his extension:
”He’s just so focused on what’s truly best for the team. it’s not something he would want us to even harp on. it’s credit to him and very deserving. It’s another day in the office. I’m not parking in his spot, I can promise you that.”
On fake punts taking over college football:
”I don’t know. I think every week, teams are looking at schematics. Then it just depends if it’s the right situation.”
On his thoughts on the Army and Navy fakes:
”They were great. They were executed. It depends on what side of the ball you’re on.”
On if the field goal unit is frustrating at this point:
”I wouldn’t say it necessarily frustrating. It’s more of a challenge that, OK, this is an area we have to continue to clean up and we have to do it with a sense of urgency. Yeah, you’re always going to have adversity. Each year it could be something different. What you’re looking for is there a consistent issue or a consistent schematic issue that we have to make sure we address. And then obviously we want to be able to perform. If we send our field goal unit out there, it’s with the intent and belief and knowledge to back it up that we feel like this is the right decision at the time and the head coach feels like he’s making the decision that’s best for the team. Does that make sense?”
On how much he thinks about needing a game-deciding kick:
”I think because we really do focus on each rep being that important, we don’t approach it with that mindset of, ‘Oh, well, we missed at USC, so it’s no big deal.’ Or, ‘we got one blocked at Army but still won.’ We really go back in after a win or after a loss, and more so probably even after a win, because everybody’s already loving the guys up, so where do we need to focus to clean something up?”
On if he has full confidence in Jeter:
”Yeah, that’s what he’s here to do: Put it through the uprights.”
On if he’s called a more gutsy fake punt than the one vs. USC:
”Uh, yes. I mean, it’s more schematic and timing. We try and preach it as any other play, and it just so happens to be the right time for the right play. We also understand that there’s times when things don’t work out, whether it’s through schematic or something that happened. You look at the Miami (Ohio) game when we had the reverse and we were inches away. It’s something that you’re just trying to see is there a play that can help us at that point help celebrate as coach would say team glory? If so, that’s what’s great. Coach is going to call it. It’s not one of these that you’re going to bank it in and bank it in. If it’s the right time and the right opportunity.”
On having Jeremiyah Love on special teams:
”From the standpoint of understanding, whether it’s angles, whether it’s certain concepts of what we’re looking for, it’s something he’s intrigued by. That’s what’s great. He’s not shy to come in to understand or be intrigued by the different schemes.”
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