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Notre Dame Football

From the Locker Room

September 2, 2017
5,737

Josh Adams
On the key to his fast start (Josh Adams had 112 yards rushing in the first quarter)

“A lot of the credit goes to our offensive line. We had three guys from our running back room get in the end zone, and that is all because of them. We are blessed to have those guys in front of us, and we have to make their jobs easy by running hard. That fast start was awesome, to just come out and dominate and force our will upon our opponent.”

On whether or not it was frustrating to have the 60-yard run but not get in the end zone
“I am just blessed to be out there, I have to thank God, I wouldn’t be here without him. I definitely have to do better, but we are enjoying the win for now.”

On whether having three runnings back and how one can come in fresh
“We love it when a guy can go in there and have fun and push the tempo in the run game. No matter who it is. Tony Jones and Dexter Williams got in there today and took care of their job. They didn’t let anything outside of them distract them, they stay locked onto our mission as an offense which is to put points on the board. Again, the offensive line did their job.”

On what the team showed the country today
“We showed ourselves that hard work pays off. It was more about all the guys in that room, we really weren’t concerned about anything outside of that. All the guys and the coaches, the strength staff, all the fans, this was for Notre Dame. It wasn’t for anybody else. Just thank God that we were able to go out there and have fun and try to accomplish our mission.”

On what Georgia might do to slow down the run game
“We are going to continue to practice, play hard, game plan, prepare hard.”

On what the game meant to him since Josh is from the Philadelphia area
“I had a lot of family here today, lot’s of guys I knew that went to Temple. It just felt good to get out there and play against somebody other than ourselves. To finally compete against other teams, we just had a blast. Every guy was excited.”


Nyles Morgan
On the defensive rotation

“Ya it was great, guys are rotating in. If guys need a little break, they can come out.”

On what he told the young players
“I told them just to keep doing what they were doing, to just keep ballin’.”

On the team coming away with three sacks after the struggles last season
“It was great when you sack the quarterback you win.”

On the new scheme with Mike Elko during the first game
“It seemed to work pretty well, guys were playing aggressive, guys were having fun, guys were making plays.”

Greer Martini
On whether or not the amount of people in the game on defense surprised him
"No it really didn’t. To just have guys that are capable of playing and can come in fresh and make an impact. Tevon came in off the bench and made two great plays, that’s the kind of spark we need.

On what the team has left to show"

"From this game, it’s more that we played fast and physical. But there’s a lot of scheme and tackling stuff that we could have done better. Ultimately, we know that we can be a good defense."


On how it feels to start 1-0
"It’s definitely better than starting 0-1, that’s for sure. I think  ultimately we were just so excited to go out there and create our own team this year, to right some wrongs and just play fast and enjoy each other then the victory."


On how he would assess the defense
"I think that we played really well.  I think we played physical and with confidence."


On if there was an area in which the defense could improve
"I would probably say tackling, but you can always say that you can improve tackling as a defense."


On how it felt to show everyone the defensive improvements
"I think it was awesome. To be able to go back into the locker room and be able to look at each other and say, “we can do this. We can be a good defensive unit.” Ultimately it’s all about winning, and I think that we as a unit can be happy with how we played today."


On how it felt to start off the right way
"I mean, it means the world. This was the first game. Now that we’ve tackled this, now it’s on to Georgia." 


On how this win boosts the confidence of the team
"I think when you’re coming off a season where you went 4-8, a big confidence boost is winning. But like you said, I think we’re a pretty confident unit, and that as long as we do the things that we have been taught well, we’ll be fine."


Daelin Hayes
On how it felt to start the year with a win

"It feels great. There’s no better feeling than singing that fight song after getting a win in front of our home crowd. Being able to break the stadium in with a win is also super exciting. I’m excited for this season, and ready to take it week by week, one opponent by one opponent. I’m excited for what we can do."


On how he felt the defense played as a unit
"Obviously there are always things to improve, but I think this is a great start. Being able to get to the quarterback and set the tempo is huge. But still, we’re far from where we need to be, and continuing to take that process day by day to get to where we need to be to create more pressure on the quarterback."


On how big it was for the team’s confidence to get that first win
"I think it’s huge. One, because, you know, you guys have heard about the work this team has put in in the offseason. And for these guys to be able to see that work pay off and come to fruition in a game setting is huge."


On the bowling sack dance
"Y’all know what the swipe dance is. Big bro gave me the number when I came in as a freshman, and it was a way of showing homage to him for paving the way for me. I called him before the game, and he said to go ahead and use it whenever I could, so it was exciting."


On his evolution as a player
"I think the biggest thing for me is gratitude. Just gratitude. You guys know the story of my high school career, and being a freshman and role player last year. Just being able to play the game, and do so at a high level, is huge, just being out there is a blessing. I attack every day with a heart of gratitude, willing and eager to get better."


On the next step for the defense and for Daelin Hayes personally
"I feel like that’s something you’ll just have to see when you see it.  That’s football, you never know till you know. But just continuing to get better each and every day, there is no ceiling for this team and this group. Just know these guys are hungry, and they come to practice each and every day ready to work."

Nic Weishar
On the key for him to have a good day
"For me, it’s just making the most of every opportunity I’m given. I’m not out there every single play, but the plays I am out there, I just want to focus on my job and what I can do to be successful. The last three years have prepared me to do that, to be able to step in when I’m called upon. And I was able to do that today."


On how the excellence in the running game helped open up the passing game
"It’s great. When you’re running the ball for 400 yards, obviously you get a lot of guys in the box, and that opens up the passing game too, for play action passes and things of that nature to work."


On how it feels to have a lot of opportunities to make an impact on the game
"I mean, it’s awesome. Coach is great with using us and getting us all in there, and you saw a lot of that today. We’re getting the ball thrown to us a lot more, which is great, and we’re at the point of attack on the run plays. It’s cool being featured in the offense for sure."


On how he assesses Brandon Wimbush’s play
"He’s unbelievable. He’s a great leader and just a great kid in general. Today you saw what he could do, he can sling the ball and run hard too. He’s a pretty shifty runner and hard to bring down, just needs to stop taking so many hits. He just needs to slide more, he’ll figure it out, he’s a great guy." 

 
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