-Here was the end of Clay Helton's opening comments:
"This is a good football team. Notre Dame's a good football team, we are too, and I can't wait to watch the next six games. I told our team in there, if they play like they did in the second half, get ready, they're going to win a Pac-12 title and I honestly believe that. We've got six games to really put our best foot forward in our conference. We control our own destiny on the way to a Pac-12 title and that's what we've got to do."
-I was down on the field right after Notre Dame's last touchdown and defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a was apoplectic in addressing the DL. We talked to Brandon Pili later about what happened on the last drive, specifically on Ian Book's big runs, and he said guys were in the wrong spots.
"The first run was on us as a defensive line. We were out of our gap. Actually, both of them were. we didn't run the right call, so the A gap on the second play was wide open and the edge was open on the first long run. It was our fault, we have to go back to the drawing board. ... That's why he was a bit angry. We've just got to play better."
-I asked Clay Helton directly if what he saw tonight from Markese Stepp makes him think he deserved a larger role. He again said Stepp is being used properly, that is role keeps expanding (his 10 carries were the same he had at Washington) and noted that he had the most carries on the team. That's true (Carr had 9 and Malepeai had 8). He also noted that the other guys are doing well (statistically, that's true too -- Vae averaged 5.8 YPC and Carr 4.9), but the point is that Stepp is clearly doing more with his touches. It's not that the other guys can't play -- it's not it's not a meritocracy and Stepp is consistently delivering something more than the other two can.
"He's doing a great job as well as the other kids and he had a bigger role tonight. He did a wonderful job for basically 82 yards on the night as well as Vavae and Stephen. I think all three of us put us in positions to win. His role keeps on [growing] -- he got the most carries out of the three backs tonight -- so I think his role did increase tonight."
-On that note, when we talked to Harrell, he also brushed off the notion that Stepp should have gotten more carries by noting that he was "sucking wind" at times.
"We gave it to him about as many as he can handle. He was sucking wind from what I understand, but he's special with the ball in his hand. He's a heck of a player. He did a nice job, he can probably handle a few more carries, but we've got three special backs and we like them all. They all bring something different to the table. Especially in short-yardage situations, Markese is hard to tackle so that makes him a huge weapon there. And really, in any situation with the ball in his hands he's good. We've got to work on his ball security at time and blitz pickup at times, but he's getting better and better every week and we're proud of that. The more reps he gets I think the better player he is because he sees more things, and not only in the run game but in the pass game seeing protections. It's great to get him reps, I'm proud of the way he's battled all year. Obviously his role has increased as the year's gone on because we've gotten more comfortable putting him in, but we've got a lot of special players who need touches and he's one of them.
Stepp didn't seem to like that comment when it was relayed to him, attributing any windedness to carrying multiple defenders for multiple yards multiple times (not his language -- he was deferential and respectful to the coaches as always).
"Sometimes, when you're carrying like six people you tend to get winded. That's a lot of people. I got a little winded, yeah, yes sir."
-Harrell noted Notre Dame showed things they hadn't showed before and adjustments were made at halftime, but mostly he said it was just a difference in execution from one half to the next.
"Just everyone do their job and make the plays that are out there. Like I said, in the first half the plays were the same -- we just missed a couple of them. We had some creases in the run game that we missed, we had some opportunities in the pass game that we didn't hit. If you think about, Tyler made that play in the second half on that vertical. We had a very similar play in the drive in the first half, almost an identical play to Pitt and we dropped it. I think the difference is just we made the plays we were supposed to make in that second half and we didn't in the first. They did come out and play a defense that they hadn't shown on film all year, but at halftime we said this is what's going to be good -- let's go execute it. That's all that was said at halftime, go compete because we're still fine."
-Helton gave a stronger response than usual when asked about the back-breaking roughing the passer penalty against Palaie Gaoteote.
"Referees have very hard jobs and at full speed some calls are hard. I see it one way, another man may see it the other. You have to live with those calls and live with those calls as coaches. [Kedon Slovis] got hit a little bit late also. I hope we look at it and it's not the same thing, but it's something … that crew out there is a pro crew, they do a great job in our league and some calls go your way and some calls didn't. That call didn't go our way."
-And he was very frustrated about the onside kick and asked the refs if he could challenge it.
"I went to them because one of their coaches was actually on the field and actually all the way to the numbers. I asked if that is reviewable. I was going to call a timeout to review it because I felt like our guys didn't really know are we going or were we not going. I thought it did help, they were trying to get their guys lined up, should have been a flag -- no question -- it got missed. I was asking to see if it was reviewable so overhead they could, but it was a non-reviewable call."
-Helton was asked if he thought USC should have won the game and he said, no, they didn't do enough. He did reiterate that he thinks if the team plays like it did in the second half they'll win the Pac-12.
"Do I feel like we should have won? No, we didn't do enough in the first half to put ourselves in a position. the score was 30-27. We'll look at this tape and there were enough times we had the opportunity to get a stop and we didn't come up with it. We had an opportunity in the first half to finish drives and we didn't do it. It's a team game, and as a team collectively -- staff, players, everybody -- we came up short today. That's the fact of the matter. It's our job over the next six weeks to make sure that doesn't happen so we can win a Pac-12 title and see you all in a Rose Bowl. That's our goal, and it will continue to be and we control our own destiny. We look forward to the next game."
-Brian Kelly said his No. 1 priority was to keep Michael Pittman from beating them. With 4 catches for 29 yards, they achieved their goal.
-Kelly also attributed Notre Dame's 308 rushing yards to USC playing two deep safeties and said it was clear the Trojans didn't want the Irish to beat them through the air.
"This is a good football team. Notre Dame's a good football team, we are too, and I can't wait to watch the next six games. I told our team in there, if they play like they did in the second half, get ready, they're going to win a Pac-12 title and I honestly believe that. We've got six games to really put our best foot forward in our conference. We control our own destiny on the way to a Pac-12 title and that's what we've got to do."
-I was down on the field right after Notre Dame's last touchdown and defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a was apoplectic in addressing the DL. We talked to Brandon Pili later about what happened on the last drive, specifically on Ian Book's big runs, and he said guys were in the wrong spots.
"The first run was on us as a defensive line. We were out of our gap. Actually, both of them were. we didn't run the right call, so the A gap on the second play was wide open and the edge was open on the first long run. It was our fault, we have to go back to the drawing board. ... That's why he was a bit angry. We've just got to play better."
-I asked Clay Helton directly if what he saw tonight from Markese Stepp makes him think he deserved a larger role. He again said Stepp is being used properly, that is role keeps expanding (his 10 carries were the same he had at Washington) and noted that he had the most carries on the team. That's true (Carr had 9 and Malepeai had 8). He also noted that the other guys are doing well (statistically, that's true too -- Vae averaged 5.8 YPC and Carr 4.9), but the point is that Stepp is clearly doing more with his touches. It's not that the other guys can't play -- it's not it's not a meritocracy and Stepp is consistently delivering something more than the other two can.
"He's doing a great job as well as the other kids and he had a bigger role tonight. He did a wonderful job for basically 82 yards on the night as well as Vavae and Stephen. I think all three of us put us in positions to win. His role keeps on [growing] -- he got the most carries out of the three backs tonight -- so I think his role did increase tonight."
-On that note, when we talked to Harrell, he also brushed off the notion that Stepp should have gotten more carries by noting that he was "sucking wind" at times.
"We gave it to him about as many as he can handle. He was sucking wind from what I understand, but he's special with the ball in his hand. He's a heck of a player. He did a nice job, he can probably handle a few more carries, but we've got three special backs and we like them all. They all bring something different to the table. Especially in short-yardage situations, Markese is hard to tackle so that makes him a huge weapon there. And really, in any situation with the ball in his hands he's good. We've got to work on his ball security at time and blitz pickup at times, but he's getting better and better every week and we're proud of that. The more reps he gets I think the better player he is because he sees more things, and not only in the run game but in the pass game seeing protections. It's great to get him reps, I'm proud of the way he's battled all year. Obviously his role has increased as the year's gone on because we've gotten more comfortable putting him in, but we've got a lot of special players who need touches and he's one of them.
Stepp didn't seem to like that comment when it was relayed to him, attributing any windedness to carrying multiple defenders for multiple yards multiple times (not his language -- he was deferential and respectful to the coaches as always).
"Sometimes, when you're carrying like six people you tend to get winded. That's a lot of people. I got a little winded, yeah, yes sir."
-Harrell noted Notre Dame showed things they hadn't showed before and adjustments were made at halftime, but mostly he said it was just a difference in execution from one half to the next.
"Just everyone do their job and make the plays that are out there. Like I said, in the first half the plays were the same -- we just missed a couple of them. We had some creases in the run game that we missed, we had some opportunities in the pass game that we didn't hit. If you think about, Tyler made that play in the second half on that vertical. We had a very similar play in the drive in the first half, almost an identical play to Pitt and we dropped it. I think the difference is just we made the plays we were supposed to make in that second half and we didn't in the first. They did come out and play a defense that they hadn't shown on film all year, but at halftime we said this is what's going to be good -- let's go execute it. That's all that was said at halftime, go compete because we're still fine."
-Helton gave a stronger response than usual when asked about the back-breaking roughing the passer penalty against Palaie Gaoteote.
"Referees have very hard jobs and at full speed some calls are hard. I see it one way, another man may see it the other. You have to live with those calls and live with those calls as coaches. [Kedon Slovis] got hit a little bit late also. I hope we look at it and it's not the same thing, but it's something … that crew out there is a pro crew, they do a great job in our league and some calls go your way and some calls didn't. That call didn't go our way."
-And he was very frustrated about the onside kick and asked the refs if he could challenge it.
"I went to them because one of their coaches was actually on the field and actually all the way to the numbers. I asked if that is reviewable. I was going to call a timeout to review it because I felt like our guys didn't really know are we going or were we not going. I thought it did help, they were trying to get their guys lined up, should have been a flag -- no question -- it got missed. I was asking to see if it was reviewable so overhead they could, but it was a non-reviewable call."
-Helton was asked if he thought USC should have won the game and he said, no, they didn't do enough. He did reiterate that he thinks if the team plays like it did in the second half they'll win the Pac-12.
"Do I feel like we should have won? No, we didn't do enough in the first half to put ourselves in a position. the score was 30-27. We'll look at this tape and there were enough times we had the opportunity to get a stop and we didn't come up with it. We had an opportunity in the first half to finish drives and we didn't do it. It's a team game, and as a team collectively -- staff, players, everybody -- we came up short today. That's the fact of the matter. It's our job over the next six weeks to make sure that doesn't happen so we can win a Pac-12 title and see you all in a Rose Bowl. That's our goal, and it will continue to be and we control our own destiny. We look forward to the next game."
-Brian Kelly said his No. 1 priority was to keep Michael Pittman from beating them. With 4 catches for 29 yards, they achieved their goal.
-Kelly also attributed Notre Dame's 308 rushing yards to USC playing two deep safeties and said it was clear the Trojans didn't want the Irish to beat them through the air.
