Brian Kelly Comes Clean on Punt Return Fiasco

We have listened to and/or read every Brian Kelly press conference.  The pre-games, post games, media days, post practice, phone-call-ins, one-on-ones with the Notre Dame media department and singular interviews out in the hinterlands of America.   This is one reason we have a number of pet peeves with the local media that attend the Notre Dame press conferences who we have affectionately dubbed moronic. 

Here is the entire 30 minute conference on Tuesday.  Finally Kelly addresses punt returns.

During the below exchange we have no idea who asked the question.  Reporters do not identify themselves and unless Kelly responses with “Eric, Pete, Brian, etc,” we are at a loss to know who is the questioner.

It is slower but easier to read the transcripts than listen to the press conference.  Reporters do not use provided microphones and in some cases all you hear is the response by Kelly.

Some questions are simply stupid.  The below one is a good example concerning turnovers and special teams.  It was a setup question.  Kelly figured his punt return scheme would be questioned sooner or later, simply because it is terrible for the second year in a row.  The sad part is that Kelly’s response begs a couple of follow-on questions.  Of course there were none.

Irish Coach Brian Kelly

Q. So many times in marquee games like this it comes down to turnovers and special teams. Now, turnovers, you've been among the nation's leaders there in margin and everything. How would you rate your special teams effectively‑‑

COACH KELLY: A. A plus. It's a set‑up question.

Obviously we missed some field goals, and we're not pleased with that, but we've been pretty good kicking the football. We haven't been the best in the country. But it's not taking away from winning.
As it relates to punt return, we're fielding the ball much better than we did last year. We need to go north and south. We're not pleased with our kickoff return game. We think we've got some players in there that have to step their play up. And we're really thin on punt return.

When we lost Wood and we lost Jamoris Slaughter and had to pencil in players full‑time on the defensive side of the ball, we lost some really good cover guys. We're really thin there. And we're not going to be able to answer it until we get some reinforcement. This recruiting class should help us next year where we have depth in personnel.

We're still one click behind in special teams with the depth of the personnel that we need. And that's just the fact. We're playing some young guys there that have to get better. But I like where we're going to go. I think our punt return is going to be really good. I think we're going to have some guys that we'll be able to get on that team.

But we are who we are right now. We're clearly disappointed we have to do a better job. We have to give George Atkinson more room. We've gotta do a better job. And we can. We just have to be better at that area right now.

I was kidding about the A. I heard it coming, so I responded.

Let’s break down some of Kelly’s comments to the question.

Kelly:  As it relates to punt return, we’re fielding the ball much better than we did last year.

SAS comment:  Neal has a fumble which he recovered (MSU) and has let a number of punts go that were downed well inside the 20 yard line by our opponents.  His return yardage results are no better than John Goodman’s last year.

Kelly:  We need to go north and south.  We’re not pleased with our kickoff return game.  We think we’ve got some players in there that have to step their play up.  And we’re really thin on punt return.

SAS comment:  In Pop Warner ball they teach and stress running straight ahead on returns.  You can’t teach that to elite college players? 

SAS comment:  We would hope not.

SAS comment:  It they have not stepped up their play after seven games what have they been coached, trained, and standards practiced to?  Replace them with others that want a chance to play.  Maybe some of the 20 walk-ons would like a chance?

SAS comment:  With a 105 man roster you are thin on players that are called upon to do one thing on returns.  Block?  Oh my gosh.

Kelly:  When we lost Wood and we lost Jamoris Slaughter and had to pencil in players full‑time on the defensive side of the ball, we lost some really good cover guys. We're really thin there. And we're not going to be able to answer it until we get some reinforcement. This recruiting class should help us next year where we have depth in personnel.

We're still one click behind in special teams with the depth of the personnel that we need. And that's just the fact. We're playing some young guys there that have to get better. But I like where we're going to go. I think our punt return is going to be really good. I think we're going to have some guys that we'll be able to get on that team.

But we are who we are right now. We're clearly disappointed we have to do a better job.

SAS Comment:  What a bunch of hooey.   Last year the excuse was that there was no time to fix it during the season and that it would be an off-season priority.  We are disappointed both in the response last year and the response above.

Kelly:  We have to give George Atkinson more room. 

SAS Comment:  Wait a minute.  We thought you said George needed to go north and south?  Obviously both Atkinson and Neal need more room.  What they really need is a guy wearing a gold helmet to zero in on a guy wearing some other colored helmet and put him on the ground. 

Every team has special team issues with players.  You want to save your best for defense and rest them when you can.  On punt returns you have a return guy and usually two guys that rush the punter to keep him honest.  So that leaves eight guys to either block at the line or rush back and set up a return.  Eight guys.

EDITORS NOTE:  A losing battle was fought with the Google Blogger template and SAS lost.  Pay no attention to the white background on some of the text it is not meant to highlight anything.  Well maybe our stupidity in trying to manipulate text.