What Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said prior to USC game
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden spoke to reporters Tuesday evening about responding to turnovers by the offense, senior defensive tackle Rylie Mills and more. Here’s what Golden had to say.
On responding to turnovers by the Notre Dame offense in loss to Louisville
“We just call it sudden-change defense. We always talk about that we don’t choose when we go out there or what time the game is or where the game is, but we choose to fight. And we’ve got to go out there and fight when it’s time to go. And I was really proud of our guys. I think our whole staff was proud of the way they fought, because there were some tough situations. And instead of pouting and giving up, they stood their ground, which was really important. I think there’s a lot to be said about that. And in terms of how we can impact that moving forward, obviously, if we can take the ball away and give our offense shorter fields or more possessions, that’s going to help the whole team. So, we have to do a better job of taking the ball away.”
On graduate cornerback Cam Hart playing in the slot
“Yeah, I think he did really well. I think he practiced well. I think C-Lew [Clarence Lewis] practiced well and played well in the game. So, again, I think that’s going to make us better moving forward. No, I wouldn’t rule out Cam playing there at some point, but having Harp [Thomas Harper] back helps — helps us at safety, helps us at nickel.”
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On the performance of sophomore Vypers Joshua Burnham and Junior Tuihalamaka in the absence of senior Jordan Botelho
“It’s nice to have Jordan back, but it was also nice to see those other guys get in there and go have a chance and compete. So, I think they do compete when they go in there, Junior and Burnham, which is good. We need depth, and I think sometimes you look for the positive in a suspension, and the positive was that we got a little deeper at that position in that game.”
On senior defensive tackle Rylie Mills’ play
“I thought he did a great job. I think he’s truly playing with leverage and extending. And then his block destruction has been really improved the last couple of weeks. So, even if there’s a blocker in front of him, he’s able to play his gap — we call it gap and a half. He’s able to play his gap, and then if you’re in control of the block, then obviously you can make a play in an adjacent gap. And I think he’s been doing a lot of that and doing it well, the last couple of weeks. So, I’m excited about his progress. His last two games have been his best two games, so that’s great for him.”
On whether he thinks Mills will return to Notre Dame next year
“Trust me, I’m just trying to get through Tuesday. I can’t talk about next year.”
