Defensive coordinator of Notre Dame Al Golden spoke with reporters about the Week 1 win over Texas A&M and the upcoming Week 2 game against Northern Illinois. Here’s what Golden had to say.
On playing single-high man coverage for much of Week 1 at Texas A&M
“Honestly, it was the way the game unfolded, and then (A&M Offensive Coordinator Collin Klein) did a lot of different things than he did at Kansas State. So it was, ‘Okay, how can we calm the picture down for our guys and make them play fast.’ That was the impetus to play more of that. But as you know, we like to mix it up and it just got to the point where we just weren’t mixing it up as much as we wanted to and a couple of times it hurt us. So I’ve got to mix it up better.”
About the young defensive backs and linebackers who play fast
“It means a lot to them. When you’re with these guys, Adon Schuler is a football guy. Jaiden Ausberry is a football guy. Kyngstonn (Viliamu-Asa is) a football guy. You know what I mean by football guy? They hang out, they watch film, they ask questions during games, they get the iPad out when they’re in their dorm. That’s who they are. The challenge is different every week, and that would be the biggest challenge for these young guys.
“You just had two cycles to prepare for the opening game. Now you have one cycle and a whole different scheme comes into play. That’s the challenge for the young guys you just mentioned.”
About Christian Gray’s pass defense on fourth down, with which he decided the game
“It was a big play. Honestly, it wasn’t even a good call. Christian just read it really well and had great vision. We always say, ‘Break through the juncture’ and that’s what he did. He wasn’t lateral. He broke exactly how we would have expected him to and as an offensive player he has every right to the ball and that’s what he did. He stepped in front of it.”
How he upset Texas A&M quarterback Connor Weigman
“It was the rush and coverage combination. We didn’t get any sacks outright, but we got him running five or six times, which was great. We were good on third and fourth down, so if you can win those downs, you have a good chance in the game.
“Having the offense put pressure on them at the end of the game made a big difference for Notre Dame’s defense, just because now something has to happen with three or two minutes to go instead of it being 13-13. When we talk about complementary football, that’s exactly what it is. The offense goes down, makes some big plays, gets a run, blocks and scores. And we go out there, four-and-0 out, we get the ball, kick a field goal and then we go three-and-out to end the game. That was a good ending for us as a team.”
About playing nickel to stop the pass and not worrying so much about yards per run
“I want to stop the run as much as anyone, but not at the expense of explosive plays. We didn’t really allow a lot of explosive plays in this game. A few.”
On Texas A&M’s first play, a 15-yard pass
“I’ve been thinking about that call for three days. Terrible call. Let’s go through it. Three or four third-and-longs and they ran the ball. That’s a function of — two runs at the end of the game for 12 or 13 yards. Three runs during the game on third-and-9 and third-and-10. OK, go ahead, if you want to run three yards, go ahead. Punt.
“It’s really not a function of … we couldn’t just go down there and blitz and stop that run, but now we’re a jump ball down the field. Every game is different. If you go into that (Northern Illinois) game and say, ‘Don’t worry about the run,’ they’re going to run the ball 300 yards. It’s like playing Navy. They have a lot of great running schemes.”
On the development of his defense philosophy
“It’s about points, it’s about eliminating explosives. What causes you to lose? Who and what causes you to lose? No. 3 (NIU Wide Receiver Trayvon Rudolph) can cause you to lose against this team. The running back (Antario Braun) can cause you to lose.”
When asked whether there was a point in his career where this philosophy prevailed
“Oh, I don’t know. That’s the way it is — I’ve probably taken a lot of (expletive) for it over the years, but that’s all. I’m just saying that at the end of the day, it’s about the overall score. There are certain categories you have to win. I’d like to win the rushing category in addition to the others, but not at the expense (of winning the game).”
On Notre Dame defensive tackle Rylie Mills as a vocal leader
“No doubt about it. I feel he’s more confident and has more of a say. He’s just comfortable in his own skin. That’s the most important thing about leadership. Rylie is comfortable in his own skin and knows who feels comfortable, and the guys respect that.”
Whether there were problems or disruptions in helmet communication at Notre Dame
“Yeah, there is. Sometimes it’s tough. We just have to keep working on it and get better. Sometimes I have to do a better job with the linebackers. We just have to keep getting better at it.”
Whether the technology remained online the whole time
“Yes, that’s true. It’s always a cause for concern, but yes.”
On Jordan Botelho’s development and Notre Dame’s desire to bring him back for 2024
“Probably the best performance the other night. He played really well. He played with a lot of energy. That’s what’s special about Jordan right now: He plays fast. He doesn’t make mistakes. So he’s eliminated all distractions from his game and just plays really hard. He plays with energy and he plays smarter football. That leads to a lot of really good plays.”
