Notre Dame's Enigmatic Defense Will Be Tested in 2nd Half of Season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — For the second time in four weeks, Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly stood before the media and discussed fullbacks, assignments and defensive personnel decisions based on the unique and always-thorny triple option.

“Thank gosh,” Kelly said, interrupting a question about being finished with the option this season.

Three weeks after Notre Dame stifled Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson’s typically potent attack, the Irish clamped down on Navy on Saturday, topping the Midshipmen, 41-24, and only allowing 95 yards of total offense on 25 plays (3.8 yards per play) after halftime.

The Irish invested plenty of time and resources on preparing for the option. They enlisted special assistant Bob Elliott to research defensive techniques in the offseason, pursued a preferred walk-on quarterback, Rob Regan, to run the scout team and prepped against the option in the spring, summer and fall. The work paid off. Now, Notre Dame is through with the option.

“I couldn’t be any more excited,” junior defensive lineman Isaac Rochell said. “I literally am so happy to be done with it.”

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Yet halfway through the season, Notre Dame’s defense is still somewhat enigmatic. The Irish have handled the option against Georgia Tech and Navy. But the option—and the defense needed to combat it—is different, with Notre Dame deploying the likes of linebackers Jarrett Grace and Greer Martini to stop it.

“It’s just a different type of game,” Rochell said. “It takes a different type of physical and mental attitude.”

The Irish held Texas to three points. They were porous against Virginia and gave up 27 points. They allowed UMass to pile up 450 yards of total offense, but 139 of those came on two plays. They gave up two touchdowns to Clemson before all of the Tigers had run down the hill, then proceeded to keep Clemson under 300 yards of offense for the game.

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So how does Notre Dame’s defense grade out at the halfway point of the regular season?

“We definitely have a lot of room to grow,” senior captain and defensive lineman Sheldon Day said. “Making sure we focus on the little things and make sure we can’t get beat because of something that we didn’t do.”

“I think we’re getting better,” Rochell said. “I think every game we’re trying to improve on something different and trying to put a complete defense together. Every position needs to play well, and we’re just trying to piece everything together to form a really good, consistent defense.”

Notre Dame will be tested the rest of the option-less way, beginning next week when USC visits South Bend. Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler, Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan and running back Christian McCaffrey still dot the remaining schedule.

“[Defensive coordinator Brian] VanGorder, he throws new things at us each and every week,” Day said. “It’s all about learning my fits and everybody else’s fits and make sure we can know the defense in and out.”

Notre Dame’s been crisp in certain stretches, such as the fourth quarter against Clemson and the second half Saturday against Navy.

“I was so pleased with the way that they were focused during the week, preparing for Navy, not worrying about anything else,” Kelly said. “They weren’t talking about last week. They weren’t talking about USC. They were focused on playing this football team. And that’s really all you can ask for as a coach. I thought their focus was outstanding, and it paid off.”

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The key to defensive consistency and growth in the second half of the regular season, Day said, is focus and attention to detail.

“There’s always areas to improve and areas to learn,” Rochell said. “Obviously we feel confident about ourselves and what we’re doing.”

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Mike Monaco is the lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco_ on Twitter.