Brian Kelly Comments on Notre Dame's Loss to NC State

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have dropped three of their last four games following Saturday's 10-3 loss to North Carolina State, and head coach Brian Kelly had mixed feelings regarding his team's performance.  

Speaking to reporters following a loss that came in a steady downpour facilitated by Hurricane Matthew, Kelly lamented his team's inability to make positive gains against N.C. State's 35th-ranked scoring defense. 

"We're looking for wins, not improvement on one side of the ball or the other," Kelly said, according to ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna. "Although, I was very pleased with our physicality, toughness and tackling. I'm just extremely disappointed in the offensive execution and lack of ability to manage the snapping of the football—which was atrocious as well."

Notre Dame finished the day with 113 yards of total offense, and quarterback DeShone Kizer completed nine of 26 passes for 54 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

The rushing attack wasn't much better. Although Josh Adams carried the ball 14 times for 51 yards, Kizer managed 15 yards on as many carries, as the Fighting Irish finished with a paltry 1.6 yards per tote. 

Kelly also pointed to turnovers—Notre Dame had three compared to N.C. State's two—as a reason for the Fighting Irish's failures. 

"Both teams turned the ball over in very difficult conditions; both teams had a hard time moving the football," he said, per Fortuna. "Both field-goal kickers managed to eke one over the uprights in sloppy conditions. We gave up a flippin' blocked punt for a touchdown. That's the difference in this one."

Now 2-4 overall, Notre Dame is forced to regroup with a stiff test on the horizon.

Next up for the Fighting Irish is a clash with the 15th-ranked Stanford Cardinal, who allowed a meager 12 points per game over their first three outings in 2016 before getting shellacked by the Washington Huskies. 

Matched up against one of the nation's premier front sevens, Notre Dame should have its hands full at home next Saturday as Kelly and Co. seek to turn things around following a disappointing start.