Notre Dame Football: 3 Important Adjustments the Irish Need to Make

After an 0-2 start, it is apparent changes are needed if Brian Kelly's Notre Dame squad wants to get back on track.

And being that it's Notre Dame, the Irish are held to a certain standard no matter what the implications.

That being said, here are three adjustments that need to take place in South Bend.

Blitz More

The problem here can be summed up in one drive this season.

With the Irish leading Michigan 31-28 late in the game, the Wolverines began their final drive at their own 20-yard line.

28 seconds later, Michigan was up 35-31 to cap off what seemed to be an insurmountable comeback.

The reason? The Irish sat back and waited.

Throughout the game, Notre Dame had occasionally blitzed and kept the Wolverines out of rhythm. However, the Irish suddenly stopped doing so in the final quarter, and it cost them the game as Michigan scored 28 fourth quarter points.

Being aggressive is what playing defense is all about, and Notre Dame must blitz more if they want to get better in 2011.

Keep Tommy Rees as the Starting QB

Once QB Dayne Crist started dropping in productivity, it was apparent head coach Brian Kelly had him on a short leash. Backup Tommy Rees played in relief against South Florida and almost brought the Irish back from a 16-0 deficit.

And that play carried over into Week 2 at Michigan, where Rees finished the day 27-39 for 315 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Obviously, Rees could do without the interceptions but he gives the Notre Dame offense the best chance to win and ignites confidence within the unit.

Even if Rees has a bad game, he must remain the starter.

Coach Brian Kelly has already benched Crist and would be sending a mixed message to his players if he did the same to Rees at this point. Plus, Rees is only a sophomore and still has room to mature as a player.

Play a Full Game

Notre Dame has yet to play a full 60 minutes this season, period. This fact has cost them in both games, and it will continue to cost them if they don't go all out.

Against South Florida, the Irish found themselves down 16-0 midway into the third quarter before they woke up. And although they made a comeback, they still fell 23-20.

The following week in the Big House against rival Michigan, Notre Dame played amazingly through the first three quarters and were up 24-7 with one quarter to go.

However, all was for naught and the Irish gave up 28 fourth quarter points, lost the game 35-31, and now find themselves 0-2 heading into the Michigan State game.

The scary part is the Spartans are better than both South Florida and Michigan, so even if Notre Dame plays a full game it still may not be enough.

That said, playing a full game is needed to win against anybody, regardless of the level of competition, but the Irish have yet to do so.

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From previews to game coverage, from live blogs to updates, from the rankings to the bowls, Bleacher Report blanks the sport of college football. Keep it here throughout the season for the best news, highlights, analysis and more.

Be sure to check out John on Bleacher Report.

And you can follow him on Twitter @ Sportswriter27.