Notre Dame football coach Josh Sellers instructs his players during practice Tuesday.When he goes to the line of scrimmage, the first words from Notre Dame quarterback Josh Moore are simply, "Let's roll, let's roll," a phrase he picked up from new offensive coordinator Charles Fant.
The Irish have done that, rolling to 61-48 and 42-27 wins over Grace Academy and McMinn Central to become the first 2-0 Notre Dame football team since the 2005 bunch went 13-1 and got to the state semifinals. The 61 points in the season opener equaled the 2010 team's entire scoring output.
"There is definitely a little more pep in everybody's step. Starting out the season with a couple of wins has been beneficial all the way through," said head coach Josh Sellers.
They've converted from 3 yards and a cloud of dust to snap, throw and a puff of smoke.
Primary reasons are Fant, who coordinated the offense for many of Boyd-Buchanan's state playoff teams and who joined Sellers' staff this year; Moore, who transferred from Ringgold; and fellow senior Matt Reilly, a converted running back/linebacker playing his first season as a wide receiver.
"This was a move we felt as a coaching staff we needed to do," Sellers said. "I fired last year's offensive coordinator, and that was me. It has been interesting to watch from a head coach's perspective."
Heading into the team's first home game tonight against Chattanooga Christian, Moore has completed 27 of 42 passes with no interceptions for 509 yards, while Reilly has 18 completions and 345 yards.
"I hope it's something that continues," said Reilly, who didn't play any organized football until his sophomore season. "Coach Fant makes it where the playmakers are going to get the ball."
It is much more than the Moore-to-Reilly connection that has Notre Dame on an upward climb.
"Our offensive line has done an incredible job," said Moore, who is receiving looks from Tennessee Tech, Furman, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Vanderbilt, among others. "We are a pass-run team and it has balanced out. In the scrimmages we couldn't run. We might have thrown in 20 times in 30 plays. Teams are dropping off eight [defenders] in coverage, so you have to be able to run."
He specifically mentioned Shaqualm McCoy and Josh Deocampo along with linemen Joel Dossett, Ben Brower, Robert Kidwell, Grayson Hargett, John Bouchard and John Quatrano.
Reilly, though, has been his favorite target.
"The guy has incredible speed," Moore said. "Our offense is based on vertical, and when you have a guy like Matt that can get behind people you can make the defense pay if it's crowding the line of scrimmage. If they worry too much about the vertical threat, then you can go underneath."
Reilly, not surprisingly, is enjoying his role.
"There was a lot of hype before [Moore] got here, so I wasn't sure," he said. "Then we were out throwing in December and January and he has the arm. He can thread the needle and throw the deep ball. He's a good player."
Reilly was one of Fant's "finds" as the Irish moved from grounded-and-pounded to a wide-open offensive philosophy.
"It's exciting so far, and I really like playing wide receiver," the 6-foot, 170-pounder said. "Last year we didn't put up a lot of points and there have been kids that quit, that didn't want to put up with it."
There are only seven seniors on this year's team.
"These seniors have gotten a lot of reps and have been there through the thick and the thin," Reilly said. "It's no fun losing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The guys who stayed are reaping the benefits."
He added that no one is relaxing.
"If you get complacent you fall behind, and we don't have a lot of depth so we have to outwork people," he said. "So every practice we are trying to step it up."