SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – Notre Dame has played well when games against good opponents appear out of reach.
The Fighting Irish (1-2) trailed Texas by 17 before taking the lead and then losing in overtime in the opener. They were down 29 to No. 8 Michigan State before scoring three straight touchdowns and losing 36-28 on Saturday.
Coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday the Irish need to get going sooner, starting against Duke (1-2) on Saturday.
“We shouldn’t be waiting for the ebbs and flows of games to carry us. We should be the ones initiating the flows of the game. That is the makeup of this team right now that needs to change,” Kelly said.
Kelly spoke a dozen times Tuesday about the need to play with urgency. He pointed particularly to the play of quarterback DeShone Kizer, saying there were seven plays in a row in the third quarter where the Irish either lost yards or were held for no gain – including an interception Kizer threw.