Notre Dame might be getting back a couple of projected 2015 starters in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, but they will now be without starting safety Max Refield after the junior was sent home for violating team rules. Brian Kelly informed the media on Tuesday of Redfield’s suspension and stated he will not play as a result.
Brian Kelly did not revel what Redfield’s infraction was, but the big story here is that Notre Dame will now be without another starter for the Fiesta Bowl at the one position where the Irish have the least amount of depth on the entire roster.
With Redfield now unavailable for the Fiesta Bowl, look for Notre Dame to move Matthias Farley into the starting lineup in Redfield’s absence. Farley filled in for Redfield he missed missed the first half of the Pitt game due to a targeting penalty called against him versus Temple, and is really Notre Dame’s only option other than removing the redshirt from Mykelti Williams or using graduate transfer Avery Sebastian and thus ending any hope he has for a 6th year medical redshirt.
Compounding matters for Notre Dame in the secondary was Kelly’s other revelation on Tuesday – now starting corner Devin Butler will be out for the Fiesta Bowl as well after breaking his foot in practice. With Butler unavailable, Kelly said Nick Watkins would step into the starting lineup. Nick Coleman or Torii Hunter Jr will likely fill in as the slot corner now as well.
Just as Notre Dame was getting its healthiest of the season, the Irish have now lost two more starters for the Fiesta Bowl. Butler was already a fill-in starter with Keivarae Russell out after his injury he suffered against Boston College.
Ohio State won’t be shedding any tears or feeling bad for the Irish’s bad luck after their own string of bad luck that has them without two starting interior defensive lineman – Adolphus Washington (suspension) and Tommy Schutt (injury).
Given Notre Dame’s losses in what was already a shaky secondary, look for Ohio State to attack the Notre Dame defense vertically. Given the lack of time before the game, it might be tricky for Brian VanGorder to drastically alter his gameplan and approach to slowing down the high powered Buckeye offense, but clearly adjustments will need to be made. VanGorder loves to blitz but with all of the inexperience in the secondary now, you have to wonder if he will be told by Kelly to dial it down and try to play more bend, don’t break.
For Redfield, this is another stumbling block in what has been a disappointing career following his All-American high school career that earned him a 5-star recruiting rating. Redfield was benched last year before earning a spot in the starting lineup again this season, but he has still yet to live up the 5-star billing and one now has to wonder what his transgressions in Tempe – whatever they may have been – will mean for his long term future at Notre Dame.
Yes. To quick to bury lyght. I realize playing and coaching are differant. Lyght is very experienced. A whole lot of depletion in those position groups. I would think Lyght has earned and deserves more time before judgement. I myself have leaned more to scheme for their short comings. ND defense just has to much speed, athletic ability, hitters, and depth. Thanks.
We are ND. There are not 2 sets of rules on our FB team. Simple. Lou Holtz knew that and BK does too. It’s a winner.
Go IRISH,
Woody
It’s strange to me that everyone surrounding ND football continues with the overly polite treatment of Max Refield’s personality issues. I guess it comes along with the persistence of refering to 20 year olds as “kids”. Either way, it’s been insinuated, with varying degrees of subtlety, by nearly everyone who’s interviewed him, that there’s a “bizarre” element to his thinking and responses. One of whom suggested that he viewed himself as “above the team”.
He takes Mandarin because he wants to be in the CIA. But, there’s a possibility that he already believes he is…and that noone has been willing to explain to him that the best thing for Him, ND football, and national security, would be to excel in satisfying the responsibilities he has currently.
I wasn’t throwing Todd under the bus, but I’m far from feeling “thankful” at this very early point in his tenure. The defense is weak and underachieving, secondary included. This is pretty much factual amongst those who follow college football. But soutghside, feel free to lambaste me with your almighty sarcasm when ready.
@sub. Decades watching college. D-backs who turn and look for the ball has been a rarity and actually wasn’t taught. Yes it is and was frustrating. Especially At ND. BVG’s system is not helpful to D-backs. Constant blitz which does not hurry or pressure Teams get balls out quick. Send many into patterns.. Trick and big plays were most of the problem before. We’ve all witnessed the scheme for 12 games. I’ll take Lyght with his knowledge and experience. Two more backs gone? Hey I actually saw KVR look back for ball twice this year. Whole lot of hours spent on people who got injured. Time will tell.
Well Sub , your right on your , “I have no idea who to blame” but yet you throw 1st year secondary coach Todd Lyght under the bus in his teachings as a coach. If only you were there at the practices to tell Lyght about that “flaw” of secondary players looking for the ball in the air. Then again — you can throw Todd Lyght under bus with the above poster George “Oh” and “Oh well” comments. You come on here with sarcasm—expect back in your face. It’s all good.
They don’t look for the ball because they’re not in position to do so. There’s no point in turning around when you’re four steps behind the receiver. Oh, but I’m sure Lyght will have it all fixed with his 3rd string CB just in time to play the defending national champs. But if ND loses, oh well, at least they suspended a player when OSU didnt. That will make it all better.
@ 45 year faithful… thankful for Lyght? That comment might have been more appropriate before the start of the season. I can tell you that i was looking forward to what he’d teach our guys. I have no idea who is to blame, but after 12 games I don’t believe our backfield has learned anything. None of them ever look for the ball in the air. Couldn’t Todd have taught them that by now? With our offense and a shut down defensive backfield, we’d be playing the #4 team on the 31st. (ND -10 v. Okla.)
And there is the difference between Kelly and Meyer. Because Meyer is a press darling, it will never come up that the offense of causing an accident and driving with no license is less egregious to Meyer than a team violation is to Kelly.
It is not the first time a Notre Dame head coach has sent players home before a bowl game or other big game and it won’t be the last.
They have played next man in all year. Let’s hope they have enough men to be the next in as the week and the game progresses.
As for Redfield, he has been a disappointment from the beginning. Clearly he did not understand the Team 127 mentality of us not me this year.
Redfield won’t play Friday because he violated teamrules. Elliot drove with a suspended license and got into an accident. He will play Friday. OSU and Meyer haven’t learned a thing and it’s not surprising.
I hope they go more bend-don’t break, similar to the Diaco defense of 2012. I don’t think they can afford heavy blitzing because it would leave the secondary exposed. I think OSU will be looking for us to blitz because that is VanGorder’s trademark, much like Tenuta’s under Weis. But they can still have a successful game if they just keep everything in front of them. Diaco had a lot of success in 2012 with that philosophy and that can work here. If ND can continue recruiting the secondary, VanGorder’s system can be successful, but we just don’t have the players available for that right now. He needs to adjust for what he has now.
Bend but don’t break isn’t exciting. In fact in can be nerve racking because you’re allowing OSU some yardage. The key will be preventing TD’s. I think we can sacrifice some FG’s, but then the offense will need to do its job and score TD’s. This will have to be a whole team effort. Some good special teams work can go a long way too and can put ND over the top.
Ugh. Hope it wasn’t something that will linger or surface again. D-line is going to have to balance out this short coming. Two out with all the prep time. They will find a way. Thankful for Lyght.
So Max decides this game is not important enough for him to be part of with his team. So breaking rules is really about “me, me, me, can’t you see!” That’s unfortunate he will be missing an opportunity to kick the buckheads. I won’t be surprised if he declares. NEXT MAN IN and now an opportunity is opened for somebody else. Use the opportunity, don’t waste it.
And the carousel continues to spin of players getting off who can’t play.
My bad… Farley filled in. Those in glass houses!
Didn’t Redfield fill in for Shumate, not Redfield? In fact, that whole second sentence in the 3rd paragraph needs some help.