Max Redfield looks to build on best game at Notre Dame

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Max Redfield racked up 14 tackles against Clemson in what coach Brian Kelly dubbed the best game of the junior safety’s career.

The challenge for Redfield, a former five-star safety who’s experienced plenty of peaks and valleys in his time at Notre Dame, is finding a way to repeat that success in games.

“It’s more about displaying the consistency on the field on Saturdays,” Redfield said. “I feel like I practice just as hard and to my full capability week in and week out. But as far as I’m showing that on Saturday play in and play out, it needs more (consistency).”

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Redfield and his coaches felt like the California native was poised to build on a strong finish to the 2014 season after an impressive preseason camp, but he broke his thumb on Notre Dame’s first defensive series of the year against Texas. He was ineffective against Virginia and didn’t play against Georgia Tech, despite participating in practice leading up to that game Sept. 19. Redfield said he didn’t know he would sit out against Georgia Tech’s triple option leading up to the game, and when sophomore Drue Tranquill tore his ACL celebrating in the second quarter, it was graduate student Matthias Farley who replaced him, not Redfield.

The thumb injury limited Redfield’s ability to tackle against a triple option offense that punished missed tackles. Redfield still has his hand wrapped, but his physical play last weekend at Death Valley reinforced the plan to start him against Navy’s triple option on Saturday.

“There's a standard for him now on film for how he can play this game and hopefully we can continue on this track,” Kelly said. “Now we've got the film to show it against a very good competition against very good athletes, we can show him the kind of play that he's capable of.”

[MORE: Notre Dame 'cannot let Clemson beat us twice']

Redfield said he’s past the mental block of the pain — which has subsided every week — that’s associated with his thumb injury. The energy of Death Valley and the talent of Clemson’s offense helped him play up to his potential and not be limited by his thumb, too.

“Obviously you want to play consistently week in and week out, but you definitely play up to opponents who demand a little bit more attention, a little bit more aggression, anything along those lines,” Redfield said. “So I tried to bring it for my team.”

Farley saw that same kind of fire, too.

“He was just focused,” Farley said. “He was playing possessed, he was all over the field, making plays way down the field, making plays in the backfield. He was really locked in. When the lights shine bright, Max plays really well.”

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