Details, details: To Kelly, that's what it's all about

When Brian Kelly talks about ''attention to detail,'' it's not a hollow slogan. It's his schematic advantage.

Kelly prides himself on being ready for anything and having players who make good decisions and can think on their feet. In the last two seasons at Cincinnati, Kelly's teams were 10-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Notre Dame was 7-9.

Kelly's first Notre Dame team makes the turn this weekend from training camp to preparation for the season opener Sept. 4 against Purdue, following a practice today at Notre Dame Stadium dedicated to ''bench-control script,'' which is being prepared for anything.

''[It's] about 49 different scenarios that will occur during the game,'' Kelly said after practice Thursday. ''I was telling the team when I first started at Grand Valley [State], we had about 16 or 18. We've worked our way up to 49.

''I don't know if it says a lot about my experience of dealing with different things in the game or just the obsession of a coach trying to cover every scenario that may never occur, but you want to be ready anyway.''

Kelly said he added one scenario to the list with Cincinnati in 2008 against West Virginia. The Bearcats led 20-7 and were backed up at their 6-yard line with less than two minutes to play and took a safety. But they left enough time on the clock for West Virginia to score a touchdown and a two-point conversion, then recover an onside kick and boot a 52-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. Cincinnati won 26-23 in OT.

''We put in what we call 'Turtle Punt,' which kills six to eight seconds off the clock,'' Kelly said. ''We have the entire team hold because we don't care about a penalty. But we have to get eight seconds off the clock. Because if we had taken off a few more seconds in the West Virginia game, they wouldn't have had time to tie the game and send it into overtime.''

Kelly said the coaches will work with headsets and go through a ''dry run'' of pregame during the practice today. ''Then it's 100 percent on Purdue,'' he said.

SNAPPING TO IT

After a lackluster practice on Wednesday that drew considerable ire from Kelly, the Irish were much improved on Thursday, he said.

''We're getting close,'' he said. ''Today was a pretty good day in terms of bouncing back from what I considered a sloppy practice. Our guys came with a much better purpose today -- very professional in the way they went to work.''

DAY OF DECISION

Kelly said he will announce Monday whether junior Nate Montana or freshman Tommy Rees will back up quarterback Dayne Crist for the opener.

INJURY UPDATE

Tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has been limited since suffering a hamstring injury the first day of preseason workouts, took some reps Thursday ''and looked pretty good,'' Kelly said.

Linebacker Anthony McDonald, all but considered out of the opener after suffering a hyperextended knee in practice last week, returned to practice and might be available for backup duty against Purdue.

''He's gone from doubtful to questionable,'' Kelly said. ''He's made great progress.''

Photo: Joe Raymond, AP / In the last two seasons at Cincinnati, Brian Kelly's teams were 10-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less.