SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly apologized to his players in the locker room after the loss at North Carolina State, sorry that he couldn’t find a way to win.

Kelly has done a bit of everything to try to turn around Notre Dame’s fortunes. He said after the loss to Michigan State that he and his coaches needed to do better. He placed the blame for the loss to Duke on his players, saying they needed to play with more passion. He fired his defensive coordinator and told the other assistants and the players that everyone’s job was in jeopardy, including his own. He’s taken a more active role in coaching the defense and he’s encouraged the Irish to play with more enthusiasm.

So midway into a season that’s quickly spiraling out of control, what move can Kelly make to help the Irish (2-4) as he tries to avoid his first losing season since his first year at Central Michigan in 2004? Kelly’s push this week as the Irish prepare for Stanford (3-2) is for players to finish games stronger, telling them he needs their best in key moments.

Kelly this week won’t talk specifics about what changes he is planning to finish stronger, but says part of the focus will be on awareness.