NEW YORK -- There is only so much a coach can do to change a defense in a few practices. Game plans can be adjusted. Schemes can be tweaked. Lineups can be shuffled. Some different players can be given more opportunities to contribute.Notre Dame plans to do all those things when it play its first game Saturday since coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, facing Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kelly put former Purdue defensive coordinator Greg Hudson in charge and said he has been more involved with that side of the ball this week, too.Ultimately, though, what the Fighting Irish (1-3) are hoping will improve a defense that is on pace to be one of the worst in school history is less about Xs and Os and more about mind-set and attitude.I think a lot of guys were out there tense, tightened up and werent playing loose, safety Drue Tranquil said. I think weve seen a lot of guys let loose this week and its been a real positive attitude.Considering Notre Dame allowed 38 points in a loss to Duke last week after the Blue Devils scored 38 points in their two previous games, it is safe to assume just about any offense would pose a challenge to the Irish right now. Syracuse (2-2) presents in some ways a familiar test for the Irish.First-year Syracuse coach Dino Babers, a former Baylor assistant coach under Art Briles, runs a version of the spread offense used in Waco, Texas. In their opening game, Notre Dame lost to Texas in overtime as the Longhorns debuted their Baylor-style, up-tempo offense under new coordinator and former Briles assistant Sterlin Gilbert. The Orange run a lot of plays (345, fourth-most in FBS), but they havent had much of a running game and overall their 5.76 yards per play ranks a so-so 68th in the nation.Need to work on being consistent, running back Dontae Strickland said. We can go from scoring in 20 seconds to a three-and-out.The Orange have had their own issues stopping opponents. The Orange rank 113th in the country in yards per play allowed at 6.39, nine spots behind Notre Dame (6.18) on the list.What else to watch for when the Fighting Irish play Syracuse for the eighth time, a second straight at the home of the NFLs Giants and Jets:CALLING OUT KIZERNotre Dames DeShone Kizer has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country, ranking 14th in in efficiency rating (167.55) and yards per attempt (9.4) and running for a team-best five touchdowns. He also threw an interception late against Duke that set up the winning field goal and had a fumble earlier in the game.Kelly said this week Kizers standard of play is not where we want it to be for him, which sounds a lot like a coach who knows he needs his star quarterback to play like a star quarterback to overcome a shaky defense.CATCHING ONMaryland graduate transfer Amba Etta-Tawo leads the nation with 706 yards receiving on 40 catches after setting a school record with 270 yards receiving in a victory against Connecticut last week. He is just the third player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to have multiple 200-yard receiving games in the same season, joining Torry Holt (NC State, 1998) and Craphonso Thorpe (Florida State).If they double team me it opens up doors for other guys so that would be good news, Etta-Tawo said.In three seasons at Maryland, Etta-Tawo 61 passes for 938 yards and three touchdowns.NEW YORKS COLLEGE TEAMThis is the last of a series of games at MetLife that former Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross signed up as part of branding the Orange New Yorks college team. Yes, the stadium is in New Jersey, but its just across the river from Manhattan and the home of the New York Jets and Giants.The strategy made sense from a marketing perspective. Syracuse has a large alumni base all over the New York metropolitan area, but it took marquee games against Southern California, Penn State and Notre Dame out of the Carrier Dome. The Orange have lost all three of the previous games at MetLife. 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The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Monday night began with a 2016 American League West Division championship banner being unfurled from the office complex beyond center field at Globe Life Park. But the Texas Rangers took a step back in pursuing their next goal -- earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.Jonathan Villar homered twice and had a career-high five RBI and Matt Garza beat his former team as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Rangers 8-3.The loss dropped Texas one-half game behind the Boston Red Sox in the race for the leagues best record. The Cleveland Indians pulled within one-half game of the Rangers.Youre playing pretty much teams that are not in the race, and they have nothing to lose, said Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, who had three hits along with left fielder Carlos Gomez. Its two different mentalities, but youve got to go out there and try to win games.Rangers starter Martin Perez (10-11) was looking to set a career high for wins in a season. He gave up a season-high eight earned runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. His home record this season fell to 8-3.I threw strikes; thats why they hit the ball, Perez said. If I give up runs like that, with homers or hard base hits, I dont care. I just want to stay there and throw strikes.The number on the scoreboard, it is what it is, manager Jeff Banister said, but I didnt feel like that told the story. I feel like there were some pitches Martin threw well. It seemed like when he needed to get an out, he couldnt get the out.Garza (6-8) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He spent the second half of the 2013 season with Texas as a rental acquisition from the Chicago Cubs, going 4-5 with a 4.38 ERA. It was Garzas first appearance against Texas since 2010.I take it as this is our playoff right here, said Garza, who won Game 3 of the Division Series for the Tampa Bay Rays against Texas at Globe Life Park. Theyre a good team, and you want to go out and perform.JEFFRESS RETURNSJeremy Jeffress, acquired by Texas from Milwaukee along with Jonathan Lucroy on Aug.dddddddddddd 1, made his first appearance since being reinstated Friday from the restricted list. He was arrested on a drunken driving charge in Dallas on Aug. 26 and was sent to an inpatient rehab clinic. Jeffress retired all four batters he faced.Getting this one out of the way is going to be pretty good for the next one, Jeffress said. I just took everything in. It made me feel good inside.CHANGE OF PITCHING PLANSBanister moved Cole Hamels final regular-season start up from Friday against Tampa Bay to Wednesdays series finale vs. Milwaukee. He said the change was made to allow Colby Lewis and Perez to start the last two games against the Rays.SHORT HOPSLucroy, who played 6 1/2 seasons for Milwaukee, faced his previous team for the first time. He went 1 for 4. . Perez added to his major league-leading total of groundball double plays induced with his 36th of the season in the sixth inning. . The Brewers scored in every inning in which their leadoff batter reached and failed to score in innings in which the leadoff man was retired.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Taylor Jungmann wont pitch again this season after suffering a hip abductor during his start last Saturday night, which was his first in the majors since April.Rangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo (left forearm fracture) had three hits and two walks batting in all seven innings of an Instructional League game on Monday. Banister said he hopes to get RHP Tony Barnette (strained oblique), who last pitched on Sept. 4, into Tuesday nights game.UP NEXTBrewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-15) leads the NL in losses after getting off to a 3-1 start. Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin (7-4) lasted only 1 2/3 innings last Tuesday in Anaheim, allowing three hits and four walks. If Texas elects to go with four starters in the Division Series, Griffin is a contender for the final slot. ' ' '