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Tillery to be held accountable for actions vs. USC, Kelly says

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Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly plans to take up Jerry Tillery's ugly actions from Saturday's game against USC with the sophomore defensive lineman.

Tillery was involved in two incidents Saturday, the first of which saw him nudge Trojans running back Aca'Cedric Ware with his foot as he laid on the ground following a blow to the head. Later in the same drive, Tillery stepped on USC tackle Zach Banner's ankle as he was down.

"I did not (see the plays)," Kelly said after the game, according to ESPN. "I know he got a personal foul penalty, and I subsequently took him out of the game. I had a conversation with him. Anytime a player has a personal foul penalty, I pull them out and have a conversation with them. I did that with Jerry, but I did not see (the plays).

"Accountability is built within any program. Jerry has to be accountable for his actions every single day. Jerry is a good kid, and if he made a mistake we'll hold him accountable for that mistake. We'll take a look at it."

Tillery received a penalty for the step on Banner, which led to Kelly giving his player an earful on the sideline.

Tillery didn't speak to the media following the game. The Fighting Irish fell 45-27 to the Trojans.

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