(AP) Coach Charlie Weis is putting his Notre Dame education degree to work.

The former high school teacher inherited a veteran squad when he arrived in 2005 and his biggest challenge was changing the team's attitude and putting some polish on players such as Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija and Darius Walker.

This year, though, 43 of the team's 77 scholarship players are underclassmen — including five starters on offense, three on defense and 14 players listed as their backups. Weis and his staff have spent a lot of time teaching the Fighting Irish everything from how to sing the alma mater to how to practice, let alone how to run his complicated playbook.

Weis the teacher has had a lot of teaching moments.

"More than I ever have in my life," Weis said Tuesday. "I've spent more time mentally and psychologically this year than ever have before. I think I've had to make sure — I wouldn't say you temper your comments — but you be more instructive."

Weis has repeatedly talked this season about how he has been much harder on veteran players as the team got off to a 1-5 start because he knows they can take his criticism and knows how they will react. He's been much more careful about getting on younger players because he doesn't know their limits and doesn't want to lose them.

It's also easier to know with older players how much they are comprehending, Weis said.

"If you have a veteran team you sit there and tell them, you know they get it," Weis said. "When you have a younger team you might say it, they might shake their head, 'I get it,' but have no idea what you're talking about."

So he has to spend more time on making sure everyone understands.

One such teaching moment came in Notre Dame's 20-6 victory over UCLA. Jimmy Clausen scored on a quarterback sneak late in the third quarter to give the Irish a 13-6 lead. Irish players were a little too exuberant in their celebrating for Weis' liking.

Weis told them to tone it down, and reiterated the message Sunday when watching video of the game.

"I want them to enjoy touchdowns. I want them to be happy and be fired up and everything," he said.

But he thought they went just a little too overboard. He also was worried that if the Bruins came back, it could have dealt a serious blow to the Irish. He didn't have to worry long, however, because linebacker Maurice Crum returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown 50 seconds later to give the Irish a two-touchdown lead.

Weis' message was to bottle up some of that excitement to make sure they finish the game strong.

"I think it was a very good learning experience," Weis said.

Weis has been adjusting all season to working with younger players. He's made more changes to his practice schedule than he remembers making with any team he's been involved with. He's done so in an effort to teach the team how to practice. It's not that the Irish don't practice hard, but coaches needed to teach the players on both sides to be more physical, Weis said.

In his first two seasons as coach, Weis rarely let plays go until players were tackled to the ground. After the 38-0 loss to Michigan, the Irish skipped their usual running and lifting on Sunday and instead had a full-blown practice. They went full bore Tuesday and Wednesday again before tapering off Thursday and installing the game plan.

He's tinkered with the practice schedule since. They are still practicing hard on Sundays. He called last Tuesday's practice the best since he's been at the school and he plans to stick with the same schedule he used last week, starters vs. starters and tackling to the ground on Tuesday, then tapering off. He thinks it's helped the team become more physical.

"When you go full speed and you're taking them to the ground, that really alleviates any of that, 'What's the tempo going to be? Because there's only one tempo it could be when you're going full speed, and that's full speed," he said.

It's just one of the many things Weis and his staff have been trying to teach as they try to turn the team around.

"Those little things that you take for granted as commonsense things, sometimes you need to address them," Weis said.