Kelly forbids side trips to Mexico

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Coach Brian Kelly has made it clear to his players — no running for the border.

With the Irish set to arrive in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday to prepare for their game against Miami (Fla.) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, Kelly is forbidding his players from crossing the border to Juarez, Mexico. He’s even having them turn in their passports to avoid trouble. The message is far more serious than the standard ‘‘Don’t drink the water.’’

‘‘Don’t go over the border or you may not come back,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘I know that El Paso is the safest city in the country. But it’s serious [in Mexico]. It’s not, ‘Hey, let’s jump in the car and see what it’s like.’ You can’t go there or nobody’s going to be able to help you.’’

Full speed ahead

The layoff between the last regular-season game and the bowl game has been problematic for many teams, but Kelly said he has been pleased with the way the Irish have practiced recently.

‘‘Very active practice today, a little bit more contact than I thought we’d have, but our guys had a lot of energy,’’ Kelly said Tuesday. ‘‘Preparation has been what I wanted it to be — attention to detail, really locked into what we’re trying to accomplish before we take some time off. We’ve pushed them pretty hard.’’

The players will break for Christmas around noon today, and they’ll get to El Paso on their own Sunday.

Home for Christmas

The Sun Bowl might not be in the garden spot of the country, but the timing at least allows players to be home for Christmas.

‘‘It’s very important,’’ said running back Robert Hughes, who will spend Christmas with his parents and siblings at their West Side home. ‘‘My little sister and my nieces and nephews are always looking for Uncle Robert to bring them gifts. I’ve got to come through.’’