Notre Dame’s season has been picked apart since the opening game against Miami, with fans, coaches and pundits everywhere commenting on every aspect of its game. But through the 0-2 start, down to the current nine-game winning streak, Notre Dame’s rushing has been its undisputed greatest and most consistent strength all season long.
With the Irish team under the guidance of freshman quarterback CJ Carr for the first time, the way they played the game shifted. Since stepping foot on the field against Miami, Carr’s hesitance to throw long, deep passes has been visible, and he relied heavily on the rushing talents of the Irish offense. As the season progressed and Carr got more experience, his confidence grew to allow for more diverse passing plays. Especially when paired with some of the most talented running backs in the country, Carr has risen to the expectations set by the loyal Notre Dame football fanbase.
Although the Irish have 2,724 passing yards, the focus always remains on Notre Dame’s rushing. With one game remaining in the regular season, the Irish have recorded 2,254 rushing yards, which is more than double the rushing yards of their opponents. Unsurprisingly, junior running back Jeremiyah Love leads the team in rushing yards, with 1,306 so far this season, accounting for roughly 58 percent of the team’s total. The other phenomenal junior running back, Jadarian Price, contributes as well, with 659 rushing yards himself. Between Love and Price, the two running backs make up 87 percent of all Notre Dame rushing yards. While the statistic is phenomenal, relying on two players for most of the forward offensive progression is a weakness prospective Playoff teams will undoubtedly exploit.
In the Nov. 22 game against Syracuse, the Irish got a glimpse of what defensive strategies teams will use against Love and Price. The Orange built their defensive strategy around having a minimum of three to four defenders limiting Love’s movement and ability to run the ball. Although the Irish emerged victorious in the matchup, they cannot be so sure the success will continue against teams with extremely talented defenses.
The Irish must continue to build the confidence of Carr’s passing and expand their offensive playbook to allow for more diversity. In every game this season, spectators watching all know the Irish strategy is to get possession to Love or Price and to run the ball. While it has obviously been working, the Irish have been limiting themselves and have had some lower scoring games than they should have, such as with Boise State and Boston College, where the Irish had the upper hand on offense.
Following the Syracuse game, when junior wide receiver Jordan Faison was asked how the team prepared to utilize its offensive talents on the field heading into Playoffs, he spoke on Notre Dame’s strategy.
“I mean, when our run game is rolling, [the] defense is gonna come down and they have to stop it,” Faison said. “We were able to open up our pass game with CJ [Carr] and Coach Denbrock calling up plays. Our job is to go out there and make plays.”
The team has certainly been doing so, and Notre Dame has improved both its offensive and defensive depth as the season has progressed. The playbook has expanded, especially with defensive hotshots scoring and proving that, unlike other teams, Notre Dame’s defense is not limited and can take the ball to the end zone.
Following up on the team’s strength in rushing yards, Faison provided insight on how the team’s specialty was going to translate into the Playoff.
“We see it continuing through and through. It’s the heartbeat of our offense,” he said. “It’s part of our football team and we’re going to keep going with it.”
Faison’s words were true, but the truth remains that rushing is both Notre Dame’s most prominent strength on the field and potentially its biggest weakness if manipulated by high-caliber defenses heading into the Playoff. The Irish must continue building up other offensive strategies and their success rates, so when standout players like Love and Price are pressured, Notre Dame can rely on its abundance of other talent.