The Backfield Debate: Time to Shake Things Up?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is off to a 2-0 start after a 52-0 dominant win over Rice on Saturday afternoon. During this torrid start, there has been little to complain about, and the Irish have shown they deserve their lofty preseason hype, outscoring their opponents 93-13.
Photo via Michael Caterina - Imagn Images
One constant in college football is that fans and pundits will always find something to nitpick. For Notre Dame, that nitpick has been the running game's production, or the perceived lack thereof.
Comparing this year's running game to last year's is grossly unfair at best and completely misguided at its worst. While it is true that Notre Dame returned one of the nation's best offensive lines, they are replacing two first-round NFL Draft Picks in former running backs Jeremiyah Love (Heisman finalist and Doak Walker Award winner last season) and Jadarian Price.
Currently, Notre Dame averages 3.6 yards per carry, with its longest run being 16 yards. Starting running back Anyeas Williams began the season strong against Wisconsin with 90 yards and two touchdowns. It was his backup, Nolan James Jr that had the game-breaking play that Irish fans became accustomed to with Price and Love; a 29-yard wheel route reception up the sideline to put the game out of reach.
James has shown power and speed as well. Against Rice, he only had 29 yards on 6 carries, but two of those carries went for touchdowns. Jonaz Walton also chipped in with a team-leading 48 yards. This was entirely done in the second half. Williams had a paltry 29 yards on 9 carries.
On the other hand, Notre Dame is throwing the ball 25 times a game, which is up from last season. CJ Carr has rewarded that confidence by throwing for six touchdowns with no interceptions. This makes Notre Dame less reliant on the run.
This has led fans and pundits to question whether James should be the starter over Williams. James has shown more power and burst than Williams. It could even be argued that James's bruising style could open defenses for Williams later in the game, with his ability to make tacklers miss and turn the corner quickly.
Every game presents a new set of challenges, even against an opponent that Notre Dame is decisively better than. The coaching staff's approach has worked. The state of running backs in football is such that you do not need a definitive starter. Notre Dame championed that approach with Love and Price; they gave them both ample opportunities and let the game flow dictate which one got the usage. The Irish also have two other backs in Walton and Kedron Young who have shown to be capable and deserving of opportunities.
The advantage Notre Dame has is time to make an informed and accurate decision. They do have the benefit of a schedule that doesn’t have major opposition for the first few games. If they are to make a move, they have a chance to gather a larger sample size, compare all the backs, and utilize them in the best way to benefit the team. The talent is there for all four of them to make positive impacts on this team. There needs to be time and patience to have a definitive answer.
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