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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 18, 2021 7 UNDER THE DOME Notre Dame didn't generate much push in the run game and couldn't con- trol the line of scrimmage, but it wasn't obviously overmatched. Kelly pinned most of the problems on communica- tion and unity off the snap — things that should improve with more time. That gelling process took a hit, though, with freshman left tackle Blake Fisher's knee injury that will likely side- line him for several weeks. Fisher, a five- star recruit in the 2021 class, won the job with an impressive spring and fall camp. He's as talented as any lineman on the roster. Sophomore Michael Car- mody, a former top-250 recruit himself, replaced him and had a bumpy debut. "I'm not here to make any excuses for anything relative to the run game," Kelly said. "We have to run the ball bet- ter, there's no doubt. But when you're in silent cadence, when you're utilizing tight ends on the perimeter, it makes for a difficult cadence to get everybody moving at the same time. "We struggled a little bit with that, in unison getting off the ball." That turned into a lack of consistent edge-setting and a drop in double-team effectiveness, Kelly said. The byprod- ucts are less room to run to the out- side, which Williams and Tyree rudely discovered in the opener, and a lack of holes between the tackles. "These are things that are easily worked out," Kelly said. "When you evaluate your running game, you worry about being overwhelmed at the point of attack. That's a good [Florida State] front and they have some good players, but these are things we have to make some adjustments with." There's enough talent on the line to suggest it's capable of satisfactory run blocking. It returned a 21-game starter and projected future draft pick at cen- ter in Jarrett Patterson. It is starting a senior (Patterson), a fifth-year senior (right tackle Josh Lugg) and a graduate student (right guard Cain Madden). Like its predecessors, this is a unit mainly comprised of four-star recruits. Even in years of mass turnover, its usu- ally strong collection of talent helps produce above-average line play, at worst. A dominant run-game outing against Mid-American Conference opponent Toledo won't erase all concerns, but it would have some meaning and be much more comforting than another middling rushing output. It's the first place to start for a line that must make some in- season improvement, even if it's likely to fall short of great this year. "We did not see any red flags that are going to say, 'This is going to be difficult this year,'" Kelly said. "We'll get better running the football." ✦ The Irish Invade The Windy City September 25 | Irish vs Wisconsin Shop Online At NDBookstore.com, Pick Up In-Store. Scan To Shop "We've got to run the ball better. Clearly that will be an emphasis. We're not here to throw the ball all over the yard and not have a solid run game." HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY