Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/388723
eight regular‑season contests while controlling tempo with the newfound ground attack. However, Kelly said the 2012 team with the sophomore Golson and the 2014 unit with the senior Golson has led to different mentalities in ap‑ proach. "We were trying to protect a young quarterback," Kelly said of 2012. "We knew we had to run the football. We're much more of a spread offense [now] where our running game can be dic‑ tated by what defenses do. In 2012 we ran with a lot of two tight ends [Tyler Eifert and Troy Niklas], and it didn't matter what you did defensively — we were going to run the football." There is the rub. A huge part of suc‑ cessful running teams is having the mentality, patience and commitment, especially in today's offenses where pitch and catch can be so prolific and a quick fix. Part two of that rub is the two‑tight‑ end and power‑package sets. Losing Niklas as an early exit to the NFL last winter was a setback. Behind senior Ben Koyack, the Irish have four relatively green tight ends, all with four years of eligibility. During the preseason, Kelly did rave about 6‑2½, 260‑pound, true freshman tight end Tyler Luatua aid‑ ing Notre Dame's downhill running game by lining up in a fullback or H‑ back role to utilize his blocking prow‑ ess. That formation was barely used the first three games. "It's really nothing that Tyler 's done," Kelly said. "It's just been a de‑ cision by me in terms of play calling not to feature that set. … That doesn't mean we cannot run or should not run for 200 yards as an average. One of the things from an offensive perspective that we've got to get better at is run‑ ning the football, even in our detached [tight end] sets." Because Notre Dame is using less multiple‑tight‑end looks and the one tight end is sometimes detached, there are five blockers up front versus six people. "It's pretty clear the way teams are playing us," Kelly said. "We're getting a lot of six for five — six defenders for five blockers. … If we're going to stay in our detached spread sets, the quar‑ terback is going to have to be involved in the run game. We need to get better in the option game with Everett, as well. He'll still be central to what we do in the running game." Also, the team's best blocking re‑ ceiver last year, sophomore James On‑ wualu, is now at Sam linebacker. IS THREE A CROWD AT RUNNING BACK? Sophomore Greg Bryant has been the third option at running back, yet his 119 yards rushing after three games led the team. That marks the second fewest by Notre Dame's lead‑ ing rusher after three games since 1972 (James Aldridge had only 67 yards on 17 carries after three games during the 3‑9 train wreck in 2007). The issue is about backfield rhythm. In all three games, a different back was inserted each new series and no one got into any flow. Last year, Cam Mc‑ Daniel had six games with at least 15 carries, most notably 24 for 117 yards in a physical 23‑13 win over BYU. Tarean Folston kept getting the ball