Anchored by a stout offensive line, two talented running backs, and a dual-threat quarterback, the Notre Dame rushing offense must be bottled up for the Buckeyes to emerge with a New Year’s Day victory.
After losing two games by a combined four points to College Football Playoff-bound Clemson and Rose Bowl-bound Stanford, the 10-2 Fighting Irish will likely present the Silver Bullets' run defense with their toughest challenge of the season.
A simple look in the mirror will provide the 2015 Buckeyes with a scouting report of the Irish run game, as both are built on spread-power principles, concepts, and plays. Both utilize a bell cow running back and designed quarterback runs to establish a strong run game early and often. While both teams eschew run-heavy personnel groupings, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly both want to win the line of scrimmage and run the ball down their opponent’s throat.
At last week’s Fiesta Bowl media day, Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said of the Irish offense, “I would say, for us, this is one of the more similar games to what our offense does.”
Put on the film and the OSU run-game staples are all there: Inside zone, split zone, power, power read, and the counter trey.
The Irish run game has excelled under first-year offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, who came into the program with previous coaching stints at Yale, Western Kentucky, Stanford, and Boise State. Sanford flirted with the idea of joining the Ohio State staff after the 2014 season before Kelly came calling with an offensive coordinator position (Sanford completed his first season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boise State in 2014). His name continues to be tied to vacant head coaching jobs this offseason.
The 33-year-old rising star oversaw a well-balanced Irish offense that averaged 214.8 rush yards per game, good for 25th in the nation. His work with backup redshirt freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer (2600 passing yards, 19 touchdown), who was thrust into the starting role due to Malik Zaire’s season-ending injury against Virginia, was particularly impressive. Sanford has achieved the near-impossible feat of convincing Brian Kelly to give up some of his play-calling duties (Kelly is well-known for calling his offense), a feat only achieved one other time in Kelly’s 24 years as a head coach.
Under Kelly and Sanford, Notre Dame’s running game starts in the trenches with the unit’s talented offensive line about which Meyer recently said “Offensively, I haven't studied them a lot yet but they have a very good offensive line. That's their strength.”
The line is anchored by 6-foot-6, 315-pound redshirt junior Ronnie Stanley, a likely first-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft. The left tackle demonstrates a tremendous understanding of blocking angles and excels at climbing to the second level to block linebackers.
Most offensive linemen that consistently create a push at the line of scrimmage have a great understanding of blocking angles. In response to the explosion of zone blocking schemes at the high school, college, and NFL level, defensive coordinators have integrated a variety of slants and stunts into their run defense, creating confusion in blocking assignments and stuffing the interior gaps.
Offensive linemen must adjust to these slants and stunts on the fly, a difficult task for even the most-talented player. Watch how Stanley (#78) responds to the slanting 4-technique (aligned heads up over the tackle) on the counter trey.
Keep in mind that the defender can attack the C-gap, B-Gap, or fire straight at Stanley. At the snap the defensive end slants across Stanley's face into the playside B-gap. As the defender is already moving in the direction Stanley wants to block him (the playside tackle must clear the C-gap, the counter trey's aiming point), the consensus All-American attacks the outside shoulder pads, runs him out of the play, and finishes the trifecta with a pancake.
The future NFL lineman consistently uses his quick feet and athleticism to climb to the second level and make blocks on linebackers and safeties. Watch the All-American (#78) climb to the MIKE and use his feet and body to box out the defender from chasing the play to the alley.
The Notre Dame unit, a finalist for the Joe Moore Award which honors the nation's top offensive line, works well together, demonstrating outstanding cohesion and toughness in the run game.
Watch the entire front-five hustle 15 yards downfield to push the pile in Notre Dame’s 38-3 opening-day win over Texas. It’s rare to see these types of hustle plays from all five members of a unit on the same play, a testament to their unity as a group.
After suffering through a series of injuries in November, the unit looks to be back to full strength after paving the way for 299 rushing yards against a historically stingy Stanford defense in Notre Dame’s regular season finale.
Behind their stout offensive line, the Irish running game features an explosive backfield with home run potential. Senior running back C.J. Prosise and freshmen running back Josh Adams both have touchdown carries of over 90 yards this season, and have rushed for a combined 6.9 yards per carry.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Prosise became Notre Dame’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2011, running for 1,032 yard and eleven touchdowns despite sitting out two games, and missing significant action in two more. After starting fall camp as the third string running back, he worked his way into the starting job where he has displayed outstanding vision, quick feet at the second level, ability to consistently gain yards after contact, and straight line speed to create explosive plays.
After taking over for injured starter Tarean Folston against the Virginia Cavaliers, the
Petersburg, VA native (#20) flashed his potential as a feature back rushing for 155 yards on 17 carries, including a 24-yard touchdown run.
Watch the converted wide receiver use his vision, quick feet, and low pad level to decisively cut the ball upfield, run through an ankle tackle, and spin off the safety's tackle at the four yard line to take the ball in.
While known as an interior runner, Prosise's excellent vision and straight-line speed allow him to create explosive plays on any given play. In a 198-yard, three touchdown performance against Wake Forest, the dynamic back ran for a season-long 91-yard touchdown off the counter trey.
Behind great blocking from his offensive line, Prosise uses quick feet in the open field to find a crease and turns on the afterburners, easily pulling away from the chasing secondary.
Unfortunately the dynamic back was unable to stuff the stat sheet with a full season of games as he was sidelined for all or part of Notre Dame's final four regular season games due to a concussion and ankle injury, although he is expected to play in the Fiesta Bowl.
In Prosise’s absence 6-1, 211-pound Josh Adams made the most of his opportunities, racking up four 100-yard rushing games, including a Notre Dame freshman single-game record 168 rushing yards against Stanford (9.3 yards per carry).
While Adams is not yet considered a tough interior runner in the class of Prosise, the true freshman is a burner, averaging 7.4 yards per play (good for 7th in the nation).
In his first start against Wake Forest, Adams set a record for the longest play from scrimmage and the longest scoring run in Notre Dame history with a 98-yard touchdown scamper off inside zone.
After exploding through the line of scrimmage, the speedy freshman's open field burst and straightline speed force the safety to take a poor angle to the ball, allowing Adams to run in untouched past the 15 yard line.
Adam's put his open field burst and speed on display against Stanford on an OSU favorite, the jet motion counter trey.
The jet motion forces a defender away from the play's direction, creating a wide alley Adam’s presses with authority. His speed and acceleration again forces a bad angle from the safety (#5), resulting in a 62 yard touchdown scamper.
Kelly knows what he has with his two talented runners, saying “Both of them complement each other so well. Josh has proven himself to be such a hard, physical inside runner and C.J. gives us that home run ability. If we could ever get them tagged up together, it’d be a very lethal 1-2 punch.”
With Prosise currently practicing in non-contact drills, expect a heavy dose of both backs January 1st
Notre Dame starting quarterback DeShone Kizer's season could be a carbon copy of the C.J. Prosise story.
The 6-4, 230-pound sophomore started the season as a back-up, only to be forced into the starting role (and leading the Irish to a last-second win) against Virginia when Malik Zaire went down with a season-ending ankle injury. Much like the Ohio State offense utilizes J.T. Barrett, Notre Dame will use DeShone Kizer on designed runs, particularly on third and short and in the red zone. The Toledo, OH native is a legitimate running threat, accounting for 499 rushing yards and nine touchdowns this season.
The Irish coaching staff will often call Kizer's number in the red zone to pick up an extra blocker at the point of attack. The quarterback counter trey with motion is a Kelly-favorite.
Kizer demonstrates outstanding patience to follow his pullers, allowing them to get to their blocks before cutting inside for six.
In additon to designed quarterback runs, Kizer will pull the ball when the offense runs tight or split zone.
Kizer's read is the left defensive end (#58). Although coaching points for the read/give at the mesh point vary, a good rule of thumb is to watch the read defender's shoulders. If the shoulder's stay parallel to the line of scrimmage, the quarterback should give to the running back as the defender's body is not in position to chase the play down from the backside. If the defender's shoulders are angled towards the running back, pull the ball and run the boot as the defender's momentum will take him past the quarterback like the clip above.
Kizer makes the easy keep read and uses his open field speed to outrun several defenders for a 79-yard touchdown.
With a bevy of explosive playmakers in the backfield, what can the Ohio State defense do to slow down the Irish running attack?
- Read the run/pass key quickly and accurately
- Gap-sound defense
- Team tackling in the open field
As always, great run defense starts with quick, accurate key-reading and eye discipline. Units that play the run well spend less time thinking and more time reacting because they have put in the film room and practice field work to identify the offense's favorite formations, concepts, and plays. The quicker the run key is read, the quicker the defender can get to his run fit.
Notre Dame will use a variety of motions to create confusion and test the defender's eyes. Know your key, read your key, and act accordingly.
Playing gap-sound defense and setting a hard edge will help bottle up Notre Dame's talented backfield.
All run defenders are assigned a specific gap, or 'run fit', that they must play in order to execute Urban Meyer's spill philosophy of team tackling, with each defender assigned a single gap they MUST fit in order for the defensive structure to work.
After the run read is made, the defense must spill the ball laterally to the force player, who will send the ball back inside to the pursing defensive linemen and linebackers. Force the ball East-West, set an edge using the coached technique, surround the ball carrier from both sides, and make the tackle. Force players will be vital to hemming up the Irish backfield, as all three runners consistently create explosive gains by getting outside the force player.
If the ball carrier does make it to the second level, the Silver Bullets must practice good open field tackling technique to limit the runner's gain.
As followers of Pete Carroll's ruby-style system of tackling, the Silver Bullets will use compression tackling when attacking the ball in the open field.
Watch how the defenders adjust their path the flight of the ball and the ball carrier's movements, always keeping the ball inside the two tacklers. If executed correctly, the ball carrier will have nowhere to go. Against open field runners with good feet and speed, the compression tackle is often the difference between a nine and 90 yard gain.
In order to come away with a Fiesta Bowl victory, the Ohio State defense must limit Notre Dame's run game. Force the Irish offense to earn their points through sustained drives by putting it into passing situations early and often. Do not let breakdowns in key reading, setting the edge, and team tackling result in consistent, explosive gains.
The Ohio State defense has been susceptible to the run game over the course of the season (Although this due in part to quarterback scrambles on passing plays). It's time for the Silver Bullets to step up in a prime time bowl game against what will likely be the most talented backfield they have seen all season.
