It was a question pertaining to Ohio State that was asked of Marcus Freeman 11 minutes into his press conference Monday, but his answer shed some light on Notre Dame’s offensive approach.
While addressing an “innovative” offense under the guidance of Ryan Day in Columbus, Freeman equated something he saw from the Buckeyes with something he wants his own team to do as well.
“To me, it all starts with the run game. They want to run the ball,” Freeman said. “Very similar mindset to what I have. The ability to run the ball will create openings in the pass game.”
With all the conversation surrounding new Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman and his efficient start to the season, what shouldn’t be lost is that the offensive identity of the Fighting Irish starts with a physical rushing attack.
“I think any time you deal with a pro-style run game, you’re dealing with run and play action, and I think they want to establish the run,” Day said. “It’s clear, you can tell that.”
Notre Dame is tied for 13th in the country for rushing yards per attempt in 2023 with its ballcarriers gaining 5.9 yards per tote. Such successes start with a hard-nosed offensive line. The Fighting Irish return one of the nation’s best left tackles from a year ago in Joe Alt – who earned first-team All-American honors from a litany of organizations last season – but both returning right tackle Blake Fisher and returning center Zeke Correll are heralded in their own right.
“It’s the running back combined with the offensive line,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “The offensive line is talented. The tackles are excellent and he’s a strong running back. So when you have an offensive line that works well together and they’re physical and they push at the point of attack, he’s a guy who can get behind that.”
The running back Knowles speaks of is Audric Estimé.
Four games into his 2023 campaign, Estimé has amounted 521 rushing yards at a blistering rate of 8.3 yards per carry. He’s picked up five touchdowns on the ground and added another 55 receiving yards. He leads the FBS in runs of both 10-plus yards (15) and 20-plus yards (six) this season.
“Strong runner, but also elusive,” Knowles said. “He can also make the cuts. So I think it’s a real challenge for us to play behind our pads and play downhill, because you’re going to have to put your face in the fan.”
As Estime has built his resume and worn on defenses throughout games, it’s opened up the play-action passing game for the Fighting Irish. Such balance contributes to Hartman’s efficiency numbers, as the signal caller has completed 71.1 percent of his throws in 2023 with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“I think Estimé is running really well, he’s running hard,” Day said. “Then once that happens, that opens up things down the field, so that kind of goes hand-in-hand. They’re doing a good job of that. They have a good plan put in place. So that’s a good challenge for our defense.”
Knowles believes Notre Dame’s ability to run play action, in combination with Hartman’s skill set, allows the Fighting Irish to take more deep shots in the passing game compared to a year ago.
“It’s become a running, smash-mouth offense with shots over the top,” Knowles said. “I think it really fits what they’re doing and it’s something we have to be prepared for.”
The play of Ohio State’s secondary through three weeks, limiting Indiana to less than 100 yards passing and Western Kentucky’s prolific air raid attack to 204 yards gives Knowles confidence the back end has the discipline not to bite on run fakes.
“What I’ve seen so far is good,” Knowles said. “There’s an understanding of how to be on top, of how to play those giant crossing routes. You’ve seen some of that show up in a lot of plays that you’re seeing in the NFL. So there’s an understanding there, there’s been execution.”
If Ohio State understands how to defend the run and play-action pass this week, then executes against both, it will establish a strong defensive foundation against Notre Dame.
