Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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42 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL W alking away from an offense that returned eight starters from a unit that averaged 38.8 points and 463.7 yards per game was not an easy course of action for Chip Long, but that is what the Memphis Tigers' former offensive coordinator did this winter. He left a situation where he had a quarter‑ back returning that passed for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns, he left a head coach (Mike Norvell) that he had worked side by side with for five seasons, and he left behind a vibrant city to come to a program coming off a 4‑8 season. The decision wasn't simple, but ultimately the opportunity to work with Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and at a place like Notre Dame was too much to pass up. "A lot of things fit, but we didn't want to rush into it, there were some things we had to get right," Long explained. "… I loved his vision, I really loved getting to meet with him and talk with him. He sold me, and ob‑ viously Notre Dame sold itself." Long joined the Irish staff in January and is now in charge of a unit that enters the 2017 season with high expectations. He sat down with Blue & Gold Illustrated in mid‑ June to talk about his philosophy, his play‑ ers and the direction of the Fighting Irish offense. Blue & Gold Illustrated: If you were giv‑ ing a clinic talk and had to explain your core offensive philosophy, what would you say? Long: "We're going to be a pro‑style, run, play‑action team. I'm a firm believer in get‑ ting the ball in our best playmakers' hands, and how many that might be I don't know. But the guys making plays are going to get the ball in their hands in whatever ways we have to do it, and we're going to do it. "Everything starts with our quarterback and then our offensive line, and then every‑ body else, but we're going to do what our quarterback does well and put him in posi‑ tion early to have some success so he can go out there and put on a show. "Very aggressive and we're going to play at tempo, but we're going to run the ball, be a very physical team and then be aggressive when it comes to shots and going down field." BGI: You've talked in the past about estab‑ lishing the run game. Why is it so important to run the football effectively? Long: "It sets up everything. Obviously by being able to play tempo and you're able to run the ball, it's that many more plays we can force our physicality on the defense, wear the defensive line down, force them to bring the safeties up, maybe get them into more man coverage by adding a guy into the box. "We want teams to play us man [cover‑ age]. If I'm a wide receiver I want man, because it gives me an opportunity for big plays. Teams might want to pressure us more — which is great, bring it on — it's a chance for us to make even more plays. "It's a mentality that when it's third‑and‑ short, game on the line, big games, we know we can do it. We're not having to get into a whole brand new formation we don't prac‑ tice every day to get a third‑and‑one. "… If you can run your first‑and‑10 of‑ OFFENSE Q&A Run To Win A strong rushing attack is the foundation of Chip Long's offensive philosophy Long will look to establish the run game early and often at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN