Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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52 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW RUNNING BACKS N otre Dame faithful might have heard this rhetoric many times in recent years: "This Fighting Irish team will be more physical." It was no different this spring under new offensive coordinator Chip Long, who empha‑ sized, at least in speech, establishing a greater physicality. With a new quarterback starting for the first time, a veteran offensive line that returns four players who have 76 career starts under their collective belt (including all 12 contests for each last year), and because junior running back Josh Adams is 220 pounds and quickly ascending sophomore Tony Jones Jr. is a robust 224, such a strategy might seem more tenable. "I can't put my head on my pillow at night if we're not going to be physical," Long said. "That's one of the No. 1 parameters … under‑ stand how we take care of the ball, understand our tempo and force our physicality each and every day. If we do that we're gong to win games and close games. We'll be able to put teams out. "If we're not going to be physical, then I won't sleep much at night and probably won't be around here very long." Fair or not, physicality is mainly associated with a strong running attack. At Memphis last year, though, Long's Tigers finished 14th na‑ tionally in passing yards per game (304.4) and 84th in rushing yards per game (159.3), four spots below Notre Dame (163.3). The "magic number" for the Irish usually is around 200 rushing yards per game in a sea‑ son. While such a yardage total isn't a guaran‑ tee of gridiron prosperity, falling significantly below it — by 40 or more yards — has almost assured disappointment. The lone Notre Dame team ever to finish in the top 10 with less than an average of 190 rushing yards per game was the 9‑3 edition (No. 9) in 2005 that averaged 147.1. Unfortunately, since the turn of the century, Fighting Irish football has been considered more finesse than physical. With head coach Tyrone Willingham (2002‑04), the rushing average was 146.3 yards per game, part of what helped oust him after just three seasons. Then under Charlie Weis (2005‑09), the run plummeted even more with a measly five‑year rushing average of 117.2. The Brian Kelly era (2010‑present) has seen a mixed bag with the run. In Kelly's six 12‑game regular seasons with the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame averaged 120.8, 165.8, 202.4, 149.0, 150.8, 214.8 and 163.3 rushing yards per game. In the only two regular seasons since 2000 when the Irish averaged 200 or more yards, the record was 22‑2 (.917) — with the two defeats coming to the Nos. 2‑3 teams in 2015 by two points apiece. In the other five regular seasons, Notre Dame was 34‑26 (.567). That kind of data can keep football coaches up at night. ✦ PHYSICAL CHALLENGE The rushing attack might need to be leaned on more by Notre Dame's offense Ascending sophomore Tony Jones Jr., who rushed for 45 yards on eight carries in the Blue-Gold Game to cap a strong spring, will add physicality to the Irish ground attack with his 5-11, 224-pound frame. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN