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Notre Dame Football: Regular Season Grades (Offense)

By Andrew Hall

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 25: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes the ball against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 25: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes the ball against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Josh Adams #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs for a 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Josh Adams #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs for a 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

B-. . Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. OFFENSIVE LINE

Quenton Nelson and the rest of the Notre Dame Offensive Line helped pave the way for video game-like numbers. Notre Dame ball-carriers averaged 6.37 yards per carry. On seven occasions, the Fighting Irish ran for more than 300 yards.

The Offensive Line struggled against premier front seven talent. In Notre Dame’s three losses, the Irish averaged 1.49, 3.03 and 3.50 yards per attempt. Teams focused more attention on Josh Adams as the season progressed.

Many Defensive Coordinators also figured out that Notre Dame would only win if they could run the football. Overall, the Irish Offensive Line appeared to struggle against teams that were fast in the front seven. Against North Carolina State, a team with several NFL-caliber Defensive Linemen, Notre Dame rushed for 318 yards on 54 attempts.

Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey paced this group. They are a major reason for the success of the 2017 Notre Dame football team. Nelson might be one of the best Offensive Linemen in the history of Irish football. McGlinchey is not far behind. Although, he did struggle in pass protection against Defensive Line with elite speed.

This group has a chance to prove that they were one of the best in the country in the Citrus Bowl. They may also bring home a lot of hardware; being nominated for the Outland Trophy (Nelson) and the Joe Moore Award (given to the top Offensive Line in the country).

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