Tony Jones Jr.: Notre Dame Football Offensive Player of Game vs. UVA

Tony Jones Jr. kept the offense moving for Notre Dame football against Virginia.

As a whole, the Notre Dame football offense didn’t impress on Saturday. They looked out of sync and panicked. Nothing was easy all afternoon. Give the Virginia defense credit, they’re one of the best units in the country.

Going into the game on Saturday, Virginia was tied for first in the country in sacks, with 20 in four games. Over those same four games, the Cavaliers defense had only allowed 75 yards rushing a game. That was good for tenth in the country.

Virginia’s front seven is an elite defensive unit.

It showed all game long. Notre Dame’s offense struggled to move the football. 14 of Notre Dame’s 35 points were because of defensive turnovers — both strip sacks. The first was returned to the 5 yard line going in, and the second was scooped for a score.

All game long, Ian Book looked panicked. If his first read wasn’t open, then Book’s eyes would immediately dart down towards the pass rush. So, he ran. Book made a number of plays into scramble drills where he either had an open check down or more time than he felt.

It didn’t help that Chase Claypool wasn’t at full strength. Claypool rolled his ankle, and appeared to be trying to play on a sprain.

If not for the offensive bright spot, Notre Dame would not have been able to move the ball at all. That bright spot came from running back Tony Jones Jr., who  ran for 131 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns.

Jones was excellent in short yardage against Virginia. He wasn’t being pushed back. At the point of contact, Jones fell forward. That’s exactly what you need from a power back. If he gets hit three yards downfield, he landed on top of the defender for a fourth.

His complete game is a question mark. Jones isn’t an explosive runner, who can make one cut and go for 60 yards like Dexter Williams. He’s not going to be a guy you throw to a ton out of the backfield. However, he does serve the role of punisher.

Jones uses his strong legs to push back linebackers. He uses fearlessness to seek contact, and demands the better player win. It’s exhausting to try to defend.

In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame fed Tony Jones Jr, and it worked. The tired Virginia defense struggled to stop him and get off the field. Instead, Notre Dame was able to bleed to clock. Because of Jones’ 7.3 yards per carry, Notre Dame was able to keep the ball out of Bryce Perkins’ hands.

And remember, Jones did it against the No. 10 rushing defense in the country. That’s well worth the Notre Dame football offensive player of the game.