Notre Dame Football vs. Purdue: 3 things we learned in Week 2

Notre Dame Football vs. Purdue: 3 things we learned in Week 2

The Offensive Line Isn’t Getting Any Better

On the first offensive play of the game, Notre Dame football let up a sack. At the time, it would be the 11th they had allowed on the season. That’s 11 through two games and a play. They would allow three more sacks for a total of 14 on the season.

The sacks aren’t the only issue. Jack Coan isn’t mobile enough to avoid pressure, so when someone is in his face, he needs to rush the ball out. This leads to poor throws. The running game is stuck in the mud, as Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree can’t get moving downfield at all.

After the Florida State game, you could say that the offensive line issues were an outlier. It was their first game. Florida State, for all its issues, has raw talent. Maybe it was just a flukey start.

By the time the Toledo game was over, it was clear that there were major issues that need to be addressed. By the end of the Purdue game, it’s safe to say the offensive line isn’t showing any growth whatsoever to start this season.

So, how do you fix this? Well, you need to adjust playcalling. The offense needs to be designed to take pressure off the offensive line. Screen passes are a good way to do this, as are draws. Both of those are designed to slow the pass rush.

You can also move the pocket, rollout more, and run read options and RPOs, all of which force the defense to be honest. The problem is that Coan is limited physically, and can’t do that. Tyler Buchner can, though. Just some food for thought there.