Notre Dame football: Kyren Williams has to get it going in the second half
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team went into their bye week sitting at 5-1, but have yet to get the running game going, led by Kyren Williams.
Last season, the Notre Dame football team ran through the regular season with an undefeated record. Their team was loaded on both sides of the ball, boasting All-American talent on defense, and some electrifying playmakers on offense.
The offense was led by veteran quarterback Ian Book, who would go on to be a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints. Outside of Book, the Irish had an elite offensive line, one that sent four players to the NFL this past offseason, and a redshirt freshman at running back who had a monster season toting the rock.
Kyren Williams burst onto the scene in 2020 with over 1,100 yards rushing, punishing even the elite defenses that the Irish went up against. This year, it has been the opposite, as Williams and this Notre Dame football team has struggled to run the football, making this offense one that can be very predictable, and downright stagnant at times.
Notre Dame football must get Williams going in the second half
As the Irish turn the page to the second half of the season, a lot of their success will ride on whether or not they can turn Williams loose. Of course, to do so, the offensive line has to be better, a unit that was wildly inexperienced coming into the season, and one that has played down to even smaller expectations.
Across six games, Williams has yet to eclipse the 100-yard mark even once, as he has rushed the football 96 times for 370 yards. For those counting at home, that is less than four yards per carry, well below his mark from a year ago when he was the ACC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Notre Dame football has some tough games coming up, including some against elite signal-callers, so they have to be able to run the ball and keep those offenses off the field. Hopefully, the bye week will help, and the Irish can get back on track in this department, as they will have to orchestrate a few blowout wins if they hope to get back into the College Football Playoff discussion.