Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph knows his unit is expected to be a big part of the Irish winning the national title this year. He’s leaning on words of wisdom spoken decades ago by one of the best coaches in any sport to keep his motor running.
“I always fall back a little bit on [UCLA basketball coaching legend John] Wooden. It’s not the overall talent level,” Rudolph said Tuesday after practice, the defining tell that informs him when one of his offensive lines is evolving toward greatness or at least moving in that direction.
“It’s: Can you be at your best when your best is needed? Those are teams that win championships to me. Sometimes they’re the most talented team, sometimes they’re not. And this team has a sneaky way about it where there’s some things about it that are really good.”
Rudolph believes that to be the best when the best is needed, an evolution is required. He believes the evolution is ongoing and that changing the starting offensive line is one way his unit has grown and adapted. It’s grown and adapted despite the plan to march out the same starting offensive line that’s been there since after the season opener.
John Wooden philosophy shapes Joe Rudolph’s plan for Notre Dame football offensive line
Junior Guerby Lambert at right tackle, senior and North Carolina product Sullivan Absher at right guard, fifth-year Ashton Craig at center, junior Anthonie Knapp at left guard, and sophomore Will Black at left tackle. In the September 6 opener, junior Styles Prescod, a converted tackle, and Absher shared right guard duties, with Prescod starting. He’s fallen back to a reserve role since the game against Wisconsin.
Rudolph also knows his unit's performance in the passing game and the running game has been very, very different. The offensive line has allowed just 2 sacks for a 9-yard loss all year. The running game, however, hasn’t gotten going consistently. While it’s been better the last two weeks, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
On the other hand, they did improve against Purdue. The Irish ran for season bests against Purdue in rushing yards (171) and yards per carry (5.5). That performance boosted them to 98th in the country in rushing offense after sitting at 116th out of 138 just two weeks prior.
Rudolph believes the evolution can only come from game snaps. It’s how his unit has operated for years. They may not be at their best when the season starts. However, they improve with each game.
“The more reps you get,” Rudolph said, “the better understanding you have of not only how to do your job, but how to do it in a way where you really complement the guys around you. And so that’s been fun.”
Notre Dame has time to evolve; that’s the best news of all. The Fighting Irish are huge favorites this weekend against North Carolina. They’ll be even bigger favorites next week against Stanford. Some might believe that is a disservice to a team’s growth. However, Rudolph sees any game as an opportunity to be their best.
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