A bit more than a year ago, then-No. 5 Notre Dame went to then-No. 2 Ohio State with a clear plan, use the Irish offense to protect the Irish defense. Notre Dame focused on its ground game to establish a 10-7 lead at halftime, shortening the half to only five possessions for the Buckeyes. Remove the first play from scrimmage — a 54-yard pass to then-Irish receiver Lorenzo Styles, now an Ohio State cornerback, punctuated by a 15-yard defensive personal foul — and Notre Dame gained just 141 yards on its next 28 plays, an average of 5.0 yards per play. To put that kind of offensive output into context, it would have ranked No. 107 in the country for the season, between Bowling Green and Middle Tennessee State. And yet, that offensive output was a success, it was what Notre Dame designed, it was the plan. Slow the game,…
Continue Reading: Things To Learn: Notre Dame’s defensive back-seven key to unleashing Sam Hartman, Irish offense vs Ohio State
