Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams: 'This is what we come to Notre Dame for'
No. 1 Clemson is coming to South Bend this weekend and something is going to have to give in Saturday's showdown.
The Tigers are one of the top third-down defenses in the country, while Notre Dame has found great success on 3rd-and-short this fall.
Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams knows the competition level jumps up this week, but is confident in his offense being able to get the job done.
"Every practice, we have a 3rd-and-1 situation," explained Williams. "I have confidence that we will not be stopped on 3rd-and-1. I tell my offensive line that every single time it's 3rd-and-1, 'Let's go big O. We got stuff to do.'
"I believe no matter what with the offensive line, running backs, quarterback and wide receivers doing a hell of a job blocking on the edge, I believe people can't stop us on 3rd-and-1. With that confidence as an offense and running game, we'll see a lot more 3rd-and-1 conversions."
The St. Louis native has established himself as the clear No. 1 back on the Irish roster, but Williams is also quietly approaching that 1,000-yard mark.
Through six games, Williams sits at 600 yards and seven touchdowns on just 105 carries.
Williams has appreciated the trust in him and the offense to run the ball, but also the staff's commitment to keep running it, even when they might not be ripping off big runs.
"I think it says a lot about the coaching staff and their trust in us as an offense and us as running backs and offensive linemen," said Williams. "They believe we can run the ball at will no matter if you want to put eight in the box.
"Our offensive line, coaching staff and everyone on offense believes we can run the ball no matter what we do or who is in the box. Whenever we get a chance, we're going to do that and execute every time we do it."
It's no secret the offensive line has the goal of winning the Joe Moore Award and it has led to Williams having plenty of running room this season.
"As a running back, it's something you dream of as a running back," Williams explained. "They're moving the line of scrimmage every single run. When you believe that you can stay patient and you can tiptoe behind the line and still be able to find a hole, that's when you know you have a good offensive line.
"Whenever we have that, we cherish that. We're very grateful for them. We just love our o-linemen and what they do for us."
Williams is also quick to point out the running back stable is also deep and talented as he believes all three backs play off each other.
"I think we all work off each other," stated Williams. "We all bring a different skill to the table. We're all unique in a way. With C'Bo (Flemister), me and Chris (Tyree) in the backfield, it's like that hammer and nail.
“C'Bo is going to come downhill and hit you. He's going to get those yards we need. We're going to get those bully yards. With Chris, you have that speed and he'll come down and hit you. With me, I'll be able to make you miss. I'll run you over and all of that.
"I feel like there is no drop off with running backs. We can throw anybody in and we can keep moving as an offense."
When it comes to Saturday's showdown, Williams will be ready as playing the No. 1 team in the country is exactly why he chose Notre Dame.
"This is what we come to Notre Dame for," said Williams. "We come to Notre Dame to play top games like this - to play Clemson and the best teams in the nation.
"We knew that coming in and from the beginning of the season that we were going to see Clemson. We're going to keep going and doing what we're doing."