How Notre Dame's Running Back Trio Ignites the Irish Offense
With left tackle Joe Alt and tight end Eli Raridon leading the way, Audric Estimé bulldozed through the line of scrimmage and into the second level of the North Carolina defense.
It took three Tar Heel defenders to bring down the stout 227-pound Irish running back and end his run at 16 yards.
This play was emblematic of the dominating performance the Notre Dame offensive line and its running back trio strung together against North Carolina. Estimé, Chris Tyree and Logan Diggs combined for 264 yards on the ground, 353 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns.
It was the first time since 1996 that three Notre Dame running backs accounted for more than 100 yards of offense each.
Yet their production on the ground isn’t inflated by one or two breakaway touchdown runs.
Outside of a 29-yard scamper by Estimé in the first quarter, each carry resulted in a gain of 19 yards or fewer. But the trio picked up at least 5 yards on 23 of 32 carries, which includes three 1-yard touchdown runs.
“Everyone knows the run game started to work more. We’re just starting to impose our will on teams,” Estimé said. “Our offensive line and has come together with coach [Harry] Hiestand. They’re going as a unit, and they’re getting better every week, every day in practice.
“They’re getting us better. We’re all just competing every day in practice, working towards the ultimate goal.”
Their performance was a welcome sight for the Fighting Irish coaching staff, especially after the run game failed to yield positive results in losses to Ohio State and Marshall.
After Notre Dame’s first two games, the Irish ranked 110th out of 131 FBS teams with 103.0 rush yards per game, and quarterback Tyler Buchner led the teams in total carries (24) and yards per game (31.0).
After wins over Cal and North Carolina, the Irish now rank 65th with 160.0 yards on the ground per contest, jolted by Estimé’s 105-yard rush average in those contests.
In addition to running the ball effectively, the sophomore running back also uses his physicality to keep quarterback Drew Pyne safe.
Occasionally, Estimé will punish an opposing defender in pass protection as well.
Estimé isn’t the only physical presence in the Irish backfield.
With 4.3-speed, Tyree has always been fast. But at 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds, he worked hard in the offseason to be a stronger and more durable runner between the tackles.
“You see him running through some tackles, you see him getting extra yardage, you see him playing with a physicality and a toughness,” said offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. “Kudos to Chris. It's a mentality he wants to have and own. He can do pretty much anything he wants on a football field. We've got to find ways to continue to feature him."
Due to injury or illness, Diggs has been the odd man out at times this season. In the first two games, he carried the ball a total of 11 times. Against Cal, he was sick and received a DNP.
Finally healthy against North Carolina, Diggs broke out with 13 touches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
If he can remain on the field, he should provide a nice compliment to Estimé and Tyree going forward.
"He was playing a ton for us last year for a reason,” Rees said. “He's a talented runner. When the ball is in his hands, he has good vision and balance. He has the ability to make the first guy miss. We feel we have three backs right now that can all be featured, that can all be complementary and do certain things.
“Logan has a blend of both Audric and Chris in his game, and you saw that a little bit: the ability to run between the tackles, the ability to be out on the perimeter.”
With so many talented running backs, the biggest challenge going forward could be getting each of them adequate touches.
“We're evolving as the season goes on and we're finding ways to produce,” Rees said. “We're finding ways to get touches to guys. When you have three talented running backs, it can be a bit of a balancing act. Coach [Deland] McCullough has done a nice job of providing some insight on getting those guys ready with the plan.
“We have a lot of talented players. It's my job to find ways to make sure they're featured and can touch the ball. Those three certainly fall under that.”
To feature them more often, Rees is putting multiple running backs on the field together and lining them up in different positions.
Tyree, in particular, has moved all over the field. Of his 131 snaps this season, 33 have been out wide or in the slot.
But he’s also dangerous when he catches the ball out of the backfield.
On the play below against Cal, the Irish offense lines up in 21 personnel with Tyree and Estimé in the backfield and All-American tight end Michael Mayer in the slot.
Estimé goes in motion just before the snap and Pyne trusts his read, hitting Tyree over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown pass.
“We need our guys to execute,” Rees said. “Our 21 package has been nice. We'll keep trying to find wrinkles and find ways to get the job done. If we put them in a position to have a good look, they should have success.”
Under Armour Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2022 Shamrock Series Logo Fleece Pullover Hoodie
