Notre Dame needed something to emerge in the running game after 2.5 games.
At halftime of Saturday’s game against Michigan State, Notre Dame once again entered the locker room with little production on the ground.
Notre Dame had 67 rushing yards and was averaging just 3.4 yards per carry against the Spartans. The saving grace was that the Irish had already scored twice on the ground in the opening 30 minutes.
Enter sophomore running back Nolan James Jr.
James took over in the second half, becoming the workhorse Notre Dame had been looking for and as he rushed 17 times for 98 yards in the second half.
He finished with 26 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and it was the first 100-yard rushing game of his career.
The New Jersey native also got stronger as the night went on, allowing him to wear down the Spartans defense.
“I've kind of always, my whole life, prided myself on getting stronger,” James stated. “The defense gets a little bit weaker. I felt like that drive coming out of the second half to like really got myself in the groove. Once that happens, just establishing the momentum and just keep riding that wave.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has spoken highly of James dating back to last fall, but Saturday’s performance on instilled more confidence in his sophomore back.
“Nolan is really playing at a high level right now,” said Freeman. “He's running hard. He's breaking tackles. He's playing with a velocity. He's seeing it and committing to it. There's a lot of positivity coming out of his play.”
James has shown the ability to run inside and outside this season, but his strength might be his ability to get through tight spaces. It’s a trait high-level running backs have because there isn’t always a massive hole to run through.
“It’s a little bit of patience,” James said. “It’s a little bit of vision, trusting the guys up front, knowing where this hole should hit. A lot of those counters in that last drive, we're reading A gap out, so just knowing where that should hit, just having some faith in the guys, having some anticipation that that might open, and knowing that I can get through the little gap.”
It might have been James’ first 100-yard performance of his collegiate career, but he also believes he left yards on the table.
“I left some meat on the bone out there on Saturday,” explained James. “I think a couple of those, it just comes more as expecting to break those instead of being like surprised when I do break them. Just being ready to make people miss open field. Not that I wasn't, but I think I just got to capitalize on those situations a little bit better.”
The next step for the run game is building on Saturday’s performance.
Notre Dame’s offensive line has been a work in progress, but that was expected by those inside Shields Hall.
Only center Ashton Craig is playing the same position he played a year ago, so there is a learning curve. Notre Dame has experienced that over the first three games.
“You can do it in camp all you want, but I think it's a little different when bullets are flying,” said James. “A lot of the guys on the field are guys who haven't played together. Last year, those guys all played together for years consecutively, so I think it's just going to take time for us to gel. I think we're getting on that track, we're improving, and I think we just got to keep getting better each and every day.”
James could be in a new position this week as the popular “OR” showed up on the running back depth chart. Aneyas Williams had been the clear-cut starter, but James now has a chance to slide into a starting role.
That said, James doesn’t care whether he starts. The coaching staff has shown the running backs they will play the best player or the back with the hot hand.
“Honestly, to me, it doesn't really matter much whether I go out first or second or if I get the fourth series or the first series,” James explained. “I know when I get in there, I do my job. Who goes out there first really doesn't matter to me. As long as when I get in there, I have to do my job and take care of my responsibilities.”
While there might be a battle to start at running back, James and Williams continue to have a healthy relationship on and off the field.
“We both value it because we're both getting better,” stated James. “If I wasn't competing with him or he wasn't competing with me, I don't think that either of us would be getting better. We know we're both pushing each other and I think we both see that as a positive thing.”
And when it comes to maintaining his body after 26 carries, James believes he was built to handle a heavy workload.
“I was definitely a little sore the next morning; to be expected,” said James. “But just like everything else, just getting back in my routine, taking care of my body. Getting in here the next morning, just getting a massage, getting in the tubs, doing a stretch routine. Doing everything I normally do on the weekends, just taking care of my body.”
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