Blue-Gold Game: Five Takeaways

Notre Dame beat Notre Dame 58-45 in the annual Blue-Gold Game. Okay, so technically it was the defense that came out on top, but it was a good day for the Fighting Irish program. Injuries were minor, a lot of players got work and some of the spring progress we saw in the first 14 practices showed up in the game.

My five key takeaways from the game:

1. Run Game Looked Sharp: Experience up front is a key component to a strong ground attack, and the return of four starters along the offensive line provides hope for the ground attack in 2019. It’s been good all spring, but it really showed during today’s Blue-Gold Game.

The first team offensive line was quite effective getting movement at the line, and even when they didn’t get a push they did an excellent job keeping a body on a body, which allowed the backs to be patient. You saw this on the 27-yard run by sophomore Jahmir Smith, who bounced outside after initially running into the line, but the blockers stayed engaged and allowed him to come free outside.

Not having the quarterback run as part of the attack must also be considered, and when that becomes a factor it should only increase the effectiveness of that part of the game.

If Notre Dame can get into the ballpark of what it was on the ground in 2017 the offense could be dynamic.

2. Backfield Is MUCH Improved: The line deserves a lot of the credit for the strong ground attack, of course, but the play of the running backs was also very impressive. Combining patience with decisiveness can be difficult, and it was a challenge for the backs the last few years.