Notre Dame Football Notebook: Jafar Armstrong Could Be Back For USC Game
A Notre Dame offense that has been gradually adding pieces back to the unit in recent weeks will be looking to add one more to the backfield this Saturday versus USC.
Junior starting running back Jafar Armstrong, sidelined with an abdominal tear on the first series in the season opener at Louisville Sept. 2, began working out more extensively last week and will be put into his first vigorous practice environment on Tuesday.
“He did quite a bit last week, so we’re confident that we can now put him in some scenarios and situations that will give us 100 percent certainty as to whether he would be able to contribute on Saturday,” said Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly during his Sunday afternoon teleconference.
“We believe he can based upon what we saw last week. We’re going to put him in some very competitive situations this week, and that will begin on Tuesday.”
The running game hit its nadir in the 23-17 loss at No. 3 Georgia Sept. 21. The Irish ran the ball only 14 times (tied for the fewest in Kelly’s 10 seasons) for 46 yards, mainly because at the time senior Tony Jones Jr. was the lone proven and trusted figure in the backfield, especially in a game of that magnitude.
Since then, the backfield has been developing on the run, so to speak. It found a rhythm in the fourth quarter during a 35-20 victory versus Virginia Sept.28, totaling 120 yards on 15 carries in those 15 minutes, led by Jones’ 97 on seven carries.
More encouraging was sophomore C’Bo Flemister began to earn trust in that game, highlighted by an 11-yard touchdown run in which he broke two tackles.
Yesterday against a far weaker Bowling Green defense, sophomore Jahmir Smith, sidelined most of the last three games with turf toe, began to see more action, tearing off a 24-yard run, Flemister had eight carries for 30 yards and another touchdown, and converted cornerback Avery Davis caught three passes for 39 yards and a score, plus contributed three carries for eight yards.
Jones remained the linchpin figure with 102 yards on seven carries versus Bowling Green, but the return of Armstrong is expected to provide a dimension Notre Dame has been lacking, a la Dexter Williams in 2018 when he was inserted after a four-game suspension.
“Jafar brings an explosiveness to the offense that we’re obviously waiting for,” Kelly said. “… His ability to impact the offense at receiver and a runner. He’s got top-end speed, and he’s big and physical. He impacts it in three ways.”
The Irish head coach also revealed that the plan with freshman running back Kyren Williams is to now redshirt him.
Williams had played his threshold of four games without losing eligibility the first four weeks, but now with Smith and Armstrong coming back, and Flemister and Davis becoming more active to complement Jones, the best course of action is to give him more time to grow and learn while saving a year of eligibility at the same time.
The identity of the offense this year has revolved around huge “chunk” plays with the passing game, part of why Notre Dame is averaging only about 63 plays on offense per game. As the running game continues to evolve and the line finds its continuity, those numbers could change, although Armstrong provides more explosiveness himself.
“You’re looking for that kind of ratio balance where you’ve established the running game and have a big-play opportunity in the passing game,” Kelly summarized.
It will be needed this weekend versus USC. Although the Trojans identity this year revolves around the new “Air Raid” attack with one of the most lethal receiving corps in the country — Michael Pittman, Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown — something else stands out to Kelly.
“Probably the best defense that we’ve faced from the USC Trojans, maybe since I’ve been here, “ Kelly said. “They’re very good up front. It’s a four-man front that can bring pressure.”
The Plan Is To Redshirt Donte Vaughn
The cornerback position is beginning to thin out, which is why freshman receiver Cam Hart was shifted to corner recently, his preferred position coming out of high school.
Despite the 52-0 blowout of Bowling Green, the only corners to play behind starters Troy Pride and Tariq Bracy — who took the most snaps on defense — were Hart and fellow freshman K.J. Wallace, with rookie Isaiah Rutherford also listed. Sophomore Houston Griffith is now working at safety.
Conspicuous in his absence versus the Falcons was senior Donte Vaughn, who had enjoyed a strong first two weeks of August camp before getting beaten out by fifth-year senior Shaun Crawford, who like Vaughn was coming back from major surgery and had missed the spring.
Vaughn has appeared in three games this year, and playing a fifth would not allow him to apply for a fifth season in 2020. Thus, the coaches want to pocket that fourth game for an urgent situation, if necessary.
“We want to be very strategic as we move forward with that fourth game,” Kelly said. “…We’re not going to play him unless we absolutely have to put him on the field.”
Having a bye the week after the USC game buys more time for Crawford to get healthy after dislocating his elbow and tearing four ligaments there versus Virginia. He began conditioning work last Tuesday and will receive more agility and position work this week in hopes of getting cleared to return to action later this month.
Personnel Update
• Sophomore wide receiver Lawrence Keys III did not play versus Bowling Green while dealing with a heel/plantar fasciitis injury. He has been cleared to be put into a practice situation on Tuesday.
• Kelly has lauded the production, assignment consciousness and self-assuredness of fifth-year senior Asmar Bilal at Buck linebacker and junior Drew White at Mike. They have now ensconced themselves as bona fide starters instead of rotation players.
“The first thing is to be disciplined, and both [Bilal] and Drew have found that discipline,” Kelly said.
• In his expanded role as a nickel, junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah graded out okay against Bowling Green in man coverage, but will need to refine his work in zone. Against USC, he definitely will not be expected to cover someone such as St. Brown without help over the top from a safety, per Kelly.
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @CoachDeDario and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.