‘They’re Ball-Swarmers;’ Inside Notre Dame’s Dominant Run Defense Numbers
In Notre Dame’s meetings with Louisville, Clemson and North Carolina this year, Irish quarterback Ian Book has two fewer combined yards than the star running backs from those three teams – including sacks.
Javian Hawkins (Louisville), Travis Etienne (Clemson), Javonte Williams and Michael Carter (North Carolina) combined for 52 carries and 164 yards against Notre Dame’s defense (3.15 yards per rush). Book, in those games, had 162 yards on 34 carries (4.76 yards per rush). Take out sacks, and he’s up to 206 yards at 7.9 per attempt.
While that’s certainly a testament to Book’s athleticism and running ability, the real point here is to illustrate how Notre Dame has stuffed each of those past or soon-to-be 1,000-yard rushers in a bottle and given them no room to run. Notre Dame’s run defense has been at its best against the best. It has not let up against lesser opponents. And it has taken the leap from good to elite.
All told, the Irish have not allowed a running back to top 100 yards during their FBS-best 15-game win streak. This year, they’re allowing 3.47 yards per running back carry, third nationally among teams that have faced at least 80 attempts, per Sports Info Solutions. That’s up from 4.79 last year, which ranked 58th. Running the ball against them is as enjoyable as headbutting a cactus. Just ask the guy who does it every week in practice.
“They’re ball-swarmers. Ball-hunters,” Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams said. “They’re all over the field looking for that ball. No matter who it is. Even the D-Linemen and the safeties, they’re ball-hoggers.
"It’s hard to bust one on them. When you do, you really have to go and really have to take off, make sure you get as much yardage as you can because you don’t know when the next chance is going to be. We have a lot to physical players that just love the game.”
The most recent victim was the duo of Williams and Carter, who average 209 yards per game against everyone else. They ran for a combined 85 yards on 19 carries, with only three going for 10-plus yards, yet another instance of a run defense that has improved despite personnel losses from last year and a tough group of opposing backs on the schedule.
The 2018 and 2019 Notre Dame defenses were stout against the run and full of star power. Draft picks Jerry Tillery (first round, defensive tackle) and Drue Tranquill (fourth round, linebacker) were mainstays on the former, as was linebacker Te’Von Coney and his two straight 100-tackle years. Edge defenders and draft picks Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem started both years. The 2020 defense had to break in three new front-seven starters.
Instead of regressing or replicating its 2019 production, this year’s group has gone from strong to elite. Two grad students replaced Okwara and Kareem, and they bookend two senior interior starters. There’s still a possible first-round pick in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and a second-year starter at mike linebacker in Drew White. Backups rotate in and create no appreciable drop in effectiveness. The cohesion hits observers like a brick dropped off a skyscraper.
“You understand not only what you’re doing on the defensive line, but what linebackers are doing, what the corners are doing,” defensive end Ade Ogundeji said. “It’s a point for us to understand the whole defense.”
The Irish are sixth nationally at 2.88 yards per carry allowed, up from 3.81 (39th) a year ago, but that oft-cited and sack-skewed stat only grazes the improvement theme. Here’s look at the year-over-year numbers (and a helpful glossary for the stats).
| Year | Line Yards Per Carry | Opportunity Rate | Stuff Rate | Power Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2020 |
1.9 (2nd) |
40.4 (11th) |
31.7 (1st) |
43.8 (5th) |
|
2019 |
2.4 (48th) |
45.5 (50th) |
22.9 (21st) |
73.4 (50th) |
|
2018 |
2.57 (71st) |
43.1 (26th) |
18.7 (71st) |
76.9 (98th) |
A woeful Syracuse offense that has been stuffed on 28 percent of its rushes isn’t a threat to Notre Dame’s streak of keeping running backs under 70 yards. Holding Etienne to 28 yards on 18 carries in a second meeting with Clemson on Dec. 19 may not be realistic, but a drop-off in the Tigers’ offensive line play that Notre Dame exploited last time makes another sub-70 game from Etienne feel possible.
It’s worth noting, though, that as good as Notre Dame’s run defense has been, it has not faced a top-tier offensive front. One assuredly awaits in the College Football Playoff, if the Irish get there. That’s the final test for a unit that to this point, has put forth consistent dominance and will head into any such matchup feeling like it’s a winnable one.
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