Michigan Wolverine Football: The Irish Offense
Posted at 5:00am — 9/5/2014
Michigan Wolverine Football: The Irish Offense
Michigan at Notre Dame
Much has changed with the Notre Dame offense since 2013. Everett Golson is back at quarterback and two new offensive coaches have been hired. The new Irish offensive coordinator is Mike Dembrock, who previously worked under Head Coach Brian Kelly. A new quarterback coach, Matt LeFleur, previously with the Washington Redskins, has also been hired. Brian Kelly will again call the plays.
Aug 30, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (5) runs for a touchdown as Rice Owls defensive end Brian Nordstrom (47) attempts to tackle in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsKelly has received positive hype about the spread offense he has incorporated successfully at his many coaching stops. But the Notre Dame offense is very versatile and much more than a spread package. It can play bombs away, run the option, run the inside series, and play power football.
The quarterback will be seen both under center and in the gun. And Golson’s return makes the Notre Dame offense instantly more versatile and explosive. Now Notre Dame again has a true dual threat quarterback who can turn difficult situations into big gains via the scramble and planned quarterback runs.
Zach Martin and Chris Watt were great offensive linemen for Notre Dame. They were both drafted by the NFL. Notre Dame’s line may or may not be as good as last year, but at the very least it is still a formable unit. Few sacks were given up last year and that number should remain low with the return of the versatile Golson. Some of the returnees have valuable experience and some of the younger linemen have NFL potential.
Apr 12, 2014; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Greg Bryant (1) smiles during warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsThe running back situation is very stable with three strong candidates to run the ball, Greg Bryant, Tarean Fullston, and Cam McDaniel Collectively, this group ran for well over a six-yard average and 180 yards against Rice’s defensive front, a front that was thought to be pretty stout. Add in the two quarterback’s (Golson and Zaire) yardage and the rush total approached 300 yards.
The receivers may be more by committee than in the past for Notre Dame. William Fuller appears to be the most likely Irish receiver to become a primary target. Last week, Rice’s defense was torched by the combination of Golson’s scrambling and receivers that easily got past Rice’s secondary.
Expect anything Saturday. Notre Dame’s offense is versatile. However, keep in mind that in the last couple of games, Michigan’s defensive interior line and linebackers have given up big yardage to the Irish run game. That is likely where Coach Kelly will start come Saturday evening. Both teams are aware that the timely busted play by either quarterback may determine the outcome. At times, when the chips are high stakes, Notre Dame will run the classic down the line option. But eventually, Coach Kelly likes to air it out, and that will happen. The results will be determined this Saturday.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu
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