Notre Dame’s run game has a simple fix, and it starts with weaponizing star quarterback CJ Carr
Notre Dame football rushed for 177 yards against Purdue, but the lack of quarterback threat is making life too easy for opposing defenses.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish run game has looked better in recent weeks, but there is a glaring adjustment that could unlock another level for this offense. It is a relatively easy fix that head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff could consider.
The 177-yard rushing performance against the Purdue Boilermakers was the best of the season so far, averaging over five yards per carry. The context matters, though. Purdue has one of the weaker run defenses in the Big Ten, so the numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt.
The bigger picture reveals a deeper issue that goes beyond one game.
The backside defender problem
Notre Dame is a heavy zone running team. The Fighting Irish love inside zone and also run some outside zone.
One of the first things that stands out on film is what is happening on the backside of those zone runs. The first carry of the day for running back Nolan James Jr. against the Boilermakers is a perfect example.
The backside edge defender on the zone run was able to come across in pursuit and contact James, disrupting his track. What could have been a touchdown or at least an explosive run turned into just a good gain.
That margin for error is so much smaller this year. Nolan James Jr. is a good running back. Aneyas Williams is a good running back, contrary to popular belief. Jonaz Walton adds an exciting dynamic to the group.
But this is not the same backfield Notre Dame had last year. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, for the most part, were not getting contacted on the backside of a zone play from a defensive end or an overhang defender. James and Williams are much more likely to get caught in pursuit.
If the Fighting Irish could just hold that backside defender in some capacity, the run game would be significantly more explosive.
Defenses have no reason to respect the quarterback
The core of the issue is predictability. Right now, anytime quarterback CJ Carr puts the ball in the belly of a running back, it is safe for a defense to assume it is a run. Every time.
When a defensive player, whether it is a backside edge, an overhang linebacker, or even a safety, sees that it is always a give, they do not have to respect Carr or the threat of a quarterback pull.
So they crash. They get into their fit aggressively. They do not stay honest on the edge because Carr does not pull the ball.
This is not just a 2026 problem. It goes back to last year when offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock had one of the lowest play-action percentages in all of college football. Only 18.3% of Notre Dame’s passes were play-action.
This year, the numbers are similarly low. Against Purdue, I counted one or two play-action passes. That is not enough to keep a defense honest.
The fix is simpler than people think
I want to be clear about what the adjustment is and what it is not.
This is not about turning CJ Carr into Riley Leonard and running 10 zone reads per game. That is not the ask. The ask is to weaponize the quarterback in some capacity so that defenses cannot sell out against the run.
That could mean more play-action passing, so that every time there is a run fake, the defense cannot automatically assume it is a handoff. It could mean incorporating RPOs, where Carr sees a numbers advantage outside and pulls the ball for a glance route, a slant, a bubble screen.
It could mean pulling a zone read once in a blue moon for five easy yards. Maybe Carr pulls the ball once per game. Maybe.
But the threat of a pull, the threat of a pass off RPO action, the threat of play-action is what changes the math.
When you are a play-action passing team, a safety cannot be as aggressive getting into the box. When you have an RPO element, that backside defender has to sit for a split second longer.
Right now, Notre Dame does not have a get-out-of-jail-free card with its running backs. They are good, not elite or generational. The staff needs to help the numbers advantage as much as possible.
North Carolina prediction
Looking ahead to the matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the UNC defensive line has enough talent to make things difficult early. Xavier Lewis and a few other pass rushers can create some negatives for Notre Dame’s offense. I think there is potential for a slower start, especially in an away game environment.
But talent wins out. I have Notre Dame winning 38-10, covering the 21.5-point spread. The Fighting Irish eventually roll, but it might take a quarter or so to get going.
