It wasn’t the prettiest game for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish during their 37-26 victory over North Carolina coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels. However, there were a lot of despite issues for the kickoff c0verage unit, the pass defense, and the good old Freeman Middle 8s conversation

This is a Notre Dame offense that had one of its better showings of the season so far, particularly on the ground. The run game under offensive coordinator Mike Denbrook has been heavily debated and critiqued over the last few weeks, and for good reason.

Coming into the contest, Notre Dame had not run for more than 180 yards as a team in a single game this season, including its most recent high of 177 yards against Purdue. That changed on Saturday.

Notre Dame’s best rushing performance of the season

The Irish ran for 241 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries as a unit. That works out to a 5.4-yard-per-carry average.

For the first time all season, Notre Dame’s top three running backs each averaged more than five yards per carry. That includes Nolan James Jr., Aneyas Williams, and true freshman Jonaz Walton.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was who led the backfield in production and volume. That was Walton, the 5-9, 214-pound freshman from Central High School in Georgia.

Walton has impressed this season when he has gotten opportunities. On Saturday, he took on a heavier workload and ran with it. He led the team with 120 yards on 23 carries, which comes out to 5.2 yards per carry.

From a pure size, explosiveness, and long speed perspective, Walton is Notre Dame’s most talented running back right now. Those glimpses turned into consistency against North Carolina, and we saw a formula for potential success and sustainability in the running game.

It begins with Walton.

Why Jonaz Walton needs to be the focal point

Notre Dame has a trio of runners who each bring a different profile to the table.

If used correctly, they could become a dangerous committee for this offense. It’s Walton, however, who needs to be the focal point of the rushing attack, at least as the “volume getter” in the backfield.

Outside of Kedren Young, who just isn’t ready to play right now, Walton is the most physically well put together back on the roster. He has the ability to turn short gains into large chunks and to consistently grind out hidden yardage.

If you ask me, we saw the maturation of the next Notre Dame star running back on Saturday.

How James and Williams complete the trio

Nolan James Jr. was also used very well out of the backfield. He showcased that he could be an elite change-of-pace back for this team, running nine times for 65 yards, an average of 7.2 yards per carry. He also caught his lone pass of the day for a 6-yard touchdown.

There will be games where James ends up being the top volume getter in the Notre Dame backfield. His short-area explosiveness and ability to make players miss in tight quarters make him an extremely impactful complement to Walton and the style he brings to the table.

Then you add in Aneyas Williams, who had a very efficient day. He carried the ball eight times for 42 yards, a 5.3-yard-per-carry average, and he had the longest run of the day for Notre Dame at 24 yards.

Williams has shown in the past that he has the talent and versatility to be a valuable part of a backfield. He just might not be the ideal No. 1 option for Notre Dame, at least not right now. The 5-10, 210-pound runner can clearly hold a role in this offense, and he added three catches out of the backfield on Saturday.

That versatility, along with the physicality and explosiveness of Walton and the short-area ability James brings, can create a really impressive trio. This is the ideal formula in the backfield: using all three players’ talents to create a unique change-up to quarterback CJ Carr and the passing attack.

If this was the beginning of a smart committee formation, Notre Dame’s run game is trending upward, and it’s trending upward quickly.