Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Notre Dame Football: 5 bold predictions for the 2017 season

By Jacob Wilson

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his team wait to head on to the field for the start of the game against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his team wait to head on to the field for the start of the game against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Notre Dame running back Josh Adams (33). (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Notre Dame running back Josh Adams (33). (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

4. Josh Adams rushes for 1,500 yards

With Adams yet to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in a season, expectations are unquestionably high for the junior running back. However, there are a few foreseeable scenarios that could allow for Adams to see enough carries to reach such a total.

For the sensation Adams, it is more a matter of opportunity than execution. In his first season with the Irish Adams enjoyed a yards per carry of 7.2, a mark that would’ve been good for top 20 in the nation this past season.

Again, it is clearly not a matter of execution as Adams continued to boast a 5.9 yards per carry average last year. Instead, it was the 158 rushing attempts he had all of last season. Keep in mind that Notre Dame does not have the potential to play in a conference championship, nor did they make a bowl game last season, two considerations that may skew the stats a tad.

Nevertheless, here are a couple stats that hint to a possible second breakout year for the junior:

  •      In 2016, only three of the top 30 leaders in rushing yards had under 200 rushing attempts (Quinton Flowers of South Florida, Derrius Guice of LSU, and Nick Fitzgerald of Mississippi St.)
  •      In 2016, only nine players rushed for more yards than Adams when receiving less carries

With these two stats in mind, it is clear that Adams did quite well with the carries allotted him in comparison to his peers. The only question is whether or not he’ll get enough carries to establish himself as one of the nation’s premiere rushers.

One of the only ways Adams reaches the 1,500-yard mark is if Notre Dame has to lean heavily on him. In turn, this scenario likely only comes about if junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush falters beyond recovery.

If Adams is to break the 1,500-yard mark, he’s going to require at least 250 carries. This will be a huge jump from the 158 he received last season, and with a much slower paced offense compared to most of the nation, may be a bit too hopeful. However, a small attempt total from Adams this year may result from a solid year out of Wimbush, a sacrifice most Irish fans will be willing to take.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish