Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Irish will win 2018 national title

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 01: Dexter Williams #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish breaks away and runs the ball in for a touchdown in the second half against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Syracuse Orange 50-33. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

4. Dexter Williams will have a breakout season

Josh Adams who? That’s what some fans may be saying after this season which may not mean they forgot about the 1,000-yard rusher from 2017, but rather Dexter Williams helped ease the pain of his departure.

Williams is entering his senior year and has gotten better each season in South Bend. However, he hasn’t quite gotten the amount of carries he deserves. As long as he can remain healthy, he’ll be in for a breakout season for the Fighting Irish.

As a freshman, Williams had just 21 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown, averaging less than 4.0 yards per touch. He more than doubled his yardage as a sophomore, accounting for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 5.9 yards per touch. As if that progression wasn’t impressive, he racked up 324 yards and four touchdowns on an eye-popping 8.8 yards per carry in 2017 as Adams’ backup.

Now that Williams is the full-time starter, presumably, he’ll get an opportunity to do something Adams couldn’t: Remain consistent throughout the year.

With a strong running game yet again, the Irish will be nearly impossible to slow down.

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