Notre Dame Football: Playoff chances very much alive after win over Stanford

3. Dexter Williams will be a key part of this offense

Dexter Williams was one of the most explosive running backs with the ball in his hands  last season, highlighted by him falling one carry short of qualifying as the nation’s leader in yards per carry. However, the glaring issue last season was Williams’ inability to stay on the field. Whether it be fatigue or injury, Williams was often unavailable, even in the absence of starter Josh Adams.

With Adams departing to the NFL, it appeared as if the 2018 starting job was Williams’ for the taking. However, a four game suspension would halt his progression, instead allowing Tony Jones Jr., Jafar Armstrong, and Avery Davis to log snaps at the position throughout the first quarter of the season.

Through these first four games, Jones and Armstrong have averaged 5.7 and 5.2 YPC on 46 and 47 carries, respectively. Davis has been less efficient, but has logged 13 carries in his first year since transitioning from quarterback to running back. Given the amount of volume demanded by Jones and Armstrong, there were many questions surrounding what Williams’ role would be in this offense.

Those questions were quickly answered as Williams took his first carry for a 45 yard score. The same explosiveness we saw last year was evident, as Williams finished the night with 161 yards on 21 carries. This start was certainly encouraging, but it remains to be seen how he will continue to progress in Chip Long’s offense.