Notre Dame Football: 5 keys to a successful 2019 season for Irish

2. Notre Dame must establish the running game again

With Ian Book at quarterback last season, Notre Dame had to have a strong running game to complement the weaknesses in the passing game. They got that thanks to Dexter Williams, but someone will have to replace him in 2019.

Williams ran for almost 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018. With him gone, there will likely be a tandem at running back. Jafar Armstrong will likely get the starts, with Tony Jones Jr. being a frequent sub.

Armstrong averaged 5.3 yards a carry, a whole yard less than Dexter Williams. Players with fewer touches usually have higher averages because any long gains have more of an impact on the average, but this didn’t happen for Armstrong. 5.3 is still impressive, but he will have to achieve that consistently when his usage rate increases. He also got seven touchdowns. That’s nice on so few carries, but it would be ideal if he could get that number to double digits in 2019.

If Armstrong doesn’t pan out as a starter, they will still have Tony Jones Jr. He got more carries last season, but only had three touchdowns. If Jones wants to be more of a tandem back and less of a second option, he will have to reach pay dirt more often this season.

Hopefully the balance of both Armstrong and Jones will keep the offense balanced. If the team has to solely rely on Ian Book every time they play a tough opponent, I don’t see them winning a lot of tough games. It will be vital for the Irish to get something from the running back position.