Notable data, did you know, by the numbers for Notre Dame running backs
This story appears in the Blue & Gold Illustrated 2024 Notre Dame Football Preview. To order your copy of the 160-page, full-color, glossy magazine, which includes opponent previews, Fighting Irish position previews and position previews like this one, click here.
This is Part 3 in a four-part series previewing the Notre Dame running backs.
Notable Data
Notre Dame’s rushing attack yielded a stuff percentage — the number of carries which resulted in zero or fewer yards — of 17.5 percent in 2023, which was tied with national champion Michigan. Only eight teams in the FBS recorded a better number than the Fighting Irish and Wolverines, and two of them were run-heavy service academies Air Force and Army.
An offensive line that consisted of two 2024 NFL Draft picks in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher and a longtime starting center in Zeke Correll made for consistent contributions up front for Notre Dame. A stuff percentage as low as 17.5 percent will be tough to come by in 2024 with the Irish replacing those three prominent pieces. Of course, losing 229-pound Audric Estimé’s tackle-breaking, yard-churning ability doesn’t help the cause either.’
Did You Know?
Two of the 13 Notre Dame players to ever run for 1,000 or more yards in a single season have come through the program in the last five campaigns. Kyren Williams did it twice in 2020 and 2021, and Estimé just did it last year.
The others on the list are Vagas Ferguson, Josh Adams, Allen Pinkett, Reggie Brooks, Julius Jones, Autry Denson, Darius Walker, Cierre Wood, Ryan Grant, Al Hunter and Lee Becton. Pinkett is the only Notre Dame player to achieve the feat three times.
Ferguson, who holds the all-time Notre Dame record for single-season rushing yards with 1,437 in 1979, did it twice, as did Williams, Denson and Walker.
Had Estimé played in the Sun Bowl, he would have only needed 97 yards to set a Notre Dame record for single-season rushing yards after gaining 1,341 in 12 games.
By The Numbers
3.3 Yards after contact per attempt for Notre Dame in 2023, per Sports Info Solutions. That was third in the FBS behind Boise State (3.5) and North Carolina (3.4). Estimé ranked 11th individually in the FBS in yards after contact per attempt at 3.8.
18 Rushing touchdowns by Estimé in 2023, a Notre Dame record. Ferguson (1979) and Pinkett (1984) shared the previous record of 17. Notre Dame had 28 rushing touchdowns as a team last season. Only 19 teams in the FBS had more, led by Georgia’s 40.
29.5 Percentage of Notre Dame runs that resulted in first downs in 2023, which ranked 14th among Power Five teams according to Sports Info Solutions.
Riley Leonard had a personal mark of 32.8 percent, which ranked 20th among FBS quarterbacks. Under new Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s tutelage, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels turned in a percentage of 37.8 last fall.
Estimé’s figure of 33.0 led all Irish ball carriers with everyone chasing Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter’s number of 43.6.
The post Notable data, did you know, by the numbers for Notre Dame running backs appeared first on On3.
