Chris Tyree Needs To Be A Focal Point Of The Offense, Starting Now
Notre Dame's offense has been abysmal during the team's 0-2 start to the 2022 season, and changes need to be made immediately. All options are on the table, or should be on the table, when it comes to improving the offense.
One change that needs to be implemented, and done so immediately, is making Chris Tyree a greater part of the offense. Now look, Tyree being the lead back and being a focal point of the offense doesn't fix everything, but it is a step in the right direction.
Tyree has carried the ball just nine times in the first two games, and two of those carries were on the final drive of the first half (one in both games) when the offense was simply running the clock out.
I do not know the reasons why Tyree has been so limited in his usage, but it's a correctable mistake, and it needs to be corrected, immediately.
Tyree is the most explosive player on the offense, that has never been in doubt. He's healthy, which was obvious on Saturday in the loss to Marshall. He has home run speed, and that is clearly something the Irish offense has lacked in the first two games. Notre Dame's longest run this season is just 22 yards, and that came on a reverse. The longest run by a running back is just 15 yards.
Tyree is averaging 5.0 yards per carry, which isn't great by any stretch, but the other backs are averaging a combined 2.3 yards per attempt.
The pass game hasn't been much better, with the offense averaging just 7.1 yards per pass attempt (ranks 117th nationally). The 12.8 yards per completion is decent (ranks 54th nationally), but that is bumped up quite a bit from the 54-yard gain Lorenzo Styles had on the opening play of the season.
Tyree gives the offense a player capable of being a home run hitter on every play. When he's been used so far it's been in relatively obvious ways, and that needs to change. Continue using him on jet sweeps and the "look" screens he had success with against Marshall, but Tyree needs to be able to run the basic run game as well. Let him run the inside zones, duos, counters and the outside stuff. He's the most patient of the backs, and if the line does make a crease he can hit it in the big way.
Getting Tyree in as the lead back also makes the screen game potentially more effective. It's been non-existent so far, and Tyree is obviously the most dangerous screen game weapon. Just putting him in now and running screens the way he's been used now would not be as effective. Tyree has been the gimmick player, and teams are going to be prepared for him to run those types of plays. Make him the lead back, get him more base offense touches and then get to work with the screen game.
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees using Tyree as a downhill runner then opens up the perimeter stuff, and that then opens up the screen game. Getting Tyree going in the offense, if it works, then takes pressure off the rest of the offense. Teams will be forced to respect the threat he brings, which opens up other opportunities.
Notre Dame's line hasn't been good enough so far to hammer teams. It hasn't been close to being that good, and it becomes even more problematic when you consider that quarterback Tyler Buchner is likely going to be out for awhile. Buchner has gained 30 more yards than any player on the roster through two games, and he's also the team's leading rusher from a net standpoint, even with the sacks included.
Notre Dame won't have Buchner to get the run game going. That should make 21 personnel much more prominent in the offense, but that really only works if Tyree is also used as a lead back in those situations. He also needs to be used more in 11 personnel, which would give the offense a chance to have its best athletes on the field.
If Tyree is more effective with his usage I also think that opens up opportunities for the other backs, who now become the more physical change of pace backs, and in 21 personnel there are things they can do to force teams to spread out, which opens up room for the other backs.
Making this change won't automatically result in Notre Dame scoring 40 points on a pretty good Cal defense, but it's the first step that needs to happen, and it's definitely a step in the right direction.
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