Five People Must Step Up Down The Stretch - Offense Edition
Notre Dame has one ultimate goal for its football program, and that is to win a national championship. In 2020, the Irish must first compete for the ACC title before it can compete for the national championship. Winning the ACC crown vaults the Irish into the College Football Playoff, where it can then get a chance to win it all.
For Notre Dame to win the ACC title and be in position to play for a national championship there are several people within the program that must step up and be integral figures in the team's success. This doesn't necessarily mean stepping up in terms of improving their play or play-calling, just that them being at their best is key to the team's stretch run success.
Let's look at the five people who must step up for the offense.
IAN BOOK, QUARTERBACK
The quarterback would be the name at the top of any kind of stretch run article for any team in contention for a title. To compete for a title, especially in today's era, strong play from the quarterback is an absolute must. For Notre Dame to win an ACC title and do damage beyond that it needs quarterback Ian Book to be at his best.
In his last two games, Book has averaged 296.5 passing yards per game, 9.0 yards per attempt, 14.1 yards per completion, rushed for 152 yards and accounted for five touchdowns.
Beyond the numbers, Book's overall play was outstanding, and he carried the Irish offense. If he continues that down the stretch and into the ACC title game this is an offense that can move the ball and score on anyone.
TOMMY TREMBLE, TIGHT END
Junior tight end Tommy Tremble has been an elite blocker all season, and at times he's been a weapon in the pass game. Notre Dame has proven it can win with Tremble serving mainly as a blocker, but his unique skillset is being somewhat under-utilized in the pass game. If that changes the entire look of the offense changes.
I understand the desire to keep him in as a blocker, but the fact is Tremble is also a matchup nightmare for safeties and linebackers. He has the skillset that could add another dimension to the Irish offense, and he's the kind of athlete that when he's a key figure in the offense forces defenses to game plan for him.
I would love to see Tremble get more opportunities in drop backs and in the play-action game down the stretch. Just look at the first half of the Clemson game, when Tremble was used in that fashion. This isn't an argument for not using freshman tight end Michael Mayer, its a case for building the pass offense around both of them.
ZEKE CORRELL, CENTER
With center Jarrett Patterson out for the remainder of the season and right guard Tommy Kraemer out at least one game (possibly three), the odds are good that sophomore center Zeke Correll will be thrust into the lineup.
The good news is Correll is talented, and not just because he was a Top 100 recruit in the 2019 class. Correll showed his talent in limited snaps against Pitt, and sources have indicted he's developed his game nicely this season. Correll has also now spent more time in the Irish system than Patterson had when he earned the starting job.
Notre Dame needs Correll to grow up in a hurry. Weakness up the middle of the line can have a significantly negative impact on the offense. Correll will have help, but he must play smart football, he must play assignment sound football and he must start to show off the talent that made him one of the nation's top line recruits.
JAVON McKINLEY, WIDE RECEIVER
Notre Dame doesn't necessarily need senior receiver Javon McKinley to become a go-to player in the way Chase Claypool did last season, and the Irish have a lot of weapons, but the better McKinley plays the better the offense plays.
McKinley has caught five passes in each of the last three games, and if you expand his numbers during that stretch over the entire season he would have a season that looks like this (13 games): 65 catches, 1,053 yards yards.
McKinley's season-high in catches is five, something he has done four times. In those four games, McKinley has averaged 87.5 yards per game, 17.5 yards per catch and the Irish averaged 41.3 points per game.
What Notre Dame needs from McKinley is to keep doing what he's been doing in recent weeks: block at a high level, work the short game and when he gets opportunities to make plays down the field, get it done. When McKinley is doing that he gives the offense the kind of perimeter weapon needed to protect the run game.
TOMMY REES, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
First-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has continued developing as a play-caller, and he's coming off his best career performance, and that goes beyond the fact his quarterback executed at such a high level.
Notre Dame needs Rees to continue growing and excelling as the competition steps up. Running the table in the regular season, winning the ACC title and competing for a national title will require the offense to score at a very high rate.
That means the offense being at its very best down the stretch.
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