Notre Dame had little trouble running the ball at Louisville in its 35-17 Labor Day victory, yet rather than lean into the ground game, the Irish seemed to force passes throughout the first half. It was fair to wonder, why not run the Cardinals into the ground?
On three touchdown drives before halftime, Notre Dame gained 162 yards on 14 rushes, an average of 11.57 yards per carry, while attempting five passes (including a sack). On the five other scoreless drives, senior quarterback Ian Book dropped back to pass 11 times, compared to nine rushing plays.
It seemed justified to think Irish offensive coordinator Chip Long was refusing to adapt to a soft defensive front.