Notre Dame has not needed to be creative during its four-year resurgence. The Irish could line up and run through nearly anyone they played, and when they couldn’t, no amount of creativity was going to close the gap between Notre Dame and Alabama or full-strength Clemson.
But that smashmouth offense kept the Irish from breaking through into college football’s top tier. When the offense could not run through an opponent, it had little recourse. Thus, just like on defense, Notre Dame’s offense is transitioning on the fly.
That transition has not been entirely smooth, and it was not in the 27-13 Irish victory on Saturday against Purdue, but Notre Dame (3-0) showed progress by gaining 343 yards and 5.