Notre Dame Run Blocking: Positives and Negatives of the Zone Blocking Scheme

As discussed before , three topics contributing to the success and demise of the 2008 Irish offense will be discussed this offseason. The first installment, Part 1 , detailed the positives and negatives of head coach Charlie Weis’ offensive philosophy and play-calling approach. The second installment consists of three segments detailing Notre Dame’s struggles running the football. The first segment, Part 2a , outlined the level of rushing offense needed to compete at a national championship level and how Notre Dame has failed to achieve this level of production during Weis’ tenure. Looking at the numbers, it is obvious the Irish running game must become more productive in order to consistently compete against elite competition. Many Notre Dame fans rightly point to a lack of physicality in the offensive line play as the guilty party for the woeful ground production. While partially culpable, toughness along the front five will not be the focus of this discussion. Many ... (link)