It would be easy to say Notre Dame has a disadvantage at running back going its game with USC. That said, yeah, that sentiment might be correct, at least as far as the season as a whole. [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] has had a decent 2022 for the Irish, doing more than anyone possibly could have anticipated at the start. It sure would be nice to see finish with a fine performance against the Trojans and then during a bowl game.
If he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury, Travis Dye would have countered the Trojans’ rushing attack. While he wasn’t that much better than Estime for the most part beforehand, the advantages he possesses are clear. The most obvious advantage was that he was targeted a lot more in the passing game, and he was slightly more productive on the ground with more opportunities to run the ball.
Alas, Austin Jones and Raleek Brown will have to pick up the slack Dye left behind. Whether they can do effectively against the Irish remains will be interesting to watch.
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