UGA Run Game has Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's Attention

ATHENS - Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is concerned about giving up big plays in the run game. And now he gets to deal with No. 3 Georgia and its run game. 

The Bulldogs have one of the top run games in the country. The Bulldogs have racked up 865 yards in three games (288 yards per game). Meanwhile the Irish have given up 249 rushing yards to Louisville and another 212 to New Mexico on Saturday. 

Those numbers are something Kelly says the Irish have to clean up. 

“We can't give up big-play runs,” Kelly said on Sunday. 

The Irish have given up runs of 47, 37 and 44 in those three games. By comparison, the Dawgs have only given up one run more than 25 yards this season.

“Against Louisville it was just poor execution - poor defensive structure,” Kelly said. “That can't happen against UGA because those plays are going for touchdowns. I think our guys will lean form it.”

Kelley said the Bulldogs’ run game is something the Irish will have to focus on each down. 

“On each and every play if you are not on it a guy like Swift is going to take it to the end zone,” he said. 

Swift has runs of 36, 40 and 39 so far this year alone. Kenny McIntosh has a 62-yard TD run and James Cook also has a 37 yard run. Another factor for the Irish could be matchup up with the Bulldogs’ backs in the passing game. 

Swift scored on a 48-yard screen pass from Jake Fromm during the Dawgs’ 55-0 win over Arkansas State on Saturday.