Game Thread | No. 2 Notre Dame at Boston College

No. 2 Notre Dame (7-0, 6-0) at Boston College (5-3, 4-3)

Alumni Stadium | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC

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Holy War

Notre Dame needs to simply get out of Boston College with a win on Saturday and if it’s a dominant one, then so be it. Every program is going to battle the trap game scenario coming off beating the No. 1 team in the country. It happens, but it’s a little more tricky than that for Brian Kelly’s Irish. 

Not only is it a road trap, but it comes the week before a bye week and finals. But there is more. It’s a rivalry game, but Notre Dame might not consider it as much of a rivalry as Boston College as the Eagles have a roster full of players who never got the offer from Kelly. But there is more. It’s Boston College’s Red Bandana game, which honors a true hero in Welles Crowther. But there is more. There is this body blow theory and well, the Irish are coming off its most physical game to date. And yes, there is more. Notre Dame will face quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who will be motivated and leads the ACC in passing yards. 

Kelly has preached the standard all year and it’s worked to a large degree as the Irish are playing great football. It will be tested in all aspects this weekend, but it’s a veteran squad that should be able to handle it even if it takes into the second half to pull away. 

Notre Dame holds key cards in this match as the Irish can run the ball and Boston College can’t stop the run. Boston College can’t run the ball and Notre Dame can stop the run. I also believe the Irish could have a big day when it comes to special teams (looking at you Chris Tyree). 

Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame CB Clarence Lewis
He replaced TaRiq Bracy against Clemson and that may become a permanent move for the Notre Dame defense. You can bet he'll be tested deep when he's in. We'll see if Lewis can rise to the occasion.

Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec
Jurkovec has played well for Boston College despite being pressured more than any quarterback in college football. He has a tendency to hang on to the football too long to try and make a play, so there will be opportunities for Notre Dame to sack him.

Notre Dame WR Avery Davis
Davis had a breakout performance against Clemson and Ian Book wasn't shy about targeting him deep down the middle of the field. 11 of his 16 catches have come in the last three games.

Boston College LB Max Richardson
The leading tackler in the country is a force against the run and an effective blitzer. He's not nearly the same factor in coverage and could be exploited in this game.

Notre Dame DE Ade Ogundeji
Ogundeji combined with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for a big sack in double overtime against Clemson. He had a monster game against Boston College last season with two sacks and four total Havoc plays.

Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame OL Liam Eichenberg:
“There's a lot of people who doubt Book. It's not great to see. For me, I've played with him for five seasons. It just sucks because I see how hard he works every single day in the offseason, in the film room, on the field and in the weight room - the amount of time he's dedicated and sacrificed to help this team win and for us to take the next step in the right direction. 

"I think Ian is the best quarterback in the country and I'll say that every single day. I think he's the best leader on our team. I believe in him the offensive 100 percent believes in him."

Notre Dame DE Ade Ogundeji:
"I haven't said anything to Phil this week. Phil was a great teammate. He was a cool and a funny guy. He's a great guy. 

"Watching him on film, he can make every throw. He's a big guy. He can throw on the run and do a lot of different things. He's a playmaker out there. It'll be an exciting challenge for us. I'm ready for it and hype for it." 

Notre Dame LB Drew White:
“One of our key identifiers is being physical, especially at the point of attack at the line of scrimmage. That was something we thought Clemson hadn't experienced until last week. You see our interior defensive line controlling gaps and the linebackers flowing downhill and posting up offensive linemen. That was our mindset going into the game and our mindset going into every game - being the more physically dominant team." 

Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec:
“We've been talking throughout the year, especially the guys in my class. We're still pretty tight. This week, we haven't talked too much. I know they want to beat me badly and the same with me. We're not friends out on the field, but I have good relationships with a lot of those guys." 

For Your Nerves