Game Thread | Blue-Gold Game
Blue vs. Gold
Notre Dame Stadium | 12:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
How to Watch
The game will stream on the Peacock App, which is a change from the past. Peacock is NBC’s new streaming service and the game will be free to watch, but you will need to sign up.
You will need to download the Peacock App to your Smart TV, Streaming Device or Gaming Console (I believe).
Another option will be to sign up and stream it on your desktop or laptop through the Peacock website.
From what I've been told, Samsung TV and Amazon Fire do not support the app.
Spring Things
Notre Dame will wrap its spring with the Blue-Gold Game on Saturday and it will be the first true look at the Irish since the Rose Bowl. All eyes will be on the quarterback position and on the offensive line, but it could also get uglier than folks trying to find the game on Peacock. Notre Dame enters the game without a first-string offensive line and Brian Kelly has split the offensive line up, so it’s not a recipe for great success, but each player will get valuable reps.
Notre Dame fans can expect a Jack Coan/Ronnie Powlus III vs. Drew Pyne/Tyler Buchner battle and Kelly said Buchner will be live for at least the first half.
I wouldn’t count on Kyren Williams, Michael Mayer and a few others to get much playing time on Saturday as there is very little to gain with them playing. I’d also be somewhat surprised if you saw tight end Kevin Bauman and linebacker Drew White as they look to recover from injuries.
Five (ish) Players To Watch
QB Tyler Buchner
I’m not sure what to expect from the early enrollee. He hasn’t played in a live game in over a year, but there has been positive buzz coming out of practice, especially over the last two weeks. It’s great he’ll be live as it’s important not to have a repeat of Phil Jurkovec in 2019 where there were double-digit sacks - and the large majority would have never happened in a real game. But, if Buchner can make a few plays in addition to his freshman mistakes, I think it’d be a great spring for him.
DE Jordan Botelho
Is he ready for the bright lights? How does Marcus Freeman use him? I expect him to have some success off the edge, but can he refrain himself from hitting the QB in a red jersey? Botelho has a chance to make an impression on Saturday.
S Houston Griffith
Where is his game at? Does Griffith want to tackle and can he have a physical presence? Athleticism hasn't been an issue, but rather his willingness to stick his nose in there and tackle. Griffith was passive at times in the past and yet this spring, Kelly and Freeman have stated he’s put it together.
OL Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler
Two freshmen running with the first-team offensive line is rare, especially at Notre Dame. We’ll get our first look at them in action. Pass protection is going to be the weakness of most young players and it’ll be interesting to see how both hold up.
The Secondary
Kyle Hamilton won’t play and it opens the door for many others to make plays. KJ Wallace, TaRiq Bracy, Cam Hart, Ramon Henderson and DJ Brown have been highlighted by the coaching staff this spring and if they can make a couple of plays, it will be a nice confidence boost heading into the summer.
The Notre Dame family will be without a legend on Saturday for the first time as long-time beat reporter Lou Somogyi passed away in April.
Coman Publishing Company, publishers of Blue & Gold Illustrated, established The Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship at Notre Dame to honor the memory of Lou.
It will benefit in order of priority:
- South Bend-area students who transfer to Notre Dame from Holy Cross College.
- Any student who transfers to Notre Dame from Holy Cross College.
- Any Notre Dame student that has a financial need.
Lou, a South Bend native, transferred to Notre Dame from Holy Cross College and was a supporter of both institutions.
Anyone can donate to the scholarship endowment in memory of Lou.
Call 574-631-5150 or mail your donation to:
University of Notre Dame
Department of Development
1100 Grace Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Donations can also be made at: http://giving.nd.edu/Somogyi
*Please be sure to designate that your gift is for The Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship.