No. 12 Notre Dame (5-2) at Boston College (1-7)
Alumni Stadium | 3:30 PM ET | ESPN | Line: Notre Dame -30.5 | Total: 55.5
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Boston College Scouting Report
Five Players To Watch
Notre Dame DT Elijah Hughes
Hughes has played very well during Notre Dame's defensive turnaround. He leads Notre Dame's defensive tackles in stops despite playing the fifth-most snaps for the Irish at the position. He didn't come into the season as one of the top defensive lineman on the team, but he's been one of them in their first seven games.
Boston College QB Dylan Lonergan
It sounds like Lonergan will be returning as BC's starter after Grayson James started the last two games. Lonergan won the job in camp and had a strong start to the year, but fell off a cliff in his last four starts. He averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and threw one touchdown against three interceptions during that span. They'll need him to regain his form or else it could get ugly early for BC.
Notre Dame LG Sullivan Absher
Absher will be starting his first game of his career with Billy Schrauth out and playing beside Joe Otting, who is only starting his second career game. Joe Rudolph has been able to plug in replacements without much drop off during the last couple of seasons and we'll see if that continues to be the case with Absher. He's a big man who can really move people in the running game.
Boston College DE Quintayvious Hutchins
Hutchins has been one of the lone bright spots for BC's defense this season and they'll need him to have a monster game against Notre Dame. It's likely that they will load the box to try and slow down Notre Dame's running game, which would leave the BC secondary vulnerable. They will count on Hutchins to provide pressure on CJ Carr. He leads the team with 20 pressures and a 31.9% win rate vs true pass sets.
Notre Dame DE Boubacar Traore
People probably don't remember that Traore was at one time committed to Boston College. It's safe to say he's happy where he ended up instead. He's hitting his stride a year removed from his knee injury and is on his way to a double-digit sack season. Boston College is 91st in sack rate allowed this season and they are 130th in sack rate over the last three games. The Irish defensive line could end up going off in this matchup.
Quotes of the Week
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
“Coach Wash has really educated myself and the team on what the view was when he was at Boston College. The one thing that's unique about this rivalry is it's not played every year and that's probably why it's not talked about enough, but there's history.
“It's a great opportunity and a great challenge. We're embracing the Holy War. We're embracing this rivalry. As much as it is for us, like the opportunity to achieve team glory together and that's represented by winning this game and the trophy. It's definitely important to this football program and this university.”
Notre Dame LB coach Max Bullough:
“Anytime Notre Dame linebackers go on the field, we expect to be the most physical, dominant group, team, defense, whatever on the field. That’s how we live and that’s how we are.”
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr:
“I think it's just the consistency in the way our offense plays and communicates and executes. I think we have, when we're firing on all cylinders, we're the best offense in the country and we’re really hard to stop and so then it's just eliminating the self-inflicted mistakes and continuing to just progress.”
Notre Dame OL Joe Otting:
“I always have the mindset. I've always got to be ready. Next-man-up mentality, that's how we go around here. So when Ashton went down, I was ready to step in. I was ready to go, and I was ready.”
Notre Dame S Tae Johnson:
“We're playing with confidence and more swagger. Just really getting back to our identities and getting back to what we do, to be honest. It was really just all within us as far as what jump we can take. We know we're the only people in the way of how much better we can get. We're just finding our identity each and every day. Finding that swagger, finding that juice that carried us last year. We just look to keep building on that as the season keeps going.”
For Your Nerves
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Colosseum 2.0 Lace-Up Pullover Hoodie
