Notre Dame (5-2) returns to action with a road trip to face the Boston College Eagles (1-7).  The Fighting Irish have won the last nine contests in this series and are riding a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Eagles have not won since an opening win over Fordham. Injuries and an unsettled situation at quarterback have played a significant role in their decline. This week’s battle will be broadcast nationally by ESPN starting at 3:30 Eastern time.

BC Head Coach Bill O’Brien is in his second season at Chestnut Hill. He is 8-13 overall after a 7-6 campaign in 2024 capped by an appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl. O’Brien’s struggles this year began early as last season’s quarterback Thomas Castellanos transferred to Florida State. Dylan Lonergan, a transfer from Alabama, took over this season but his performance has declined of late. Senior Grayson James started the last two games. The offense showed improvement although the Eagles continued their losing skid.

When asked to name his starter against the Irish, O’Brien was noncommittal. “I’d say it’s TBD based on a lot of things, not because of the way anybody played or anything like that,” O’Brien said. “It’s just TBD, so it’s just between me and the team.” The issue that hampered Lonergan is a lack of mobility, which led to a high number of sacks. James is a much better runner and will most likely lead BC against Notre Dame.

Irish Coach Marcus Freeman was asked about Notre Dame’s defensive preparation for either quarterback. “The biggest difference is going to be the intentional run game, the quarterback run game that they do with James who has been starting the past two weeks. You see more called QB runs. Will he pull it and scramble and do those things? Yes, but Lonergan can do those things also. But that’s probably the biggest difference. There’s a lot more called QB run game in the last two weeks with James than you saw earlier in the year.”

Injuries have been an issue for both teams. BC lost a few of its best defensive players earlier this season. Defensive backs Amari Jackson and Syair Torrence, along with linebacker Daveon Crouch, have gone down. On offense, the line has undergone multiple lineup changes. Various players have been in and out of the lineup and the group remains in flux. Tailback Turbo Richard is questionable after leaving last week’s game with an undisclosed ailment.

Notre Dame will again play without wideout Jaden Greathouse and nickel back DeVonta Smith. Freeman wants them at full strength before putting them back onto the field. The rest of the Irish injury list includes offensive linemen Ashton Craig, Charles Jagusah, and Billy Schrauth. Only Schrauth is expected back this season. Defensive tackle Gabe Rubio also remains out for the foreseeable future.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. BOSTON COLLEGE’S DEFENSE

Boston College runs a 4-3 set and has good depth among its four down linemen. Edge rusher Edwin Kolenge and tackle Sedarius McConnell lead the charge. The Eagles will compete hard but Notre Dame has a size advantage and should win this interior battle. O’Brien undoubtedly watched the USC film and is unlikely to allow Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to run wild. Don’t be surprised if he elects to stack the line of scrimmage to force Notre Dame to throw.

This should be good news for CJ Carr. He needs a bounce back game after an erratic performance against the Trojans. There is no better opportunity as BC’s secondary is vulnerable after losing multiple starters. Safety KP Price and cornerback Isaiah Farris are the best of the remaining healthy players.

Notre Dame will be able to run the ball even if the Eagles commit extra resources to slow them down. The linebackers have been horrid with Crouch out and more recently with Jason Hewlett joining him on the sidelines. That leaves senior Owen McGowan as the most productive current starter.

Unless Notre Dame is rusty following the bye week, the Irish should dominate. Expect them to approach 500 yards of offense and score 40+ points.

BOSTON COLLEGE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Lonergan has completed 67% of his passes but still lost the starting job to James. As noted, James can run the ball more effectively. The downside is his pass completion rate is only 52%. Senior wideout Lewis Bond has been an outstanding performer. He is on track to break the BC receiving records held by current Baltimore Raven star Zay Flowers. Bond has 56 receptions to date.

Other targets include speedster Reed Harris and freshman Dawson Pough. The latter was forced into action when veteran Jaedn Skeete went down. A pair of tight ends, senior Jeremiah Franklin and freshman Kaelen Chudzinski, have proven to be reliable. This group can move the chains if the quarterback has time to throw. That may be a tall order if the recently more aggressive Irish defense brings its A game.

The Eagle ground attack has been the biggest casualty of the team’s offensive line woes. BC has gained barely 100 yards per game rushing against a weak schedule. Richard is a quality runner but was hurt last week and did not return. Senior Jordan McDonald is a capable backup but there is very little experience behind him. Richard had been an integral part of the passing game. His ability to execute screens and wheel routes will be missed. McDonald can catch the ball but lacks Richard’s explosiveness.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame kicker Noah Burnette has had two weeks of rest since his disastrous performance against USC. Coach Freeman has been largely silent this week regarding Burnette’s hip injury. We can only wait to see for ourselves how Burnette or Eric Schmidt handles the kicking chores. On the positive side, I expect Irish coach Marty Biagi to showcase a new surprise for our enjoyment.

Kicker Luca Lombardo has been outstanding for the Eagles this season. He has made all 11 field goal attempts, the longest of which is 52 yards. Senior punter Shamus Florio has average statistics for the position and has struggled with consistency. In the return game, true freshmen Bo MacCormack and TJ Green are handling kickoffs. Green has been more productive despite fewer attempts. Farris returns punts and sports a ten-yard average.

SUMMARY

Boston College has issues at quarterback, a poor running game and a negative turnover ratio (9-14). This is not a great recipe with a rising Fighting Irish squad coming to town. Although motivation will not be lacking, the Eagles do not have enough healthy and talented players to compete. The biggest question is how well Notre Dame will play following an extra week off.

Here are a few additional questions that will shed light on the outcome:

• Will BC’s ground game be stuck in first gear without Turbo?
• Can Carr demonstrate the passing skills that were evident earlier this season?
• Will Notre Dame run successfully against whatever scheme the Eagles employ?
• Which team will win the turnover battle?
• Can Notre Dame’s special teams provide another innovative highlight?
• Will the Irish secondary hold Bond in check?
• Can an Irish kicker make a middle or long-range field goal?
• Will Notre Dame’s pass rush make life miserable for BC’s quarterbacks?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame would like to be in firm control of this contest by halftime. This would allow Freeman to provide extensive playing time to his reserves. It would also mitigate the risk of additional injuries to starters where depth is already running thin. At BC, Coach O’Brien has been playing several freshmen for weeks and can only build for the future.

NOTRE DAME 42  BOSTON COLLEGE 13

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