Instant Analysis: Notre Dame resets its ceiling by storming past BC
Bottom Line
That Notre Dame freshman linebacker Jaylen Sneed tied for the team lead in tackles Saturday on Senior Day against Boston College speaks in glowing terms both about his future and, suddenly, that of the 18th-ranked Irish.
For the second time in three weeks, first-year coach Marcus Freeman’s first ND football team resembled the top 5 squad they were purported to be in the preseason rankings, this time eviscerating a heavy underdog that was coming off a top 25 upset and looking for bookends.
This is how it was supposed to go in upset losses to Marshall and Stanford — and then some. The Irish (8-3) dominated on the scoreboard and in the scorebook to the point where players like Sneed, who had played a handful of snaps all season, played enough to put a big dent in the stat column (5 tackles). And he wasn’t alone.
Notre Dame’s frontline players had their moments too, not all of them seniors, though. Freshman cornerback Ben Morrison picked off three passes, giving him five for the season — the most by an Irish player since Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o’s seven in the 2012 season.
Sophomore Logan Diggs had 122 yards and a TD on 15 carries, while fellow sophomore running back Audric Estimé got his 11th and 12th rushing TDs this season. Junior All-American tight end Michael Mayer led the Irish receiving game with five catches for 64 yards on a day when it wasn’t ideal throwing conditions.
The game started in temps in the high 20s, wind chills in the teens and, at times, added heavy snow.
Former Notre Dame tight ends coach John McNulty presided over a BC offense that managed just 173 total yards and turned the ball over five times. Redshirt freshman QB Emmett Morehead was sacked four times, including senior Isaiah Foskey’s school career-record 25th.
Morehead was filling in for a third straight start for injured QB1 Phil Jurkovec, a former irish backup. He completed 9-of-22 for 117 yards and the three interceptions by Morrison.
Boston College heads into its season finale with Syracuse with a 3-8 record. The Irish head into a matchup at USC playing their best football.
Big Picture
The Irish strengthened their likelihood of landing in the Holiday, Gator or Cheez-It bowls with the victory on Saturday. In fact, that’s the floor now of their postseason options. Between Navy’s road upset of No. 20 UCF and the dominance of the Irish in their own game, Notre Dame picked up some perceptual points.
Questions Answered
Can Notre Dame go an entire game without a blocked punt? The Irish had fewer opportunities because of BC’s four turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion. In all seriousness, for the first time this season, the Irish faced an overmatched opponent and made them look worse than advertised.
Questions Lingering
The weather conditions and Boston College’s defense didn’t present an adequate test to see how ND QB Drew Pyne could handle the kind of pressure Navy exerted in the second half of the 35-32 Irish escape on Nov. 12. USC, next Saturday, has the personnel to do so.
The Road Ahead
The Irish hit the road for their regular-season finale at USC (10-1). It will be Notre Dame’s first trip to L.A. Memorial Coliseum since 2018, with the 2020 matchup there canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @ByKyleKelly.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports