Notre Dame football beat Purdue handily on Saturday, but the Irish suffered some big blows on the injury front.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman announced Monday that two starters will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season: vyper Jordan Botelho and center Ashton Craig. Starting right guard Billy Schrauth is also expected to miss Saturday’s home game against Miami (Ohio) and multiple weeks after that.
SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS TO STAY IN THE KNOW ON NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS
Related Content
► Analysis: How Notre Dame's road ahead can reframe its early-season fiasco
► Road rage or awakening? Notre Dame rescrambles its big picture with rout
► Snap Counts: Here's who played for Notre Dame football against Purdue
► Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard leads with legs as passing game remains project
► Notre Dame football makes modest gains in polls as status quo pervades
Botelho went down with a right knee injury in the second quarter of the 66-7 victory over Purdue. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Botelho could apply for a medical hardship waiver to return to Notre Dame for a sixth season. Botelho’s fifth season at Notre Dame started strong. He recorded 12 tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries in the first three games of the 2024 season.
The absence of Botelho will increase the playing time for sophomore Boubacar Traore. The 6-4, 243-pound Traore played the second-most defensive snaps (26) of Notre Dame defensive linemen on Saturday due in part to Botelho’s injury. Traore, who returned an interception for a 34-yard touchdown against Purdue, leads the Irish in tackles for loss (3) this season, including one sack among his six tackles. Junior Tuihalamaka should also receive more playing time at vyper in Botelho’s absence.
Craig suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter against Purdue. The 6-4, 308-pound junior started ND’s last six games going back to the Wake Forest game last November. Senior Pat Coogan replaced Craig at center. The 6-5, 310-pound Coogan started all 13 games last season, but those came at left guard. Coogan will now be in line to make his first career start as a center.
Schrauth suffered a right ankle injury in the first quarter against Purdue. Like Craig, the 6-5, 310-pound Schrauth started the last six games for the Irish. Graduate senior Rocco Spindler replaced Schrauth at right guard. The 6-5, 325-pound Spindler started the first 10 games of last season at right guard before being sidelined with a knee injury.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS ON YOUTUBE
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman praised Coogan and Spindler for remaining focused despite losing their starting roles in the preseason and being able to fill in admirably in the Purdue game.
“I told those guys, man, to start as many games as those two started and to not be the starter and to be prepared and to be great teammates, I can’t speak any more highly of those two guys,” Freeman said. “And they went in there and they got the job done. And it’s a respect to their preparation. It’s a respect to their unselfishness, to their love for the team.
“Those two guys deserve a lot of credit for the way they prepared, the way they make the guys in front of them better and in the way when they got their opportunity, they went in there and did their job.”
Junior defensive end Joshua Burnham, who missed the Purdue game with an ankle injury, is questionable for Saturday's game. Burnham made four tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry in the first two games of the season.
Graduate senior offensive tackle Tosh Baker, who missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, is questionable as well. Baker should be starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp’s backup when he returns to action.
Two players expected to return this season remain out this week: senior defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio (left foot) and freshman safety Tae Johnson (left foot).
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
