Notre Dame vs. Boston College Preview

Well, once again Notre Dame has landed another 8 PM night game that will air on either ABC, or ESPN2.  This week we will be facing off against the Boston College Golden Eagles.  This could be the game that starts a winning streak for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  As of now, Boston College is sitting at 2-1, while Notre Dame is at 1-3.  This is a big statement game for both programs that have had some bad blood over the past couple of years. 

            The big news of the week is that Boston College will be starting true freshman quarterback Chase Rettig.  He will be moved to number one on the depth chart, and Dave Shinskie (a 26 year old former minor league baseball player) will assume number two in the depth chart.  This could be good news for the Irish, who’s defense has struggled this year.  Hopefully the Irish will be able to put pressure on the true freshman, and force some big turnovers that will turn into Irish touchdowns. 

            Boston College is 2-1 this year with wins coming against Weber State, and Kent State.  There only loss was to Virginia Tech last week where the score was 19-0.  The Golden Eagles rank 73^rd in pass offense, and 93^rd in rushing offense.  They also only average 21.3 points per game.  This offense is not as strong as it has been in the past couple of years, so look for Boston College to struggle to put points on the board against Notre Dame.  Manti Teo recorded 21 tackles last week, so look for him to come out strong, and hopefully his work ethic and intensity will wear off onto other member of the Notre Dame defense. 

            On the flip side, Notre Dame struggled rushing the ball last game, totaling only 44 yards.  Notre Dame looks to get back on track running the ball considering this was one of the strong points in the opening game against Purdue.  If Notre Dame can come out and establish a strong running game with starting tailback Armando Allen, and now backup Robert Hughes.  Hughes has moved up to the #2 back, which pushes Cierre Wood to the #3 back.  Look for Hughes to have some power runs up the middle to establish a strong running game. 

            The Irish’s passing game has been its one strong point throughout the year.  They rank 7^th in the country with 315.5 passing yards per game.  Dayne Crist has found new offensive weapon Theo Riddick.  Michael Floyd has also played a larger role in the offense in the past 2 games.  Crist’s favorite weapon Kyle Rudolph was nearly non-existent last week against the Stanford Cardinal’s with only 1 yard on 1 reception.  Look for Dayne Crist to spread the ball around, and set up Michael Floyd for some shots downfield. 

            In a nutshell, Notre Dame has all the talent and weapons to win this game by two touchdowns.  In reality though, it should be another close game since they are heading up to Boston to play this game.  This will be a statement game for coach Brian Kelly and his reputation with all the Notre Dame fans.  I feel like he will not let his team lose this weekend.  With that said, my predicition for the game is Notre Dame 34 – Boston College – 28.  Lets Go Irish!