Notre Dame, Down Not Out of Playoff Race

Both Notre Dame and Stanford have a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but a loss for either team would likely eliminate them from contention. If all that happens, it would mean Notre Dame will have played five teams that are playing in their respective conference title games and would have a 4-1 record against those teams – assuming the Irish beat Stanford.

“I believe that throughout the season I have definitely developed along the lines of being able to read blocks and understand what we’re trying to do with the run play”, Kizer said. Tonight, it was turnovers. But Boston College has the No.1-ranked defense in college football, and Kizer has taken advantage of weak defenses. This year, Fuller has 50 catches for 1,009 yards and 12 touchdowns, with two games to play. He had three in the game. Penn State is coming off back to back losses but can salvage their season with an upset of the Spartans. “All we want to do is put ourselves in a position to be considered”.

Kelly said the Irish haven’t let the adversity bother them.

“The individuals, the I in the team part, these individuals gotta play really, really well”, Kelly said. “(Kizer) stayed aggressive and stayed in the moment”. “I told the guys on the team that Monmouth is good this year”.

“With that first (interception), it was 100-percent my fault”. While Adams has done some very nice things in a limited role, it’ll be up to Kizer to generate touchdowns instead of field goals when entering Stanford territory. “On the second one, there was a protection issue”.

“I don’t think there’s anger”, linebacker Jaylon Smith said of the rankings.

“There are situations where I’ve got to take sacks rather than throw the ball down the middle of the field”. We’re just not sitting pretty with the “nuts” heading into the river this weekend.

Every Notre Dame home football game since 1966 has been a sellout – except the November 22, 1973 matchup against Air Force. On average, the Fighting Irish have allowed 110.3 return yards per game.

Starting tight end Durham Smythe underwent knee and shoulder surgery in mid-September, ending his season, after tearing his MCL in Week 2 at Virginia.

Notre Dame fell victim to some recency bias when they were voted out of the top four on Tuesday. “And he’s done a great job with that”. The motivation will be running high to get that bad taste out of their mouths against a team they have beaten SU in the last five meetings on the road. “It looked like one he should have secured”. Bryce Love put up 56 rushing yards and a TD on two carries.

Notre Dame holds the upper hand in the passing game, according to overall FBS ratings.

The Irish couldn’t secure the ball on the PAT and failed to convert. “These tournaments haven’t been good to our team in the short term, but in the long term they have really helped … it gives us, as coaches, a really good idea of who we need to improve in a certain area and this is what our team needs to do”. The BC defense is for real and they ugly up games regularly. Carlisle has seven for 94 yards. But few teams – TCU, perhaps – know injuries quite like Notre Dame, who a year ago also saw its depth chart ravaged by suspensions and injuries, particularly on defense. But Josh Adams has filled in for Prosise earlier this year and has racked up 580 yards and 4 scores.

“Well, I don’t have a perspective, I have an assignment error”. Kelly clearly made an excellent hire in the winter, when he brought in Boise State offensive coordinator Mike Sanford to run the offense.

With 54 seconds remaining, Boston College scored once again after Smith found Charlie Callinan for a 3-yard pass. “We take pride in sharing the ball and we take pride in not turning the ball over”.