On Saturday afternoon, the Boston College Eagles football team traveled to South Bend to face off against their longtime rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After losing a heartbreaker to Florida State last week, the BC team needs an upset win in order to reach bowl eligibility this season. #5 Notre Dame, meanwhile, would jeopardize their College Football Playoff chances with another loss this season. The Irish were nearly 30-point favorites coming into the game, heavy heavy favorites.
The Irish got
to work quickly. After BC punted away their first possession, quarterback CJ Carr and his team marched down the field and scored a 26-yard touchdown on a pass to Micah Gilbert. Boston College’s offense looked pedestrian by comparison. BC quarterback Mason McKenzie was getting pressured by ND’s pass rush and couldn’t settle into his throws. BC found some limited success with its run game and short passes in the first quarter, but nothing more than a few first downs.
Notre Dame’s drives were deliberate and methodical. Short runs and passes to the sidelines were effective against BC’s weak front seven. The Irish marched all the way down the field again to start the second quarter, capping it off with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Nolan James Jr. They held a commanding 14-0 lead already in a game that looked like BC’s offense could be in trouble.
McKenzie was struggling to complete short passes and Notre Dame’s defensive backs were being very physical with BC’s receivers without being called for holding or interference. So Boston College’s offense continued to flounder and punt in their own territory yet again.
The pressure and physicality was not duplicated by the other defense. CJ Carr got plenty of time to throw and the Irish ball-carriers got plenty of space to run. Before too long, ND wide receiver Jordan Faison weaved his way down the sideline for 28 yards to set up a short touchdown rush by Jonaz Walton. The score was now 21-0 with two minutes remaining in the first half, and Boston College desperately needed a spark before halftime. They didn’t get it. Instead, Mason McKenize got hit by Boubacar Traore as he threw, fumbled the ball, and Notre Dame linebacker Jaylen Sneed fell on the ball in the endzone for the touchdown. Then the Irish ran down the field in the final 30 seconds to score a field goal before time expired.
BC did actually get a break before halftime when Faison fumbled a punt return and the Eagles recovered in ND territory. But McKenzie threw a bad pass on third down that set up a do-or-die fourth down that was dropped by Javarius Green. They came away with no points and went into halftime down 31-0.
The second half had a promising start when CJ Carr was intercepted immediately by Boston College’s KP Price. Then a hands-to-the-face penalty gave BC another 15 yards, so it only took a couple of plays until the Eagles were in the endzone for the first time. Bo MacCormack pounded his way inside to cut the ND lead to 31-7. But Notre Dame’s offense kept cool. Their next drive was surgical, with Carr finding Micah Gilbert for multiple big passing plays. Eventually Carr tossed a fade to Faison in the endzone for another Irish touchdown to make it 38-7. When BC had just a shimmer of hope, it was immediately vanquished.
The remainder of the game was rather uneventful. Notre Dame was called for a number of penalties, but nothing that ever threatened their control of the outcome. Mason McKenzie hurled a pass downfield on a desperation fourth down that was intercepted. The game was all garbage time in the fourth quarter and it mercifully ended by a score of 41-7. Boston College was completely outclassed. Notre Dame’s roster was bigger, faster, stronger, and more skilled. And even in garbage time BC could get nothing going, a testament to the coaching and preparedness of the Irish.
