Notre Dame travels to New England this weekend to play the Boston College Eagles in the first college football game at Fenway Park since 1956. The 9-1 Irish continue to be ranked fourth in the latest Playoff Committee poll and have no margin for error, while the 3-7 Eagles are looking to make their season by pulling off a major upset. Saturday night’s contest is a Shamrock Series game for Notre Dame, which means it will be the home team. The game will be nationally televised by NBCSN, the cable sports outlet of the NBC network, beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern time. NBCSN is found on DirecTV channel 220.

Once again, the Irish will wear distinctive uniforms to celebrate the Shamrock Series. These games are typically played at neutral sites, but this is the first time they will play such a game against an opponent in its own city. The additional hype might generate a stronger pregame buzz, but Notre Dame must focus on rekindling a potent offense that managed to disappear for long stretches against Wake Forest.

The Eagles currently have the top defense in the country in many statistical categories, so this week’s challenge will be significant. The 2.2 yards per rush and 72 yards per game on the ground they have yielded to date are particularly impressive, and teams have scored just five touchdowns in 17 trips to the red zone.

Boston College will also wear special uniforms on Saturday that will reflect their bridesmaid status in this matchup. Coach Steve Addazio’s squad has suffered through some of the same injury problems on the offensive side of the ball as Notre Dame, having lost starting quarterback Darius Wade to a broken ankle and tailback Jon Hilliman to a broken foot in September. The Eagle offense has struggled since then, as freshmen replacements have been forced into action to join a young group of linemen and wide receivers.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. BOSTON COLLEGE’S DEFENSE

Coach Brian Kelly attributed last week’s sluggish Irish attack to conservatism in the play calling, and vowed to open it up a bit more this week. The typical approach for the Eagle defense is to commit extra manpower to stuff the run and pressure the quarterback. Although this strategy has worked well overall, the risk is high against teams with an accomplished passer and receivers that can beat man coverage. For example, Clemson exploited the Eagles with 420 yards through the air while being held to very modest gains on the ground. If Notre Dame gives DeShone Kizer time in the pocket, Will Fuller and company can put points on the board.

For Boston College, athletic ends Harold Landry and Kevin Kavalec join stout tackles Truman Gutapfel and Connor Wujciak to form a defensive front line that is among the nation’s best. Linebackers Steven Daniels, Connor Strachan and Matt Milano have above-average size and ability to play in space. The secondary features four quality players that are taller than six feet, led by 6’3” free safety Justin Simmons. This group has recorded an impressive 98 tackles for loss and 31 sacks, and has allowed an incredibly low 23% conversion rate on third down.

Notre Dame’s offensive line will have to play well in this game, and that is not a given in light of the fact that four of them have been playing with ankle braces due to nagging sprains. Boston College employs myriad stunts and blitzes that will place a premium on the mobility of Kizer’s protectors. The availability of C.J. Prosise is also important to the Irish, as his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield can hurt the Eagles if they are too aggressive in their blitzes. Notre Dame must also work its tight ends into the mix after they were missing in action against Wake Forest.

Kizer and Fuller could also use some help from the other Irish receivers who had quiet games against single coverage by Wake Forest. The Eagles do not have a lockdown cornerback as good as Wake Forest’s Brad Watson, so there should be opportunities for big plays.

BOSTON COLLEGE’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Addazio has started four quarterbacks this season, and has struggled to find a consistent solution after Wade went down several weeks ago. Troy Flutie was given a three game audition before Jeff Smith started the next two, then Flutie had one more shot before walk-on John Fadule started the last game against North Carolina State. Fadule threw for 257 yards in that game, which is double the team’s average output through the air this year. He may get the start against Notre Dame, but he has been prone to mistakes and will get a quick hook if he struggles. Smith, who is a dual threat player, would be the next man in. He is the best playmaker among the candidates but has completed only 33% of his passes.

Similarly, the Eagles have started three tailbacks since Hilliman was lost for the year. Tyler Rouse, Myles Willis and Marcus Outlow have shared the load, but a patchwork offensive line has not been able to create many running lanes for them. Senior guard Harris Williams is the only veteran lineman remaining. Earlier, center Frank Taylor was lost to injury, which forced true freshman Chris Lindstrom into the lineup. At tackle, freshmen Aaron Monteiro and James Hendren started the last game after two upperclassmen were benched.

“We’re trying to find the blend up front,” said offensive coordinator Todd Fitch. “We’re playing a lot of guys up front. I think we played nine last week. That group has to gel and create its own personality. When you’re playing a lot of people, trying to find that right mixture, it takes a while to get that chemistry.”

The passing game has also been problematic, and not only due to the quarterback carousel. Eighteen different players have caught passes this season, but no one has more than 14 receptions in ten games. David Dudeck is the lone senior, while youngsters Thadd Smith, Sherman Alston, Charlie Callinan and Elijah Robinson compete for playing time. Louie Addazio is the tight end, but the position is used primarily for blocking purposes.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicking has been a major issue for Boston College this season. Missed field goals from short range have cost the team at least two wins, and the longest successful boot has been 31 yards. Mike Knoll is most likely to start on Saturday with Colton Lichtenberg in reserve. Alex Howell has performed well in handling the punting chores, and he has been very busy to date given the Eagles’ offensive woes. Alston is the primary punt returner and promising freshman wide receiver Michael Walker is a legitimate threat on kickoff returns.

Irish kicker Justin Yoon returns to his home state in the midst of an impressive freshman season, while punter Tyler Newsome struggled again last week after showing significant improvement against Pitt. Notre Dame’s return game continues to be mediocre, and at this point fans are resigned to hope that such plays end without a fumble or block in the back.

SUMMARY

The ineptitude of the Boston College attack cannot be overstated, but Notre Dame can help them by turning the ball over or blowing assignments in its back seven. Barring such catastrophic errors, the Eagles are unlikely to grind out 80 yard, ten play drives for scores. Conversely, Kelly and Kizer must be willing to go on the attack and throw the ball downfield to open up running lanes for Prosise and Josh Adams. The Irish offense had too many negative plays last week when Wake Forest played with aggression, and it will be a bad sign if that trend continues.

The unique venue and extra hype that goes with a Shamrock Series game should motivate the Irish, while the Eagles reportedly are offended at the prospect of being designated as the visiting team in their hometown. Also of interest is that both teams will share the same sideline, so each coaching staff will have to manage substitutions and communication protocols very carefully. Notre Dame continues to search for a “complete” game on offense, defense and special teams, but the questionable health of its key starters might make this game more of a struggle than a romp.

Let’s consider a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Can the Eagles find a quarterback who can move the team with any consistency?

Which defense will contribute game-changing plays to set up scores?

Will the Irish receivers have success after being contained by Wake Forest?

Can Notre Dame protect Kizer from BC’s pressure?

Will either team be able to run the ball?

Which team will best convert its third down opportunities?

Will the respective kickers help to decide the outcome?

PREDICTION

A fast start is highly desirable for Notre Dame, since an opponent on a five game losing streak without big play capability is unlikely to mount a historic comeback. If the Irish fail to build a two score lead in the first half, they may be fighting for their playoff lives in the last few minutes of the game. Despite the impressive defensive statistics that Boston College has recorded to date, they do have vulnerabilities that Kelly and Notre Dame can exploit. The key for the Irish is to make the Eagles start each possession in their own territory and play with discipline on defense.

NOTRE DAME 24 BOSTON COLLEGE 10