Notre Dame Shipping Top 20 Offense Up to Boston (College): Breaking Down the Eagles' Defense
- Brenden Duffy
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
This Saturday afternoon, CJ Carr, Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Co. lead a top-10 scoring Notre Dame offense into Boston College’s Alumni Stadium. The Irish, 5-2 and ranked 12th, look to extend their win streak to six as the Eagles (1-7) find themselves amidst a seven-game losing streak.
Boston College Results (1-7)
66-10 vs Fordham (W)
40-42 at Michigan State (OT L)
20-30 at Stanford (L)
24-28 vs California (L)
7-48 at Pittsburgh (L)
10-41 vs Clemson (L)
23-38 vs Connecticut (L)
24-38 at Louisville (L)
The Boston College defense is led by Defensive Coordinator Tim Lewis. Head Coach Bill O’Brien brought on Lewis as his DC when he received the role prior to the 2024 season. Lewis, a former Pitt standout CB, was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the CB’s career was cut short following a severe neck injury. Lewis has been able to stay around the game ever since in a coaching role. He has served as a DB coach for various NFL organizations, and was most notably the DC with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 2000s. Before O’Brien called Lewis, the Eagles' DC was working in the UFL in the same role from 2022-23.
It has been a tough second year for Lewis and the Boston College defense. After holding Fordham to 10, the Eagles have failed to hold an opponent to under 28 points, a key reason for their current skid. It is tough to find a bright spot on a defensive unit that fails to create pressure, stop the run, or make plays in coverage. There are a couple of promising underclassmen, including freshman nickel TJ Green, but it looks like it might be another long Saturday with a top-20 offense in their way. Below are Boston College defensive stats with their respective national ranking:
34.4 points per game allowed (126th)
17 pass touchdowns allowed (tied-123rd)
410.6 total yards per game allowed (111th)
163 rush yards per game allowed (101st)
1 of 9 teams to have allowed multiple 70-plus yard rushes
247.6 pass yards per game allowed (tied-112th)
4 tackles for loss per game (tied-122nd)
Defensive Personnel:
Interior Linemen:
Chris Marable Jr. - After beginning the season as a backup, this Wake Forest transfer has earned a starting role. Marable has 11 tackles and a pass breakup this year. The redshirt sophomore DT has at least one tackle in seven games. Across the past two games, the 6-2, 305-pound transfer has tallied four tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a pass breakup. Marable has been pretty decent this season, but he definitely has his struggles. He has five pressures on 135 pass rush attempts and seven stops against the run, with one of his two missed tackles coming here.
Sedarius McConnell - More of a run-stopping DT compared to Marable, this redshirt senior has 22 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. McConnell leads the Eagles in tackles for loss and sacks. The 6-3, 279-pound senior has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high of five last week at Louisville. McConnell’s pass rush has been decent with seven pressures across 180 attempts. He has been good against the run with nine stops; however, all three of his missed tackles occurred in this situation.
Others to watch: Kwan Williams
Edge Rushers:
Edwin Kolenge - Boston College’s left-side edge rusher is this redshirt junior. Kolenge, 6-3 and 252 pounds, has 22 tackles with no misses on the year. He has at least one tackle in seven games, and tallied a season-high of six at Stanford and Pitt. The junior is a pretty solid defender and will rarely drop into coverage. Kolenge has been good against the run with nine stops and has 12 pressures, including three QB hits, across 128 pass rush attempts.
Quintayvious Hutchins - Opposite of Kolenge is this redshirt senior pass-rushing threat. Hutchins did leave last week’s contest with an injury, so keep an eye on his status for this weekend. If he can not go, expect to see Favor Bate step up. In seven games played, Hutchins has 20 tackles, three for a loss, two sacks, and a pass breakup. The 6-3, 240-pound edge has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high five tackles and one sack at Michigan State. On a negative note, Hutchins has three missed tackles and leads the defense with five penalties. Besides that, he has been good with seven run stops and a team-leading 20 pressures and four QB hits across 123 pass rushes.
Others to watch: Favor Bate
Linebackers:
Owen McGowan - The Eagles’ premier LB is the six-foot, 236-pound redshirt senior. McGowan has 39 tackles, four for a loss, one sack, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery this season. He has recorded at least two tackles in each game, and has three contests with a season-high of eight tackles. The senior’s best game came at Michigan State when he finished with eight tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery in the overtime loss. McGowan’s eight missed tackles have been an issue this year, resulting in a struggling season. He has been okay against the run with a team-leading 13 stops; however, four of his missed tackles have come here. The LB’s coverage has been bad, with 212 yards and two touchdowns allowed on 17 receptions across 20 targets. He has also not flashed in pass rush scenarios, with just two pressures on 54 attempts.
Others to watch: Kemori Dixon
Defensive Backs:
KP Price - Boston College’s leading tackler is this versatile defender. Price, listed as a safety, plays more of an LB/DB hybrid role on the field. He has 64 tackles, three for a loss, a team-high two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. The 6-1 DB’s eight tackles per game are tied 50th among all FBS defenders. He has tallied at least five tackles in each game, including a season-high of 14 with an interception against Clemson. Price showed out again last week at Louisville when he finished with eight tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The junior does have nine missed tackles this season. To add on to the versatility element, Price can line up as an ILB, Edge, CB, or S whenever needed. The DB’s coverage has been up-and-down this year, with 249 yards and a touchdown allowed on 25 targets. He has been decent against the run with 10 stops, but five of his missed tackles have come here, and as a pass rusher, with six pressures on 32 attempts.
Omar Thornton - Starting at safety, is the 5-11, 201-pound sophomore. Thornton has 54 tackles, six for a loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, an interception, and a pass breakup this season. He has at least one tackle in each game, including three games with 10 or more. The sophomore DB recorded a season-high 12 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble at Michigan State. He also had a nice performance at Pitt when he finished with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. Thornton’s largest issue comes with his team-leading 17 missed tackles. He could be a legit defender if he cleans this up. The sophomore has allowed 16 catches for 118 yards and four touchdowns on 20 targets in coverage this year. Against the run, he has been able to make 11 stops, but he has 10 missed tackles in this situation, basically cancelling out any production.
Carter Davis - This redshirt sophomore CB starts wide but is also capable of playing LB, S, or moving to the slot. Davis has 43 tackles, one sack, and two pass breakups this season, including at least one tackle in each game. The 6-1 DB recorded a season-high nine tackles in the loss at Michigan State. The sophomore has been okay in coverage, with 160 yards and two touchdowns allowed on 12 receptions across 17 targets. He has come up with three run stops, but two of his three missed tackles have occurred against the rush.
TJ Green - One of the more promising players on this defense is the freshman nickelback. Green has 15 tackles, a sack, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble in six games played. The 5-10 DB began the season as a reserve and did not even see the field in the first two games. Green made his first start of his collegiate career last week and looked the part, with a season-high eight tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in the road loss. Green has at least one tackle in five games, and both of his pass breakups came at Pitt. The young DB has had a limited impact against the run, but overall, I think Green has a bright future at nickel. He has been solid in coverage, with 15 catches allowed for 142 yards on 21 targets. In limited reps, Green has two pressures, including the sack, on just seven pass rush attempts. Green has one missed tackle this year.
Isaiah Farris - This redshirt junior CB can be found opposite of Davis out wide. Farris has 17 tackles, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery this season. The 5-11 wide CB has at least one tackle in six games, including a season-high of six against Cal, where he also tallied a pass breakup. Farris has five missed tackles, with two coming against the run. He has added two stops against the run, though. In coverage, the junior has been alright with 226 yards and two touchdowns allowed on 15 receptions across 25 targets.
Others to watch: Omarion Davis, Max Tucker, Marcus Upton
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