Notre Dame Defense Set For Another Dominant Performance: Breaking Down The Boston College Offense
- Brenden Duffy
- Oct 28
- 8 min read
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
This Saturday afternoon, 12th-ranked Notre Dame (5-2) travels to Chestnut Hill for a matchup with Boston College (1-7), which enters this weekend with seven straight losses amidst a disappointing season for the Eagles.
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 Fighting Irish, coming off a bye week, will embark on a five-game stretch to close the regular season featuring three road contests. Notre Dame’s defense will look to continue its dominant run after holding an elite USC offense to a season-low 24 points. Chris Ash and Co. have another opportunity to display their elite talent against a struggling Boston College offense. Below are some Eagles offensive stats with their respective national ranking:
26.8 points per game (76th)
371 total yards per game (83rd)
268.9 pass yards per game (31st)
102.13 rush yards per game (127th)
7 fumbles lost (tied-128th); the only team with more than 3 fumbles that has yet to recover one of their own
Boston College’s Head Coach and Offensive Playcaller is former New England Patriots offensive assistant and Houston Texans HC Bill O’Brien. O’Brien first shone in the coaching scene as a Patriots assistant during their dominant run from 2007-11. In 2012, Penn State hired O’Brien as HC after Joe Paterno stepped down amid the Nittany Lions' scandal. After two seasons in Happy Valley, O’Brien made the jump back to the NFL as the Texans' HC, where he was fairly successful with four division titles in six seasons. After a 0-4 start in 2020, O’Brien was fired and went back to the college ranks for two seasons, serving as Alabama’s Offensive Coordinator in 2021-22 under Nick Saban. After Saban retired, O’Brien went back to the Patriots as an OC in 2023 but was not retained following Bill Belichick's firing. Boston College inked O’Brien as their HC prior to the 2024 season, where he has gone 8-13 overall and 4-9 in ACC play since taking over.
This season, O’Brien opted for a major offensive shift following a 41-10 home loss to Clemson. The Eagles benched QB Dylan Lonergan in favor of Grayson James in a move that has not really paid off yet for a pass-heavy offense. Boston College has dealt with some injury issues throughout the season, mostly on the offensive line, with a question mark at right tackle this weekend. Starting RB Turbo Richard missed last week with an injury, but should be expected to suit up on Saturday.
Offensive Personnel:
Quarterback:
Grayson James - Set to make his third start of the season after a midseason QB1 change, the redshirt senior has failed to provide the spark HC O’Brien was probably seeking. James has completed 52.3% of his attempts for 668 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. With just four games played, the senior’s three picks already put him tied-40th among FBS QBs in this stat, something that should have Notre Dame DBs drooling. The 6-3 signal-caller impressed off the bench against Fordham when he threw 5/5 for 190 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win. James set all sorts of season-highs last week in the loss at Louisville when he threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns on 23/46 attempts. He also tossed two interceptions in the road loss. The QB has taken some punishment since taking over the starting role, with nine sacks across the past two games, including seven against UConn. In my opinion, the switch from Lonergan to James reeks of desperation from O’Brien. Through three games now, Lonergan was the better QB, is younger, and still has unlocked potential, which I assume will now be used at a new school after being benched. Regardless, James is a below-average passer whose completion percentage drops to 32.4% under pressure. The Irish front should be able to cause chaos this Saturday based on their recent success in this facet.
On the ground, James has rushed for 61 yards on 31 attempts. 30 of the senior’s recorded carries have come across the past two games, with 52 yards tallied; 26 in each game. James will not bust any big gains, but he is a solid runner who has favored scrambling to the right side. The QB did fumble in the loss against UConn.
Running Backs:
Turbo Richard - As mentioned earlier, the Eagles' starting RB missed last week’s contest following an injury sustained against UConn. I expect Richard will give it a go this weekend, but keep an eye on any Boston College injury report. The 5-8, 207-pound sophomore is tied-56th among all FBS players with seven total touchdowns on the year. In seven games played, Richard has rushed for 431 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries. He ranks in the top 100 among FBS rushers in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game (61.57). The sophomore rushed for a season-high 171 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71-yard score, against Cal on just 15 carries. Richard is a good runner who has not fumbled since week three. He has flashed some toughness with 3.75 yards after contact per attempt and 17 missed tackles forced. He is capable of going up the middle or outside, but most of his success this season has come to the left.
In my opinion, Richard is a below-average receiving threat, but he has put up some numbers. Through the air, the sophomore has 19 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns this season. He recorded a season-high seven receptions at Michigan State for 66 yards, including a score. Richard then recorded a season-high 83 receiving yards on five catches, including a 49-yard touchdown at Stanford. He has two drops on 24 targets and can do damage if he gets the ball in open space. Richard struggles as a pass blocker.
Jordan McDonald - Whether or not Richard is healthy, this senior RB will at least be featured occasionally. McDonald has 69 carries for 301 yards and a touchdown this season. Across the past two games with Richard’s injury, the 6-1 senior has compiled 203 yards on 43 carries. McDonald rushed for a season-high 123 yards on 24 carries against UConn. He is a good runner with no fumbles. He has forced 15 missed tackles this season, with 11 in the past two games, and likes to get outside the tackles.
McDonald is a better receiving threat than Richard, in my opinion, but he is still fairly average. The senior has 10 receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown across 14 targets with one drop. For a 211-pound RB, McDonald struggles as a blocker.
Others to watch: Alex Broome
Receivers:
Lewis Bond - Boston College’s leading receiver is this 5-11, 190-pound redshirt senior. This season, Bond has racked up 56 receptions for 547 yards and a touchdown. The slot-man’s seven catches per game are tied-6th among FBS pass-catchers. In addition, his 68.4 receiving yards per game rank 59th. Bond has tallied at least two catches in each game, including a season-high 11 receptions for 138 yards in the win against Fordham. While the receiver is mainly utilized out of the slot, he does kick out wide on about 35% of pass plays. Bond is a good, strong-handed weapon with just two drops on 70 targets, and he is 2/3 on contested catch attempts. He has also flashed his shiftiness with 12 missed tackles forced while doing most of his damage between the numbers. With improved QB play, I could see Bond being a hidden gem in the NFL Draft. The senior is an average run blocker.
Reed Harris - The Eagles’ favorite deep threat is the 6-5, 217-pound redshirt sophomore. Harris has 390 yards and three touchdowns on 24 receptions this season. His 16.25 yards per reception ranks 66th among FBS pass-catchers. The starting wideout has at least two catches in seven games, including a season-high seven at Stanford when he racked up 141 yards. Harris is a pretty solid receiver who works out of the slot on about 29% of pass plays. He has displayed strong hands with no drops on 45 targets, and he is 8/12 on contested catch attempts over 20 yards. The big wideout is a solid run blocker.
Dawson Pough - Opposite of Harris is a six-foot freshman. Pough has 145 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions this season. He has at least one catch in five games, including a season-high of three against Fordham when he recorded 96 yards, including a score. Pough, mainly found out wide, works from the slot on about 21% of pass plays. The young receiver has flashed some decent potential, but has not popped as a real threat yet. He has one drop on 20 targets, and is averaging a solid 16.1 yards per catch, including 6.6 yards after catch per reception. The freshman does most of his work between the numbers and is a good run blocker for a young wideout.
Tight Ends:
Jeremiah Franklin - Boston College features two receiving-type tight ends, starting with the 6-3, 244-pound senior. Franklin has 31 receptions for 321 yards and two touchdowns this season, including at least one catch in each game. The senior TE recorded season-highs at Michigan State when he tallied eight catches for 84 yards, including a score. On pass plays, Franklin splits his time in-line and in the slot. The solid receiving option averages 10.6 yards per catch and has three drops across 49 targets. Franklin’s lone fumble came in the loss at Pitt. Almost all of Franklin’s production has come between the numbers, but he is not a serious vertical threat. The 6-3 TE is a solid blocker.
Kaelan Chudzinski - The Eagles’ younger TE is the 6-3, 236-pound freshman. Chudzinski has recorded 216 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions this season. He has at least one catch in seven games and recorded a season-high four receptions and 80 yards, including a score last week. The freshman enters Saturday’s contest with back-to-back games featuring a touchdown. While Chudzinski is listed as a TE, he is really more of a true big body receiver working out of the slot on about 63% of pass plays. I would say the freshman might already be a better receiving threat than Franklin, with no drops on 26 targets and averaging 14.4 yards per reception. Chudzinski can beat defenses over the top and in the short game. He has hauled in four catches on seven targets for 121 yards on throws of 20 or more yards this season. Given limited reps, the freshman appears as a solid run blocker.
Others to watch: Zeke Moore
Offensive Line:
LT Jude Bowry, LG Robert Smith IV, C Michael Crounse, RG Logan Taylor, RT Kevin Cline or Ryan Mickow - The Eagles’ front has struggled this season, with injuries certainly playing a factor. There is an outside chance that starting LG Eryx Daugherty returns this week and starting RT Cline exited last week’s game, putting his status for Saturday in jeopardy. Overall, this group has allowed 2.63 sacks per game (21 total), which is tied-112th among all FBS teams. The right side of the line has been pretty good with Cline and RG Taylor, but they have had their faults. Cline has allowed a team-high 16 pressures, including two sacks, and Taylor leads the offense with six penalties. If Cline can not go, expect the Irish pass rush to tee off on Mickow, who has allowed nine pressures, including a sack, on just 64 pass block snaps. LT Bowry is a team captain and returning starter who has allowed 14 pressures, including two QB hits, in six games played. LG Smith IV, who has stepped in for Daugherty, is a freshman and former three-star recruit who began the season as a backup. In four games played with three starts, Smith has allowed just three pressures, although two were sacks, on 136 pass block snaps. C Crounse also began the season as a backup but has now assumed the starting role with seven games played this season. Crouse, a redshirt sophomore, has allowed six pressures, including a sack, across 237 pass block snaps.
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