Notre Dame has experienced a number of devastating injury blows.
Notre Dame football rebounded strongly from their devastating loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, defeating Purdue on the road 66-7 to get their season back on track. Marcus Freeman’s team looked a lot more like the potentially powerful club that defeated Texas A&M in College Station in Week 1.
Notre Dame’s success was not without cost. During their victory over Purdue, the Fighting Irish lost three players to injury: defensive end Jordan Botelho, center Ashton Craig, and guard Billy Schrauth. According to Pete Sampson of The Athletic, Marcus Freeman provided a bleak injury update for his starters on Monday.
“Marcus Freeman says defensive end Jordan Botelho and center Ashton Craig are out for the season,” Sampson posted on X (previously Twitter). “Guard Billy Schrauth only out a few weeks.”
The latest on Schrauth is somewhat favorable, as the junior was seen on the sideline in a walking boot and crutches after suffering an ankle injury on Saturday. They will also be without Craig at center for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. He has played every snap for Notre Dame this season until departing Saturday’s game.
Botelho is one of Notre Dame’s most experienced defenders, and the Irish will miss him up front after he suffered a knee injury. He had a career-high six tackles in the season opener against Texas A&M and concluded the 2023 season with four sacks.
Sampson also announced that offensive linemen Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan will replace Craig and Schrauth in the starting lineup. Last season, both Coogan and Spindler started for Notre Dame as guards, so the Irish have some experience filling in up front.
Is Notre Dame fully back on track after dominant win?
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football rallied from a terrible loss to Northern Illinois and looked like world-beaters on Saturday, but does that strong performance mean they’re back to normal?
The jury is still out on Purdue, which is now 1-1 after defeating Indiana State before facing Notre Dame, making it impossible to assess the caliber of the Irish’s competition on Saturday. We shouldn’t learn much more about Freeman’s team this Saturday when they face Miami (OH) at home, as Notre Dame should easily win that game.
The date to circle on the calendar is September 28. Notre Dame, now rated No. 17 in the AP Poll, will face No. 19 Louisville in a top 25 showdown. The Cardinals have been impressive this season, albeit against a soft schedule, and will provide a far better indication of Notre Dame’s current state.
Louisville was convincingly defeated, and the Northern Illinois loss may be chalked up to a bad day. If they don’t wow in that game, it’s worth considering whether this Notre Dame is everything they were built up to be.
