Notre Dame football will start Josh Burnham in place of Jordan Botelho (targeting)
SOUTH BEND — Redshirt freshman Josh Burnham is set to make his first start for Notre Dame football at 25th-ranked Louisville with Jordan Botelho required to sit out the first half due to a targeting ejection last week at Duke.
Kickoff Saturday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Burnham will share time at the Vyper spot with sophomore Junior Tuihalamaka in Saturday night’s first half, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday in his video update.
“Those guys have been playing well all season in their opportunities,” Freeman said. “I’m excited to see what they do with these opportunities now being able to go out there and play the majority of the first half, and we’ll see exactly the situation for the second half.”
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Defensive coordinator Al Golden said Tuesday that freshman Boubacar Traore also could factor depending on practice performance and how many special teams plays Burnham and Tuihalamaka see against the Cardinals.
In three games against Power Five competition, Botelho has played a total of 144 defensive snaps while Tuihalamaka (32) and Burnham (29) have been used far less, including zero defensive snaps against Ohio State for Tuihalamaka.
Among non-specialists, Burnham (74 plays) and Tuihalamaka (72) rank third and fourth on the Irish in special teams usage. Linebacker Jack Kiser leads with 86 special teams plays and tight end Davis Sherwood is next with 78.
As for Botelho, he missed the final 11 minutes against Duke after hitting quarterback Riley Leonard on a 1-yard keeper to the Irish 16-yard-line. The targeting ejection was the second of the season for Notre Dame, which also lost Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter II in the second quarter against Tennessee State.
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“We cannot complain about leaving it up to an official or arguing whether it is or isn't [targeting],” Golden said. “If we're hitting with the crown of our head, it's not good for anybody here at Notre Dame, and we don't teach it. We don't condone it. We all have to make sure we play with our heads up.”
Follow Notre Dame football writer Mike Berardino on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jordan Botelho targeting opens door for Notre Dame underclassmen
