Notre Dame star JD Bertrand ejected for targeting for second straight week

Last week, JD Bertrand was ejected for targeting late in Notre Dame’s win over Cal. It happened again this week against North Carolina.

Bertrand laid a monster hit on Bryson Nesbit in the fourth quarter and was again ejected for targeting. That means he’ll not only miss the rest of the Fighting Irish’s game against North Carolina, but also the first half of their next matchup against BYU Oct. 8 in Las Vegas.

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During the broadcast, ABC commentator Dan Orlovsky voiced his displeasure with the decision to eject Bertrand for the hit.

“I can’t disagree more,” Orlovsky said. “I think it’s an awful call. He hits him — I can see the stickers on the back of the helmet, first contact is made from his face mask right onto the right shoulder of Nesbit. Listen, I’m happy Nesbit’s fine. It’s a phenomenal catch. There is no crown of the helmet and there’s no contact on his neck or head. I think it’s an awful call.”

Bertrand also missed the first half of the game against North Carolina before returning after the break. He had one tackle in his quarter-plus of action before his ejection.

The Notre Dame offense got off to a slow start against the Tar Heels before finding its groove on offense to take a commanding 45-20 lead in the fourth quarter. However, North Carolina ended up scoring a touchdown following Bertrand’s ejection to make it a 45-26 lead.

Marcus Freeman evaluates Drew Pyne’s first half performance vs North Carolina

After a shaky first drive, Drew Pyne found a groove for Notre Dame and the offense got rolling against North Carolina. Marcus Freeman liked what he saw, too.

Freeman spoke with ABC’s Kris Budden coming out of halftime and praised Pyne’s performance. He said the redshirt sophomore quarterback looked good through one half against the Tar Heels, and other players have also stepped up to help.

“It’s been good to see him play with some confidence, go out there and execute,” Freeman said. “We’ve got guys all over the field that are making plays, and that’s what we have to do against this defense.”