Zeke Correll in concussion protocol, expected to be back for Stanford game

Notre Dame was without starting center Zeke Correll for last weekend’s game against Wake Forest. Head coach Marcus Freeman is hopeful the senior will be back for this Saturday’s matchup against Stanford.

Correll missed the game against the Demon Deacons due to a concussion, Freeman revealed Monday. He would love to have the veteran available for the upcoming rivalry game against the Cardinal.

“He was not close. He wasn’t cleared. He was in concussion protocol. And he’s still in,” Freeman said. “We expect him to be back this week, but again, that’s up to the doctor’s decision.”

With Zeke Correll out, redshirt freshman Ashton Craig got the start and played well.

Playing in his sixth game of the season, Craig helped Notre Dame put up 45 points and 450 yards of offense against Wake Forest.

If Correll is not cleared before Saturday, Freeman is confident Craig can fill in and play well once again. Either way, Freeman is excited about his young offensive lineman’s future.

“You know, we have a lot of confidence in Ashton,” Freeman said. “I’ve seen it in practice; I’ve seen it just from talking to [offensive line] coach [Joe] Rudolph. And I’m really proud of the way he performed with his opportunity he had here on Saturday. And I’m really positive about the outlook of our future at the center position.”

Marcus Freeman praises Sam Hartman after he piloted Irish past Wake Forest, his former team

Sam Hartman and the Notre Dame offense put up impressive numbers against Wake Forest, even without starting center Zeke Correll.

Hartman threw for nearly 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in the 45-7 victory. His performance Saturday — and all year — had head coach Marcus Freeman heaping praise on Hartman following the victory.

“Special, man. He’s special. We’re gonna miss him, but we’ve got him for two more, so we’re going to enjoy every one we have with him,” Freeman said.

Notre Dame finishes off the season on the road at Stanford in Week 13, before whatever bowl the Irish get picked for.

And if more performances like the one Hartman had on Saturday are coming, the Irish could be tacking on two more wins this year. Hartman finished 21-of-29 for 277 yards and four touchdowns in the win on Saturday.

While he could have talked some trash about his former team, Hartman instead complimented Wake Forest, while praising the efforts of his current team.

“Hats off to Wake. I’ve been there, been in there shoes, obviously played there for so long. Coach [Dave] Clawson, they came out and battled,” Hartman said. “Obviously, we executed on a lot of fronts and played a really complete game.”