Jordan Botelho, Ashton Craig injury updates: Marcus Freeman lists duo out for season
Notre Dame has received devastating news. On Monday, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman revealed that defensive lineman Jordan Botelho and center Ashton Craig are out for the season after suffering injuries on Saturday against Purdue, per Pete Sampson of The Athletic.
Jordan Botelho left on a cart with a leg injury in the second quarter. Shortly thereafter, Craig suffered an injury of his own and walked off the field with help from the trainers. Those injuries came after right guard Billy Schrauth was hurt in the first quarter and did not return.
This season was Botelho’s fifth with the Fighting Irish. He recorded 12 tackles in the 2024 campaign before suffering the injury. It’s a massive loss for Notre Dame. Botelho boasts rare experience, with 50 career appearances and 17 collegiate starts.
The loss of Ashton Craig is no easier. As only a junior, Craig was one of the more experienced players on Notre Dame’s offensive line. Now, the Fighting Irish must find a way to protect quarterback Riley Leonard without him.
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Notre Dame impresses in blowout win over Purdue
Despite Notre Dame’s early losses on Saturday, the Fighting Irish walked away with a statement 66-7 victory over Purdue. It was a bounce-back win for Notre Dame after suffering an upset loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2. ND quarterback Riley Leonard opened up on his emotions following the win.
“Obviously, this was a tough week for us,” Leonard said. “Tough week for me mentally. But you’ve gotta have a quick mind. You’ve gotta be able to respond. I think my teammates did an outstanding job all around the field. We executed at a high level and that’s a really good football team.”
Riley Leonard and the offense put their foot on the gas and never let up to go up 42-0 by halftime. The QB finished the contest 11-of-16 passing for 112 yards, but his biggest contribution came on the ground.
He rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns as the Fighting Irish finished with 362 yards rushing and six scores overall. The team was so dominant that even backup quarterback Steve Angeli and some of the other second-string players got to see some action.
For that, more than anything, Leonard is grateful.
“It’s big time,” he said. “I’m really happy for everybody. You’ve got Steve getting in there throwing touchdowns. Kenny gets in and throws a touchdown. Everybody played well. It’s very good for the morale of the team. I’m excited for the guys.”
Notre Dame will hope to extend its winning streak next week when it faces Miami (OH) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
On3’s Chandler Vessels also contributed to this article.