Notre Dame Football injury update: Three players unavailable five days before NC State game
Coach Marcus Freeman shared the injury status of four Notre Dame football players five days ahead of its Week 2 matchup against North Carolina State. The Fighting Irish will begin Monday’s practice without running back Devyn Ford, defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio and wide receiver Matt Salerno. Freeman expects linebacker Drayk Bowen back after missing Saturday with an undisclosed injury.
Salerno, a graduate student, suffered a leg injury in Saturday’s 56-3 victory against Tennessee State. Freeman revealed it would keep him out for “multiple weeks.”
“Matt Salerno had a lower leg injury,” Freeman told reporters from the Notre Dame Stadium media room on Monday. “He’ll be out for an extended period of time. Multiple weeks. I don’t know, really, when he’ll be back. He definitely had an injury from the game.”
Salerno played eight snaps on offense against Tennessee State but did not record any stats. However, he did return two punts for 21 yards, including one that went for 15 yards. His last punt return came with under two minutes remaining in the game.
Details on Notre Dame’s Devyn Ford’s injury
Ford left Saturday’s game with a concussion. The graduate student running back is currently in concussion protocol. Freeman said Ford’s status for this Saturday’s NC State game is uncertain and will be a day-by-day recovery.
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The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Ford had an eight-yard kick return with under three minutes left in the first quarter. He fumbled the football and suffered an apparent head injury on that play. Earlier in the game, he had a three-yard rush.
Ford played three offensive snaps against TSU.
Notre Dame’s Gabriel Rubio inching toward return
Rubio remains out with a knee injury he sustained in No. 13 Notre Dame’s 42-3 victory over Navy on Aug. 26. Freeman said he had arthroscopic surgery and should be back in “another couple weeks.”
The 6-5 1/4, 306-pound Rubio, who played in his 12th game for the Irish in Week 0, had one tackle in the victory. He played 19 snaps and recorded two quarterback hurries, one of which led to a sack for sophomore Vyper Joshua Burnham. Rubio’s tackle came after a 7-yard rush by Alex Tecza.
No. 13 Notre Dame (2-0) takes on NC State (1-0) at Noon EDT on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. ESPN on ABC will televise the game. The Wolfpack are coming off a 24-14 victory over Connecticut on the road last Thursday..
