Notre Dame football score predictions: Boston College vs. Fighting Irish staff picks

No. 18 Notre Dame (7-3) wraps up its 2022 home slate vs. Boston College (3-7) as a three-touchdown favorite over the Eagles in snowy South Bend at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday (NBC). Here are BlueandGold.com‘s staff predictions for the Fighting Irish’s home finale.

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Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 36, Boston College 10

The Eagles simply do not have enough offense to compete with a Notre Dame team playing its best defense of the season when it matters most. It’s a lost season for the Golden Eagles. There is only so much pride a team can play for in the penultimate game of a year in which there is no postseason play to prep for. It is a little scary for the Irish to see backup BC QB Emmett Morehead playing so well, but his coming out party comes to an end in the blustery South Bend weather conditions.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, will use this as a tuneup for a massive regular season finale in Los Angeles vs. the highly-ranked Trojans. Look for the Irish to get their running game back up to speed after an off-week vs. the stingy Navy rushing defense. Junior quarterback Drew Pyne will have another respectable performance. To cap it all off, the Irish will manufacture points from the defense or special teams. It might have to do so to cover a hefty spread in sub-32-degree temperatures.

Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 38, Boston College 21

Boston College has a pulse. It’s not strong, but it’s no longer faint. It has been enough to score at least three touchdowns in the last two games. I see it as enough to cover a three-touchdown spread.

Still, this might be as big a line-of-scrimmage mismatch favoring Notre Dame as any other game this season. The Irish’s offensive line will carry it to another rushing output that exceeds 200 yards, while its defensive line feasts on a depleted Boston College front that is allowing 3.9 sacks per game and ranks last in yards per carry (2.11).

Mike Singer: Notre Dame 38, Boston College 9

I fully expected Notre Dame to dominate Navy last weekend, and that certainly wasn’t the case after the Midshipmen made things very interesting late in the contest. Throw that result out the window. Because this is a new week, and Boston College is a bad football team.

Notre Dame’s defense will be much improved, and the Irish offense will be back to what we saw in the first half against Navy. Sure, the Eagles upset a ranked N.C. State team on the road last week, but Boston College also lost by 10 points to Connecticut this season.It’s not a good squad, and the Irish should roll on Saturday afternoon.

“Should” is the key word. Who knows what we’ll actually see on the field.

Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 31, Boston College 20

The biggest question heading into this game is who will start at quarterback for Boston College?

Starting the last two games for injured senior Phil Jurkovec — a Notre Dame transfer — Morehead completed 60 percent of his passes and averaged 330 yards per game with 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. 

Morehead last Saturday led the Eagles to a 21-20 upset of No. 17 NC State, BC’s first win over a ranked team since 2014. Jurkovec was expected to be recovered well enough to play Saturday, but will he?

One stat to keep an eye on: Boston College ranks last in the country out of 131 FBS teams in rushing offense with only 61.4 yards per game.

Notre Dame has beaten the Eagles eight straight times in this series since 2009. The last three Irish victories (2017, 2019 and 2020) came by an average of 26 points. 

The Eagles haven’t won at Notre Dame Stadium since 2007, and they won’t win there this year either. 

Though, this feels like another game that Notre Dame plays down to its opponent. 

Steve Downey: Notre Dame 34, Boston College 19

Notre Dame’s maddening propensity to play down to the competition continued last week against Navy despite the fact it jumped out to a 35-13 halftime lead. The previously dependable rushing attack abandoned the Irish as they managed 0 points and just 12 total yards while being outscored 19-0 in the second half.

The Irish have yet to cover as a double-digit favorite this season, and opened as 21-point favorites vs. Boston College. Based on what we’ve seen so far this season that trend is likely to continue, but they should still be able to dispatch the Eagles without having to sweat it out this week.

Prior to stumbling against Navy with only 66 yards rushing, Notre Dame had run for at least 200 yards five times while averaging 233.8 yards per game on the ground in its previous six outings. The Eagles rank just 82nd nationally in run defense (157.0 yards allowed per game), so the Irish should be able to resume what they do best after last week’s tough outing.

On the other side of the ball, the Boston College offensive line has been an unmitigated disaster. The Eagles rank 118th in total offense (321.0 yards per game), 120th in scoring offense (19.0 points per game), tied for 126th in sacks allowed (3.9 per game) and 131st in rushing offense (61.4 yards per game). It should be another big day for the Irish pass rush, which has averaged 3.4 sacks per game in Notre Dame’s seven wins this season.

It all adds up to an Irish victory on Senior Day.