Sep 12, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Drue Tranquill (23) lines up against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
SOUTH BEND — Another game, another Irish starter is lost for the season.
Sophomore safety Drue Tranquill suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after an end zone pass breakup during last Saturday’s 30-22 Notre Dame victory over Georgia Tech.
Tranquill is expected to undergo surgery to repair the injury sometime over the next 10 days.
Six Irish players have already been knocked out for the season as No. 6 Notre Dame (3-0) heads into Saturday’s home clash against Massachusetts (0-2).
He’s the sixth Irish player knocked out for the season and joins quarterback Malik Zaire who was knocked out for the season last Saturday and running back Tarean Folston the previous week.
“Certainly we can’t afford to lose any more players at key positions — quarterback, running back,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said. “You start to get into true freshmen, and that will be obviously a significant change in what we look like.”
Despite the latest personnel loss the Irish remain unbeaten at 3-0 heading into a first-time this Saturday at home against Massachusetts.
“Offensively, very difficult to defend, they do so many things,” Kelly said. “It will be a great challenge and a real change from what we were working on last week compared to this week. It will be a big transition for us defensively.”
Notre Dame redshirt freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer went 21-of-30 for 242 yards including a touchdown and one interception in his debut against Georgia Tech.
“He can from and grow from this and so I thought from a first-time start, beating a nationally ranked team, I thought it was a good way for him to get his first start,” Kelly said.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
–WR Will Fuller had six receptions for 131 yards. It was his third 100-yard receiving game of the season and seven of his career. A 46-yard touchdown grab was his fourth TD catch of the season. He’s ranked fifth nationally.
–Freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer went 21-of-30 for 242 yards and a touchdown in his first Irish start. It was the most passing yards from a first-time starter since Brady Quinn had 297 yards against Purdue on Sept. 27, 2003.
–RB C.J. Prosise had 22 carries for 198 yards and three touchdowns, all career bests. It was the most rushing yards by a Notre Dame player since Julius Jones collected 218 yards in a 57-7 win over Stanford in 2003. He’s 11th in the nation with a 7.64 yards per carry average. His 451 rushing yards stand fifth in the country.
