2025 Boston College Football Early Opponent Preview, Week 10: Notre Dame

After a road game against Louisville, the Eagles return home for a massive game versus the Fighting Irish.

Dec 28, 2024; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive lineman Josiah Griffin (9) celebrates after a fumble recovery during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Boston College Eagles football team has a tough home slate this upcoming season. 

The 2025 schedule totals seven home games and features three teams that made the College Football Playoff last year in Clemson, Notre Dame, and SMU. 

The second of the three, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, takes place in Week 10 to open the last month of the college football regular season.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Offense 

The biggest change for Notre Dame in 2025 will be at the quarterback position. The Fighting Irish lost starting QB Riley Leonard to the NFL draft. In 2024, Leonard went 269-of-403 for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions as well as recorded 184 rush attempts for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

As for offensive weapons, the team retained its top running back Jeremiyah Love, who amassed 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns, and its top wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, who had 592 yards and four scores in 2024. 

The only other offensive player lost to the draft was tight end Mitchell Evans. Notre Dame also picked up some top talent out of the transfer portal this offseason in wide receiver Malachi Fields (Virginia), wide receiver Will Pauling (Wisconsin), and tight end Ty Washington (Arkansas). 

Defense 

On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame lost its top two tacklers to the NFL Draft in linebacker Jack Kiser and safety Xavier Watts. The duo combined for 172 total tackles last year. Other notable losses to the draft include cornerback Benjamin Morrison and defensive tackle Rylie Mills. 

The Fighting Irish kept defensive lineman Joshua Burnham, who tied for the second-most tackles for loss with 6.5, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, as well as linebacker Drayk Bowen, who boasted 78 total tackles (third-most), four tackles for loss, a sack, and three forced fumbles. 

Notre Dame also added a couple of big names via the portal to the defense for this season in defensive lineman Elijah Hughes (USC), safety Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech), defensive lineman Jared Dawson (Louisville), and safety DeVonta Smith (Alabama).

Schedule 

The game marks the first of a three-game home stand for Boston College at Alumni Stadium and the second of three against last year’s College Football Playoff teams. As for Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish will be coming off its second bye week of the season prior to the matchup. 

Outlook

Notre Dame is the more favorable team to win this game. The Fighting Irish retained a decent amount of players from last year’s campaign and reloaded with some of the top talent in the transfer portal and recruiting. On top of that, the team is on an eight-game winning streak in the all-time series and has not lost to the Eagles since 2008.

Notre Dame at Boston College: 

Boston College Eagles On SI takes a long look at each of the Eagles' upcoming opponents this season, including their Week 10 contest against the college football runner ups the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Alumni Stadium.

The Game

Date: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Location: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Series: Notre Dame leads the all-time series 17-9.

Last Meeting: The last meeting between these two programs was on Nov. 19, 2022, in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame beat Boston College 44-0.

The Team

The Coach: Marcus Freeman.

Offensive Coordinator: Mike Denbrock.

Defensive Coordinator: Chris Ash.

2024 Record: 14-2.

Players to Watch:  WR Malachi Fields, RB Jeremiyah Love, RB Jadarian Price, WR Jaden Greathouse, P James Rendell, LB Drayk Bowen, DL Joshua Burnham.

Top Newcomer: Recruit- OT Will Black, Transfer- WR  Malachi Fields (Virginia).

The School

Location: South Bend, Ind. 

Founded: 1842

Enrollment: 13,174

Nickname: Fighting Irish

Colors: Blue and Gold

Mascot: Leprechaun

The Program

Last Time Beat Boston College: 2022.

Last Time Won ACC: Never (Independent except for 2020).

National Championships: 11 – 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988.

Playoff Appearances: Three – 2018, 2020, and 2024.

Conference Championships: None.

Bowl Appearances: 43 – 22-21 overall record.

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2016.

Heisman Trophies: Seven – QB Angelo Bertelli in 1943, QB John Lujack in 1947, TE Leon Hart in 1949, RB John Lattner in 1953, QB Paul Hornung in 1956, QB John Huarte in 1964, WR Tim Brown in 1987. 

2025 NFL Draft: Six – CB Benjamin Morrison- No. 53 overall (second round) by Tampa Bay Buccaneers, S Xavier Watts- No. 96 overall (third round) by Atlanta Falcons, LB Jack Kiser- No. 107 overall (fourth round) by Jacksonville Jaguars, DT Rylie Mills- No. 142 overall (fifth round) by Seattle Seahawks, TE Mitchell Evans- No. 163 overall (fifth round) by Charlotte Panthers, QB Riley Leonard- No. 189 overall (sixth round) by Indianapolis Colts. 

Last 4 Recruiting Class Rankings: 2025 No. 12; 2024 No. 10; 2023 No. 12 2022 No. 9.

The Schedule

Aug. 31: at Miami
Sept. 13: vs. Texas A&M
Sept. 20: vs. Purdue
Sept. 27: at Arkansas
Oct. 4: vs. Boise State
Oct. 11: vs. NC State
Oct. 18: vs. USC
Nov. 1: at Boston College
Nov. 8: vs. Navy
Nov. 15: at Pitt
Nov. 22: vs. Syracuse
Nov. 29: at Stanford

Check out the other stories in Boston College Eagles On SI's early opponent preview series:Fordham (Week 1),Michigan State (Week 2),Stanford (Week 3),Cal (Week 5),Pitt (Week 6),Clemson (Week 7), UConn (Week 8), and Louisville (Week 9).