Boston College Head Coach Bill O'Brien Previews Matchup With No. 12 Notre Dame

The second-year Eagles head coach spoke about the Fighting Irish, specifically their running backs, ahead of their matchup this weekend.

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien before the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Boston College Eagles football team is getting ready for its toughest challenge of the season as it hosts the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon. 

On Thursday, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien spoke on the matchup, specifically on running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price who have a combined 1,267 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season. 

“I think they’re very complimentary, but they do have some similarities,” said O’Brien. “They’re both NFL backs. They’ll both play in the National Football League. They have great speed. They’re hard to tackle. Once they get into the second level of the defense, it’s a train going down the tracks. It’s a big part of their offense and both those guys are great players.”

On top of being a dominant ground game, Love is also a playmaker in the passing game as he has caught 19 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns. 

“He’s got great speed, good hands,” said O’Brien. “He does a lot of things well, no doubt. He’s probably the best back we’ve faced.” 

The 56-year-old continued on the pair of offensive weapons, stating that the duo are the top backs the Eagles have played against this year. 

“Both these guys are great backs,” said O’Brien. “They’re both NFL backs. I don’t even look at the other guy as No. 2. I think they alternate. Love’s awesome. He’s got great speed, good hands out of the backfield. Price comes in, he’s a tough runner, he can break tackles, he’s got good hands too. They both block in pass protection. They’ve got everything you’re looking for. They’re two of the best backs we’ve faced, no doubt about it.” 

Additionally, O’Brien talked about the Fighting Irish’s defense which features some familiar faces to him. 

“They swarm to the ball,” said O’Brien. “They do a good job. They have a linebacker named Drayk Bowen that we recruited when I was at Alabama. He’s a very good player. Their linebacker coach, Max Bullough, played for me in Houston. He’s an awesome coach and he was with me at Alabama too. So they do a good job. They’re an aggressive unit. Coach [Chris] Ash does a great job. They get after you, play a lot of man coverage. It’s a very challenging defense.” 

Boston College takes on Notre Dame on Saturday at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.