The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes will have to take on Notre Dame without their best player on Saturday night.
However, the Fighting Irish won’t be at full strength either.
Two jey Notre Dame contributors are unlikely to play in the Fighting Irish’s biggest game of the year, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“Sources: Two key Notre Dame interior defensive linemen are doubtful today,” Thamel wrote on X. “Starter Francis Brewu and key contributor Jason Onye are doubtful tonight, as they’d been considered questionable this week. Brewu started 7 games for the Irish this year and Onye averages 17 snaps a game.”
While two opponents being injured certainly isn’t reason for celebration, it’s a notable development for a shorthanded Miami offense that just lost star wide receiver Malachi Toney, who had surgery on his ankle this week.
Notre Dame’s Defensive Front Takes Another Hit
Both Brewu and Onye were listed as questionable on Notre Dame’s injury report earlier this week. Now it looks like neither will suit up.
Brewu has started seven of Notre Dame’s eight games this season. Onye has been a key part of the rotation, playing roughly 17 snaps per game.
That’s a problem for the Irish, because the interior of their defensive line was already thin. Defensive tackles Christopher Burgess Jr. (left tibia) and Tiki Hola (right knee) are both out. That means Notre Dame could be missing four DTs against a Miami offense that’s averaging 47.6 points and 534.9 yards per game.
It doesn’t stop there. Linebacker Drayk Bowen (right ankle), who leads the team with 45 tackles, safety Brauntae Johnson (left foot), and cornerback DJ McKinney (right ankle) have already been ruled out.
Notre Dame’s defense has still been dominant this season. The Irish rank first in the country in total defense (236.3 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (13.4 points per game).
But with this many bodies missing up front, Miami’s running game could have plenty of room to work, which would go a long way toward making up for Toney’s absence.
Malachi Toney’s Absence a Big Blow for Miami
The injury news cuts both ways though.
Toney, who entered the week as a Heisman Trophy favorite, suffered a high ankle sprain in Wednesday’s practice. He initially planned to try to play through it. Instead, he had surgery on Thursday and didn’t travel to South Bend, according to Thamel.
The good news for Miami is that the injury isn’t expected to end his season. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that the current belief is he’ll be back at some point – potentially in time for the ACC Championship game.
In the meantime, Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw will be asked to carry a bigger load in the passing game. Barkate will likely see plenty of All-American cornerback Leonard Moore, who’s expected back after missing two of the last four games.
The stakes couldn’t be any higher. Miami is 8-0 and ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Notre Dame (7-1) sits at No. 4 in the AP poll but just No. 11 in the CFP rankings. Another loss would likely knock the Irish out of the playoff picture.
Toney’s absence alone makes this a much tougher road trip for the Hurricanes. But with the Irish this banged up on defense, Miami has a better chance to pull it off than it did on Wednesday.
Miami Gets Good News Hours Before Kickoff vs. Notre Dame