ATLANTA — Cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s season-ending hip injury is a serious loss for No. 12 Notre Dame’s already depleted defense as the Irish prepare to face Georgia Tech on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets’ ability to take advantage of Notre Dame’s young fill-in cornerbacks could be affected by the uncertain status of quarterback Haynes King.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said King, who left last week’s 41-34 win at North Carolina with an apparent right arm or shoulder injury, will be a game-time decision against Notre Dame. Backup Zach Pyron would be the probable fill-in for King.
Notre Dame (5-1) will bring a four-game winning streak into the game against Georgia Tech (5-2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Irish coach Marcus Freeman announced Monday that Morrison required surgery after suffering the hip injury in last week’s 49-7 win over Stanford. It’s another test of the defense’s depth.
Morrison, a second-team preseason AP All-America selection, has nine career interceptions. He is regarded as a possible first-round draft pick.
“Obviously it’s a blow to our team,” Freeman said.
The Irish already lost defensive linemen Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore to season-ending injuries. Cornerback Jaden Mickey announced after four games he would redshirt before transferring.
Freshmen Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs could move up at cornerback. Freeman said nickel back Jordan Clark also could help at the position.
“So we’re obviously thin with some injuries, but I’m very confident in the room here,” Freeman said of his cornerbacks.
Dual-threat QB
King’s dual-threat talents have been crucial to Georgia Tech’s offense. The Yellow Jackets lead the Atlantic Coast Conference with 204.4 rushing yards per game, including 371 against North Carolina. Jamal Haynes ran for a career-best 170 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining.
King ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 127 yards last week. He has passed for 1,568 yards this season and has completed 71.2% of his passes to lead the ACC.
Preparing for Pyron
Pyron has played in every game this season and has rushed for 60 yards and four touchdowns. He has thrown only seven passes while usually entering the game to run the ball. Pyron had success as a passer in two starts as a freshman in 2022.
“I have respect for both quarterbacks,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “Either one can run the offense.”
Pro venues for Irish
Notre Dame will play in NFL venues in back-to-back games. The Irish play Navy on Oct. 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., home of the New York Giants and Jets. They also will play in a Major League Baseball stadium when they play Army on Nov. 23 at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Straight talk from Key
A win over Notre Dame would be important to Key’s efforts to build an ACC contender.
“I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not a big game,” Key said. “I’m not going to give you coach speak and say that it’s just the next game on the schedule and all games are big games. I mean, this is a really big game. This is a really big opportunity for this program.”
In the last meeting, Notre Dame embarrassed Georgia Tech 55-0 late in the 2021 season when the Yellow Jackets coach was Geoff Collins, now North Carolina’s defensive coordinator.
Counting the injuries
Key said King is not the only player whose status is uncertain because of injury.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are banged up right now,” he said. “That’s what this time of year is. … We will make a decision at game time whether they will go or not.”
Key found a way to joke about the injury woes: “I think we have five tight ends on the roster, and seven of them are hurt right now.”
No. 12 Notre Dame (5-1) at Georgia Tech (5-2)
- Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN.
- Line: Notre Dame by 11½.
- Series: Notre Dame leads 30-6-1.
Facts & figures
Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, and its dominant series lead includes a 13-2-1 record in games played in Atlanta. … This will be the Irish’s first visit to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is about a mile from the Georgia Tech campus. … The Yellow Jackets are 1-3 at the stadium. … The game is part of a contract for Georgia Tech to play one game each year at the stadium from 2021-26. Georgia Tech and Georgia announced this week their annual rivalry game will be played there in 2025 instead of at Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. … Notre Dame held Stanford to 87 passing yards and 200 total yards last week. … Irish senior Riley Leonard, a Duke transfer, ranks second among active quarterbacks with 27 career rushing touchdowns. He has rushed for eight TDs this season.
