Injury Bug Wiping out No. 8 Notre Dame’s Offense, TE Smythe out for Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The Fighting Irish entered the 2015 season with 17 starters returning from an 8-5 team a year ago but the high count of experience filling this year’s roster is starting to dwindle, and fast. On Tuesday Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly announced the loss of starting tight end Durham Smythe for the year after he tore his MCL.

Per Kelly, Smythe tore the MCL in his right knee in the fourth quarter of Week 2 action against Virginia. Smythe had surgery on his knee and on his right shoulder on Tuesday.

Smythe is one of four starters Notre Dame is now without for the rest of the season. Leading returning running back Tarean Folston suffered a knee injury after rushing for 889 yards with six scores a year ago. But the biggest setback on offense arguably is the loss of dual-threat quarterback Malik Zaire. Zaire looked brilliant against Texas in Week 1 but fractured his ankle last week against Virginia.

The piling injury count flips to the defensive side with junior defensive tackle Jarron Jones. Jones also suffered a knee injury against Virginia and is out for the season.

The second half of Notre Dame’s football schedule is fairly manageable but the first half is tough. In Week 3 No. 14 Georgia Tech comes to South Bend followed by UMass and then a trip to No. 11 Clemson on Oct. 3. Navy and then No. 6 USC fill in the early part of the schedule in October. The final five games of the season add some potential drama with four contests on the road ending with a trip to Palo Alto to face Stanford.

The Irish have the nation’s No. 48 passing offense averaging 260 yards a game and No. 33 rushing offense with 234 yards per game. How this unit may look the rest of the season and how Kelly utilizes the talent on the roster to maintain a Top 10 presence in the AP Polls could have him up for Coach of the Year honors or spiral into another disappointing season for Notre Dame fans.

Photo credit: sportingnews.com; No. 80 Durham Smythe against Texas 2015.