MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Notre Dame football made it through the final week of preparations for 10th-ranked Miami without suffering any major injuries.
At least that was the takeaway from the official pregame injury report the school released an hour before kickoff Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
The last remaining major question is how snaps at right guard will be divided up for the opener, with redshirt sophomore Guerby Lambert making a late push to supplant summer favorite Sullivan Absher at the position.
Fourth-year Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Tuesday that “both could be involved in the game plan.”
Charles Jagusah had been the frontrunner at the spot until suffering a fractured humerus in a July 5 UTV accident.
Freshman backup kicker/punter Erik Schmidt, who made an impression during training camp with his leg strength, made the trip and was taking backup reps in warmups at both spots.
North Carolina grad transfer Noah Burnette is slated as Notre Dame’s field goal kicker “at any distance,” Freeman said Friday. Marcello Diomede will handle kickoffs.
“Erik is a guy who has a huge leg,” Freeman said. “Right now the plan isn’t to play him as of (Friday). … If it comes to a point where we feel like somebody might give us a better opportunity to make a field goal from a certain distance, then we’ll do that.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football pregame injury report comes back clean