Running back Tarean Folston carries the ball for the last time in 2015, as he went down with an ACL injury during the first quarter of Notre Dame’s 38-3 victory over Texas on Saturday. He is scheduled to undergo surgery in the next 10 days. Damien Dennis/The Pit
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]leventh-ranked Notre Dame may have soundly beat Texas 38-3 in the season opener Saturday night, but with junior running back Tarean Folston going down with an ACL injury, some fans could worry about the fate of this season.
During Notre Dame’s second drive of the game, Folston went down with an injury and was taken off the field. Head Coach Brian Kelly confirmed Sunday during a teleconference with press that Folston had suffered a MCL injury, later to be clarified as the ACL injury.
In 2014, Folston carried the ball for 175 times for 889 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He is expected to undergo surgery within the next ten days and miss the 2015 season as a result.
The running back position was one that was already depleted after former-Irish running back Greg Bryant was suspended, and subsequently transferred. In the spring, Notre Dame moved redshirt-junior C.J. Prosise to the position to offset the depth issues.
So with the loss of Folston, are the Irish in trouble already this year? The answer is no.
Prosise stepped in to fill the role of the missing Folston, carrying the ball 20 times for 98 yards. His longest run of the day was a 21-yard burst in the top of the third that eventually helped set up a field goal attempt for the Irish. The attempt ended up not being good.
Freshman Josh Adams earned a few carries himself, going 49 yards and notching 2 touchdowns. His first collegiate touchdown came with 62 seconds remaining in the first quarter of a 14-yard run. Adams’ second touchdown was at the 2-minute mark in the third off a 25-yard sprint to lift Notre Dame to 31-3.
Also at the position is another freshman, Dexter Williams, who could likely see more playing time than expected due to Folston’s injury.
What we didn’t see Saturday was junior Malik Zaire’s ability to run the ball. With just 16 yards on the ground, Zaire spent most of his time in the pocket, proving that he could lead Notre Dame to success in 2015 at the quarterback position.
In all, Notre Dame tallied 214 yards on the ground and 313 yards through the air for 527 yards of total offense. And while the Longhorn defense isn’t where it once was, a 38-3 victory with those kinds offensive numbers over a top program is something to be proud of.
So, while the loss of Folston is definitely going to impact the Irish, it’s nothing to worry too much about with the likes of Prosise, Adams and Zaire on the field for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame takes to the road on Saturday to face Virginia for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
