Noah Burnette injury update: Why Notre Dame football's kicker did not play vs. Boise State

Notre Dame was without starting kicker Noah Burnette for the second time in three weeks in Saturday’s 28-7 win over Boise State. His absence was due to the same injury designation that kept him out against Purdue. 

In Irish coach Marcus Freeman’s postgame news conference, he told reporters that Burnette has had a lingering right hip injury. Burnette reaggravated it in practice last week and was unable to heal in time for kickoff. 

“He had the injury two weeks ago,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “He missed the (Purdue) game. Came back last week, was good enough to kick from a certain distance. Then this week, he kicked on Tuesday, was really sore, and was questionable. He wanted to go try in pregame, and it was a no-go.” 

Although Freeman said Burnette was “questionable,” the Irish did not list him on their updated availability report posted Thursday morning. They eventually ruled him out about an hour before kickoff against the Broncos. 

Burnette kicked six extra-point attempts in the first half of last Saturday’s 56-13 victory at Arkansas, but he was held out of the second half. His absence was not supposed to be due to an injury, per Notre Dame. Burnette is 3-of-3 on field goals and 13-of-13 on extra points this season.

For the third time this season, freshman kicker Erik Schmidt received the first opportunity to replace Burnette. The Milwaukee (Wis.) Marquette University High product took the first extra point, but Boise State blocked his attempt. Junior kicker Marcello Diomede then handled the next three PATS and converted every one.

However, Freeman did not attempt any field goals against Boise State, instead electing to go for it on fourth down twice within field goal range. Afterward, he said the decision to pass on the field goal tries was, in part, because of Burnette’s absence.

“Yes, it factors into the fourth-down decisions,” Freeman said. “We’ve got to continue to build confidence — I have to make sure I have confidence to kick it from certain distances instead of saying, telling our offense to go for it. I’ve got a lot of confidence in our offense. We have got to keep building that confidence in me and in those guys. That played a factor into it.”

Before Saturday night’s game, Schmidt missed his lone field goal attempt against Purdue from 31 yards out. However, Schmidt was 10-of-10 on extra points after making all eight against Purdue and two against Arkansas. Until Saturday, Diomede had not attempted a field goal or extra point this season.

BOX SCORE: Boise State 7, No. 21 Notre Dame 28