Boubacar Traore’s strong return from season-ending injury helps solidify No. 16 Notre Dame’s defense

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Defensive end Boubacar Traore gave Notre Dame a glimpse of what he could do in five games last season.

Then a knee injury forced him to wait for almost a whole year to get his next opportunity.

What he learned as he watched his teammates reach the national championship game has helped propel Traore to new heights this season as he helps solidify the Fighting Irish defense.

“I feel like that’s what really helped me when I was gone, I was reading the playbook, watching a lot of football, so I feel like that’s what helped me play faster,” he said Tuesday. “I feel like my impact is just doing what I do, playing violent in the run game and getting after the quarterback.”

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound second-year player certainly is doing his part. He has played 210 snaps, easily the most of any defensive linemen. Gabriel Rubio is second at 152.

It’s not just how much Traore has been on the field — it’s his productivity when he is on the field.

Traore returned from a torn ACL by posting a career-high six tackles and recording a fourth-quarter sack that helped give Notre Dame a chance to rally in its 27-24 season-opening loss at then-No. 10 Miami. And after a 41-40 Game 2 loss to then-No. 16 Texas A&M, Traore helped the Irish defense rebound with a strip-sack and two additional tackles for loss in a blowout win over Purdue.

Now after three straight wins has helped put No. 16 Notre Dame (3-2) back in the playoff discussion, Traore hopes to keep the momentum building when the Irish host N.C. State (4-2) on Saturday.

“He’s very talented,” defensive back Christian Gray said. “You can see that he’s very athletic. He’s one of the most athletic defensive ends I’ve ever seen. So having him out there is just really great. As the back seven, we just, you know, scrap as best we can, and then we see Boubacar already getting the sack in like five seconds. It’s just great having him on that field. He just dominates.”

That’s a big reason Notre Dame’s defense appears to have overcome its early season struggles. It has allowed just two touchdowns in its last two games, with Traore logging two sacks and eight tackles during that span.

The Irish saw this potential last season when Traore burst onto the scene after an injury to another player put him in the starting lineup. All he did was make plays. His interception return for a touchdown in the first half at Purdue helped propel Notre Dame to a 66-7 rout.

Two weeks later, though, his season ended against Louisville.

Defensive line coach Al Washington said during summer camp that he wanted Traore to be explosive this season, but he also wanted him to last through the whole season. Initially, the Irish appeared to play it cautiously, but there are no restrictions now.

Traore spent his recovery focusing on getting stronger and learning more about the game to be ready so he could excel in the system implemented by new defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

“Whenever I step on the field, I try to take my flight, best foot forward. If I’m on the field, I have to go 100% every play,” Traore said. “My goal is to put the least amount of stress on the DBs, because I know they’ve got to go out there and guard an open space for some time. So, I mean, my job is really to just get back there, get to the quarterback and whenever they run the ball, stop the run.”

And that’s precisely what Gray has seen this season.

“He’s very, very smart,” Gray said. “He knows the offense on the other side of the ball. He’s just a very hard worker, in the film room and studying, meeting with coaches. He does everything extra, where you don’t see athletes doing that. That’s what really makes him special.”

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