Notre Dame DT Jerry Tillery suspended for Fiesta Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. — A precarious Notre Dame defensive line took another hit before taking the field for Friday’s Fiesta Bowl matchup against No. 7 Ohio State (11-1).

The school announced a couple of hours before kickoff that freshman defensive tackle Jerry Tillery had been suspended for the game for a violation of team rules.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Shreveport, La., product has been a keep backup for the eighth-ranked Irish (10-2) at both the defensive tackle and nose guard positions, playing in all 12 regular-season games with three of those being starts.

Tillery recorded 12 tackles, with two for loss, during his freshman season.

The starters at those respective positions may not be 100 percent Friday. All-America defensive tackle Sheldon Day reportedly suffered a foot injury in practice earlier in the week and was going to try to play through the pain.

Starting nose guard Daniel Cage had been battling a sprained ankle, while preseason No. 1 nose guard Jarron Jones will try to contribute after missing the entire regular season with a knee injury.

Defensive end Isaac Rochell was taking some snaps inside during pregame warmups. Sophomore Jonathan Bonner could see an increased role as well.