Notre Dame left guard Chris Watt suffered a knee injury in the loss to Stanford on Nov. 30 and will miss the team's bowl game, Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly announced on Sunday.
According to Kelly, Watt will not need surgery but has already been ruled out for the Pinstripe Bowl against routers on Dec. 28.
"He's not going to need surgery, but he's not going to be able to play in the bowl game with the MCL," Kelly said Sunday night. "It's a two-three [degree sprain], it's going to require immobilization. He's immobilized right now."
The 6-fooot-3, 321-pound guard has been a three-year starter for the Irish, holding down the left side of the offensive line with senior tackle Zack Martin. According to CBSSports.com's prospect rankings, Watt, a fifth-year senior, is expected to be a fourth- or fifth-round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. With an important couple of months ahead to solidify his professional career, sitting out the bowl game seems like a wise decision.
Notre Dame and Rutgers will meet for only the fifth time ever when they face off in Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl. Last year, Syracuse won a snowy battle on the diamond against West Virginia.