Notre Dame football beat the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes 31-24 at Notre Dame Stadium. The win came in front of a long list of celebrities and top recruits from the 2028 and 2029 recruiting classes. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish had a lot on the line in South Bend, and they delivered.

Over the last couple of weeks, much of the conversation around Notre Dame has centered on defensive coordinator Chris Ash and the inconsistencies in his game plans. Ash had a strong overall showing against Miami, especially in the first half. One player, though, changed the feel of this entire defense.

That was linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, better known as KVA.

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa was the difference

The 6-3, 230-pound linebacker was outstanding against the Hurricanes. Viliamu-Asa finished with seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. No. 27 has flashed plenty during his time in South Bend, but his presence in this one cannot be understated.

Luke Talich and a couple of other standouts in the front seven deserve a lot of credit as well. If I had to pick one defensive MVP, it is either Talich or KVA. I’m leaning toward the junior linebacker.

Unfortunately, part of the reason for the opportunity is injury. With Drayk Bowen out, Viliamu-Asa stepped in for the first time as the starting MIKE linebacker. The junior responded from a communication perspective and a playmaking perspective. He even flashed the U symbol back at Miami after one of his big plays.

His versatility is what stands out most. Viliamu-Asa can rush off the edge, rush from the interior, and play either linebacker spot. With him in the middle, this looked like a completely different defense.

The Irish played faster, and the unit felt more bought in. If you ask me, this might have been his best overall game in a Notre Dame uniform.

Notre Dame’s run defense held up

The numbers back it up. Notre Dame gave up 28 rushes for 101 yards, which comes out to 3.6 yards per carry. One of those carries was a 29-yard run by Mark Fletcher Jr. Outside of that single play, the Notre Dame run defense was very good.

KVA was a big reason why. The juice and energy he brought to the field set the tone against a Miami offense that is still dangerous, even without star wide receiver Malachi Toney.

He wasn’t the only linebacker to show up. Jaiden Ausberry provided good contributions, and Jaylen Sneed popped a good amount. Madden Faraimo even got into the game and made a bonkers play in pursuit, chasing down a short pass off a slide route late in the game.

After a couple of rough weeks in a row, the Irish linebackers were awesome.

Should Chris Ash lean into KVA?

This is where things get fun. It is very unfortunate that Bowen is dealing with an injury, but his absence raises a real question about what this defense should look like.

Bowen is more of an old-school middle linebacker. He isn’t a great blitzer and isn’t a player who makes a ton of plays in the backfield. I do have questions about whether some of the passiveness and conservative play calling we’ve seen from Ash ties back to his main communicator in the middle. That isn’t the only factor, but it could be part of it.

When you have Viliamu-Asa, why would you be conservative? This is a player who can rush the passer, blitz, and run sideline to sideline. Ash should take advantage of all of it.

I think Viliamu-Asa, as the starting middle linebacker, can be transformative for this defense. If Ash and the staff stay aggressive, there is a lot to be excited about over the rest of the season. I can’t wait to see how KVA finishes it.