Notre Dame defense dominated Purdue with a ton of Studs, and one Dud during the victory
It was a dominating performance from Notre Dame football during the team’s 66-7 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday. The defense was a big part of the formula, nearly eliminating the Purdue offense all together. As a whole, the unit gave up just 162 total yards and six first downs. There truly wasn’t a […]
It was a dominating performance from Notre Dame football during the team’s 66-7 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday. The defense was a big part of the formula, nearly eliminating the Purdue offense all together. As a whole, the unit gave up just 162 total yards and six first downs.
There truly wasn’t a “dud” in this performance but I still did my best to find one. There were a lot of “studs”, however, with a ton of standouts to choose from. Here are the performers to know from the Irish during the victory.
STUDS
DT Jason Onye
One of the most concerning positions for Notre Dame last week was the interior defensive line, who got pushed around by the Northern Illinois offensive line. That unit came to play today, and arguably the best player on the entire defense was Jason Onye. A physical freak with a ton of upside to work with, you really started to see that potential get tapped into. On the day, he had four total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1.5 tackles for loss and a batted pass (which led to the Viliamu-Asa interception). Quite simply, Purdue had no answers for No. 47.
EDGE Boubacar Traore
Speaking of providing flash and playmaking ability, Traore wasn’t far behind Onye. Notre Dame fans have been waiting for this breakout, seeing some impressive moments from the 6-4, 240-pound pass rusher since he arrived in South Bend before last season. Traore finishes the contest with only two total tackles, but collected two tackles for loss, one sack and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. This felt almost like a stepping stone game for the sophomore, he has been impressive through three weeks. Notre Dame needs to consistently get after the passer more frequently, and Traore brings that upside to the table in a big way.
LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
In a game where it felt like all of the Irish linebackers were consistent, Viliamu-Asa definitely had the most flash plays of any of them. His stat line may not have been overly flashy, ending with three total tackles, a half tackle for loss and an interception, but the range and ability to make big plays was evident as soon as No. 27 entered the game. It's going to get harder and harder to keep no. 27 off of the field. The former five-star has continued to get better. the future of the linebacker position is very high for the Irish, and Viliamu-Asa is a big part of that.
DUDS
S Kennedy Urlacher
The lone rough spot for the Irish defense, who was responsible for blowing the shutout on Saturday. Obviously this is completely a joke. The play where Urlacher knocks off Jaden Mickey of the route that led to the big play was more of a fluke than anything. Otherwise, Urlacher was really good on Saturday. He was fast and super explosive getting downhill. Urlacher really showcased some exciting talent. Even the small “negative” came with a lot of force. This is a physical dude who brings some excitement.
