No. 9 Notre Dame made a statement by routing Syracuse 70-7 on Saturday.
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The Irish need as many style points as they can get to help with the College Football Playoff selection committee’s eye test. Notre Dame will have one more opportunity to impress the committee when it travels to play Stanford on Saturday night.
ND’s running game and defense were the most impressive parts of the Week 13 win over the Orange. The Irish scored 21 points in the first quarter before the offense even touched the field.
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However, ND suffered a big loss for the rest of the season on Saturday.
Per Tyler Horka of On3, linebacker Kygnstonn Viliamu-Asa has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury against Syracuse.
“Losing Kygnstonn Viliamu-Asa for the season is Notre Dame’s first big obstacle to overcome in its playoff push,” Horka posted. “In my mind, he’s the Irish’s second best defensive player behind Leonard Moore. ND doesn’t have anyone else who can do what he can. Big Loss.”
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Viliamu-Asa recorded two tackles in the win on Saturday. The Sophomore from Inland Empire, California, recorded 48 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and two passes defensed this season.
It’s unclear when Viliamu-Asa suffered the injury, but video posted to X via Horka shows the linebacker getting rolled up.
Notre Dame was leading 49-0 in the second quarter at the time of the starter’s injury. He was seen on the sideline in street clothes for the second half.
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It’s curious why Viliamu-Asa was still playing in the game at that point with the game so lopsided.
Notre Dame suffered brutal injuries in 2024 before and during the CFP. While the Irish were able to make the national championship, those issues added up in the loss against Ohio State.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.