Notre Dame: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was Defensive Player of the Game vs. Duke
Despite adding multiple season-ending injuries to the list — including starting Senior captain defensive end Julian Okwara —the Notre Dame defense played well and held the Duke Blue Devils to a one score game.
Here are the top defensive performers from the Notre Dame win over Duke on Saturday.
Honorable Mentions
Troy Pride Jr.
The senior cornerback used his speed in the third quarter as he intercepted the ball and returned it 39 yards before being taken down. Some Irish fans —myself included— are somewhat disappointed with the season Pride Jr. has had. It has not been a bad season by any means, but he has not taken that jump to stardom that many Irish fans thought he would this year. With all that being said, it was great to see him make a big time play even if it wasn’t in a close game or against a tougher opponent. Pride Jr. finished the night with a total of 6 tackles, along with his interception. For a full breakdown of Pride Jr.’s stats, click here.
Alohi Gilman
With his aggressiveness to go after the ball, Gilman was able to force a fumble for the Fighting Irish. Along with Pride, Gilman has also had a somewhat underwhelming season. He has not been as dominant as he was last year. That said, he played well against the Blue Devils. Alohi tallied six tackles and a forced fumble on the night. For a full breakdown of Gilman’s stats, click here.
Drew White
Drew continues to play big time for the Irish defense. Against the Blue Devils, White recorded his second sack of the season. White has had a very solid season and has been consistent for the majority of it. To go along with that sack, he also had a total of seven tackles on the night. For a full breakdown of White’s stats, click here.
Next. The play that changed everything vs. Duke. dark
Defensive Player of the Game
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
“Wu” had another big night to add to his collection for the 2019 season. This is his second time being awarded the “Defensive Player of the Game” this season, but he has made honorable mentions many times as well. As I have mentioned multiple times before, while linebacker may have been one of the biggest question marks heading into the season, the combination of White and “Wu” have been very solid replacements of Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney. On Saturday, “Wu” totaled six tackles — 1.5 of those being for loss — he also added two passes defended on the night. For a full breakdown of Owusu-Koramoah’s stats, click here.