Notre Dame football vs. UNC Tar Heels: 3 things we learned in Week 9

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Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Kyren Williams (23) carries the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback Tony Grimes (20) defends in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football vs. UNC Tar Heels: 3 things we learned in Week 9

Kyren Williams is still elite

When the season started, it was clear that if the Irish wanted to have a successful year, a lot of the pressure would be on redshirt sophomore Kyren Williams. Coming off a monster first season as the feature back for the Irish, Williams started slowly in 2021, but it was not his fault, as the offensive line was an absolute mess early on.

However, since the team moved some pieces upfront, especially Joe Alt going to left tackle, Williams has gone back to dominating defenses weekly. After setting a season-high with 138 yards against USC last weekend, Williams ran wild against UNC on Saturday night, finishing up with over 200 yards of total offense, including 199 on the ground, a mark that includes a 91-yard touchdown run.

The truth is, this is likely Williams’ final season in South Bend, as he became a legend on Saturday night and one of the more dominant running backs we have seen at the school in quite some time. He is going to be a special talent at the next level, possibly the first running back off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft, so let us enjoy him while he still is wearing the Irish uniform.

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