Notre Dame football at Virginia: 3 Irish players to watch in Week 11

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Nov 6, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) runs for a touchdown after a pass reception in the second quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football at Virginia: 3 Irish players to watch

Kevin Austin Jr.

The Notre Dame football team got a breakout performance from Kevin Austin Jr. in the win against Navy, as he dominated the Midshipmen through the air. In fact, his 70-yard touchdown right before the half proved to be a dagger for Navy, as the Irish went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead, and never looked back.

On Saturday night, the Irish need more of that from Austin, especially with Avery Davis going down for the season with a torn ACL. True freshman Lorenzo Styles Jr. will start in Davis’ place, so there are going to be some growing pains, which means Austin needs to step up even more in this matchup.

Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Avery Davis (3) celebrates with wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) after Austin caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

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This is a game that the Irish should be able to win, even on the road, as they are playing their best football right now. The matchup is going to come down to who can stop the other team’s offense, especially if Armstrong plays, but if he plays and has a big night, guys like Austin will be crucial for the Irish to keep pace, and come away with the victory.

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