On a Saturday afternoon where almost everything went right for the Notre Dame football team, there is a reason why Chris Ash and the rest of the Irish coaches might be holding their breath. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa exited the game early, not because of the blowout score, but because of an apparent injury, and things didn't look great immediately following his departure.
Viliamu-Asa, or KVA, to the Irish faithful, is building on a solid freshman season with a standout sophomore campaign. Coming into the game against Syracuse, he'd already logged 46 tackles, 2 passes defended, 3 sacks, and an interception.
Against Syracuse, the Notre Dame defender was making his presence known again with two tackles and two quarterback hurries. However, while the school and the NBC broadcast have not given any updates, it appears he suffered some sort of injury just before halftime.
Notre Dame football fans might want to hold their breath and hope for good news on Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
One Notre Dame fan noticed that Viliamu-Asa limped off the field and then collapsed to the ground. Later on the afternoon, the linebacker was spotted sitting on the bench, out of his pads and looking rather unhappy.
The injury seems to be lost in what has been an otherwise incredible win for Notre Dame, who dominated from the very first snaps and who led 21-0 before the Irish offense even saw the field.
Obviously, the team didn't need KVA on Saturday afternoon. But he will be a key cog on the Notre Dame defense as Marcus Freeman and his crew gear up for a run at the National Title. What the problem was and how long he's out will be something to watch closely.