Notre Dame Sophomores Shine In New Roles During Victory Over Duke

Everyone knows about Notre Dame sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton, who is expected to be one of the nation's best defensive backs in 2020. Hamilton, a freshman All-American last fall, was a standout in the 27-13 season-opening victory over Duke until he went down with an ankle injury. He wasn't alone in the sophomore standout category, as a pair of classmates stood out in their first opportunity to be key contributors.

Running back Kyren Williams and defensive end Isaiah Foskey both stepped into important roles in their second season at Notre Dame, and both thrived. Williams led the Irish offense in rushing (112 yards) and receiving yards (93) in his first ever start, and he reached the end zone twice. Foskey was a force as a pass rusher, getting two hits on the quarterback and racking up another sack in the game.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly sang the praises of his second-year running back following the victory.

Foskey played just four games last season, and his only big play was a blocked punt in the regular season finale against Stanford. Against Duke, however, he was thrust into a far more important role. Foskey rotated in at the Vyper end position, and he made his presence felt immediately.

On the second drive of the game, Foskey came off the edge unblocked and drilled Duke quarterback Chase Brice, forcing an incomplete pass and a field goal attempt.

On the very next drive, Foskey again got into the Duke backfield, this time hitting Brice on second-down to force another incompletion. Notre Dame forced a punt two plays later.

Late in the second quarter, Duke drove into Notre Dame territory and faced a third-and-goal from the Irish 2-yard line. The Blue Devils ran a bootleg, but Foskey read it perfectly, chased down Brice and hauled him down in the backfield to force a Duke field goal attempt. If Foskey doesn't make that play, the Blue Devils likely would have taken a 10-7 lead with under four minutes left in the half.

It's just one game, and both players still a lot to prove, but the 2020 season certainly got off to a great start for these two young Irish standouts.

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