SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football will be without linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa for the remainder of the season after he suffered a left knee injury on Saturday against Syracuse, the team announced Sunday.
Also out for the year is reserve cornerback Chance Tucker, who broke his left tibia in the 70-7 win on Senior Day.
Viliamu-Asa, a sophomore from Inland Empire, Calif., is tied with second-year safety Tae Johnson for third on the team with 48 tackles. Johnson missed the Syracuse game and could be out until the College Football Playoff after suffering an injury to his left hand during a punch-out drill in practice last week.
Replays showed Viliamu-Asa tumbling backward in the pile as he tried to tackle Orange running back Jaden Hart after a 1-yard gain near midfield. Viliamu-Asa nearly stopped Hart in the backfield on a run blitz, but quickly clambered to his feet before 288-pound defensive tackle Jared Dawson made the stop amid heavy traffic at the line of scrimmage.
Viliamu-Asa, second among Irish linebackers with 435 defensive snaps, is tied for third on the team with 3.5 sacks while adding five quarterback hurries and an interception. Among regular contributors on the Irish defense, only All-America cornerback candidate Leonard Moore (90.9) has a higher Pro Football Focus rating than Viliamu-Asa (88.4).
This is the second straight year Viliamu-Asa has suffered a knee injury in Game 11 of the regular season. Last year it was a right knee sprain on Nov. 23 against Army that caused him to miss the next two games: at USC and a first-round CFP game against Indiana.
Viliamu-Asa was able to return in a limited capacity for the final three games of Notre Dame’s playoff run, and his pass-rush ability proved vital in wins over Georgia and Penn State.
Tucker’s injury happened late in the third quarter on an interception by freshman safety Ethan Long.
With Viliamu-Asa out, there could be increased opportunity for freshman linebacker Madden Faraimo, who has come on this month with the help of his fellow southern Californian, Viliamu-Asa.
“I’m so proud of that dude, and playing next to him is such an honor and such a blessing,” Viliamu-Asa said the week after Faraimo had four tackles against Navy. “I gave him some tips on what I saw last year. … It’s amazing to see him doing a hell of a job.”
Faraimo played 28 defensive snaps against Syracuse, one fewer than Viliamu-Asa, joining a linebacker rotation that also includes team captain Drayk Bowen, fourth-year man Jaylen Sneed and key reserve Jaiden Ausberry.
Faraimo finished with five tackles against Syracuse, two for loss, including his first career sack. Through 11 games this year, Faraimo, a core special teams player as well, has 14 tackles and a pass breakup.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football loses LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa for the year
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
