NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Three Notre Dame football student-athletes have earned ACC weekly honors for their performances in the 45-21 win vs. Syracuse.
Redshirt freshman Kyren Williams notched his fifth weekly honor of the season, named co-ACC Running Back of the Week, marking a weekly honor in half of his performances this season. Senior wide receiver Javon McKinley garnered his first-career ACC honor, winning conference Receiver of the Week, and true freshman Clarence Lewis was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week, his first-career conference award. Overall, Irish players have collected 16 ACC weekly honors this season. No ACC team has more weekly awards this season than Notre Dame’s 16.
All three players contributed to a 45-21 win to close the regular season, extending the longest win streak in the FBS to 16 games, and marking 24-consecutive wins at Notre Dame Stadium, which is the second-longest home win streak among all FBS teams.
Kyren Williams
Williams compiled 20 rushes for 110 yards, adding three receptions for 33 yards, vs. Syracuse. With his 110 yards, Williams eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. He now totals 1,011 in 2020. The last time an Irish player reached 1,000 rushing yards in a single season was Josh Adams in 2017.
Williams leads all FBS freshmen in rushing touchdowns (12), total touchdowns (13), and total rushing yards (1,011). Among all FBS players, he is eighth in rushing TDs, ninth in total TDs and fifth in rushing yards. In the ACC, Williams ranks third in rushing yards per game (101.1), fourth in scoring – TDs (7.8 points/game) and fourth in all-purpose yards per game (127.9).
Williams’ 110 rushing yards were the third-most in the ACC on the weekend, and he tied for third among all ACC players in all-purpose yards (143).
Javon McKinley
At home vs. Syracuse, McKinley hauled in seven receptions for 111 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdown receptions were the most among all ACC players on the weekend. Just one other Power 5 player totaled three touchdown receptions on the weekend, and his 111 yards were the second-most in the ACC on the weekend.
McKinley’s three touchdown receptions marked a career-high and his first three touchdowns of the season. In his second-career multi-touchdown game (previously vs. New Mexico), McKinley scored two of his three TDs in the first half, marking the first time he has scored multiple touchdowns in a single half.
He is the second Irish player to post a three receiving TD game this season, joining Ben Skowronek (vs. Pitt). No other Notre Dame player has ever recorded more receiving touchdowns in a single game vs. a Power 5 opponent than McKinley’s and Skowronek’s three.
Clarence Lewis
The true freshman Lewis noted 12 tackles (10 solo), one forced fumble and one pass breakup in his fourth-career start. His 12 tackles led the Irish, and were the most by an Irish player in a single game since Julian Love’s 12 vs. USC in 2018.
No ACC defensive back had more tackles on the weekend than Lewis’ 12, and of the two DBs who noted 12 tackles, Lewis marked the most solo tackles with 10. He was also the only player in the ACC with 12 or more tackles to note a pass breakup, not to mention a forced fumble. His pass breakup came on third down to force a Syracuse punt.
Notre Dame limited Syracuse to just 15 first downs on the day, the second-fewest converted by an ACC offense this weekend.