'Good Day' for Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams

Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams had to show some patience over the last year as he played in four games as a freshman, but it was well worth it. 

The sophomore led the Irish with 19 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, but also added two catches for 93 yards. 

Williams started preparing for 2020 as soon as 2019 was over, even through quarantine. 

"My first season taught me that I could do this, but I needed more time," Williams said after getting the game ball on Saturday. "Over quarantine, I was able to work on myself, get better at levels of football. I was able to change my body and where I'm at now is where I feel the most comfortable. I'm just going to keep going each and every week to get better." 

Notre Dame hadn't had a running back with 90 yards rushing and receiving in many years and head coach Brian Kelly feels it could be just the start for the St. Louis native. 

"He did something that had not been done here in 25 years," Kelly said of Williams. "So I mean, from that perspective, receiving yards over 90, rushing yards over 90, pretty good opener for him. There's a lot that he can build off of this.

"I think for an opener, that's a really good performance and something to build off of. Certainly there's a number of run-reads and blitz pickups and things of that nature that he's going to get a great, I think, learning curve from. But obviously a really good day."

The 19 carries were likely more than most thought he would get, but Williams felt his body was ready to handle it. 

"I feel like my workload - in camp I took a lot of reps," stated Williams. "My body has been used to going back and forth. I feel like my load is exactly where I wanted it to be. I definitely thought I was going to have a big impact in this game. I came in with a great mindset and great confidence. I knew if I just played my game, I knew I could play well." 

Williams was also quick to credit his offensive line for sticking with the game plan and wearing on the Duke defense. The offense started slow, but finished the second half in a positive fashion. 

"The guys up front were being physical with the defensive lineman, which we were able to create runs," said Williams. "We knew 2-3 yard gains would burst into big gains. We knew if we kept doing that, the big gains would come and obviously, this would happen." 

Saturday was also the first start for Williams. It's a day he won't likely forget any time soon as he ripped off a 26-yard touchdown and a 75-yard reception. 

"It took about a couple series to get my flow to finally be able to relax, breathe and be the player I am," explained Williams. "I think with the tunnel screen and the long run, we were able to dictate their defense. We knew what they were going to be in, so Coach Rees took advantage of it and I was able to make a play." 

The Irish finished the day with 176 rushing yards (4.2 ypc) and Williams feels it's just the start of something special. 

"We're all cut like clothes and we all know what we can do," Williams said. "We're all different types of backs, which makes us one of the best back rooms in the nation. I feel we have a lot of potential and once the world sees what we can do, it's going to be crazy." 

As far as the atmosphere in Notre Dame Stadium, Williams appreciated the students and fans who came out and made it feel somewhat normal despite there being about 70,000 less than a usual Saturday.

"It was a blessing because we all know six months ago we had no idea if we were going to be back in the stadium this year to play," said Williams. "It wasn't hard to get in the groove. As an offense, it was hard to find a play to spark us up. Once we got that, we knew as an offense, we had to settle in and play the ball we always do. 

"I loved it. It didn't seem any different for me. I was hearing the fans and the music got me turnt. Overall, it was a good day."