Liufau out for season, Bertrand steps in; more Notre Dame-FSU notes

Marist Liufau had surgery Monday morning to repair the broken bone and dislocated ankle he suffered last Wednesday, as first reported by Irish Sports Daily's Matt Freeman.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, five days before his team kicks off its 2021 season at Florida State Sunday night, updated Liufau's status Monday.

“Marist Liufau had surgery this morning, successful surgery,” Kelly said. “It was a break and dislocation, so it was a fairly significant injury. His spirits are great. Our medical team feels great about the recovery and his ability to come back here and be 100%.”

But Liufau will not be able to return to the Irish this fall.

“Out for the season. Similar injury to the injury we saw from the young man (Jaylen Waddle) who played wide receiver for Alabama,” Kelly said. “(Waddle) came back for the championship game. He came back quote unquote for the championship game. So that's the length for this injury.”

JD Bertrand has been tabbed the next man up in place of Liufau, who had generated one of if not the most impressive preseason camps on the Notre Dame defense.

Bertrand also has shined, including in downfield coverage last week as the Irish worked inside Notre Dame Stadium.

“His production,” Kelly said of what helped Bertrand land the job. “Outstanding production. Tough, smart, assignment correct, athletic. He has all the tools to play at a high level at that position. We lose a very versatile player in Marist, there's no doubt about it. But JD Bertrand is an outstanding football player as well. Next man up in that situation and we'll get a chance to see him play against Florida State.”

SETTLED IN

A year ago, when Notre Dame was one of the better teams in college football in time of possession, Florida State used its unpredictability on both sides of the football to disrupt the Fighting Irish.

The visiting Seminoles led Notre Dame 17-14 after the first quarter and amassed more than 400 yards against Clark Lea's defensive unit. The Irish offense tallied more than 550 yards' offense in the closer-than-expected 42-26 win, but they held the ball some four-plus minutes less than FSU and five minutes below their season average.

As consensus preseason Top-10 Notre Dame prepares for Sunday's opener at FSU, coach Brian Kelly believes the Irish benefit from having more of the Noles' identity on video.

“When we played them, they were coming off the Miami game where they were in three-down,” Kelly said of FSU's defense under Adam Fuller. “And so then they come and they play us and they were three-down and four down. Then they settled into four-down. This is a defense now that has settled into who they are and how they perform, defensively structure-wise.

“Yeah, there are some moving pieces there, there are some new players but they're talented. But I think the thing that stands out to us is that they'll now know what they need to do and how to do it and be prepared accordingly.”

Kelly praised the athleticism and toughness of Noles quarterback Jordan Travis, who had 300 yards' total offense last year at Notre Dame.

TRIO AT ROVER

Jack Kiser has the edge to start for the Irish defense at Florida State, but he's hardly the only player in the mix for playing time at the Rover position in Marcus Freeman's defense.

Kelly's depth chart listed Kiser or Isaiah Pryor or Paul Moala as the starter, though Kiser's gotten considerable first-team work in camp.

“Jack's done a really good job of learning that position, but I think our depth is really good at that position,” Kelly said. “Jack's done really well; (Isaiah) Pryor's had a really good camp. So has Paul Moala. All three have impressed us and expect to see all three of them playing.”

Kelly noted the mental as well as physical demands of that position in the Irish scheme.

“That position is one where, I think everybody knows a little bit more the structure of that defensive position, we ask him to do a lot more than just contain the football,” Kelly said. “He's got to play coverage, he's got to be involved in the run fits. And when I say play coverage, he's got to play some man-to-man. That's a position that requires a lot.”