unday night couldn't have been easy for Notre Dame captain Adon Shuler.
The senior safety was playing just days after his father, Don, passed away in New Jersey. Then, during the game, his running mate in the secondary, Brauntae Johnson, went down with an injury.
Yet Shuler showed why he's a captain, leading an aggressive Irish defense to a physical 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
“First time the Irish have played in a while,” Shuler said. “I feel like that's enough for us. But I had a heavy heart. Throughout the week, just having the support of my teammates, the staff, everybody in the building, it was really a blessing to have them.”
The Notre Dame defense held Wisconsin to 284 yards of total offense, including just 67 yards on the ground at 2.2 yards per carry.
Shuler admitted the first half wasn't as clean as it could have been, but the Irish clearly locked in coming out of halftime.
“We just have to take it one play, one life, and that was kind of his (Marcus Freeman’s) message. Forget about what happened first half. We have a whole other half, and let's play Irish football in the second half. Just eliminate the mistakes, especially on defense. We have to eliminate the MAs (missed assignments).”
Notre Dame held Wisconsin to just 141 yards of total offense in the second half and 1.4 yards per carry on the ground.
The turning point came in the third quarter when DJ McKinney intercepted a Colton Joseph pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, making it 27-10.
“It's contagious,” stated Shuler. “One person gets it, then the next person. That's kind of how we look at defense. Somebody's going to make a play. It just doesn't matter who it is. You just have to be ready for your time.
“DJ was ready for his opportunity and he made the most of it. There's going to be a lot of guys that make plays.”
Shuler is known for his physicality, and that was on full display Sunday night as the New Jersey native delivered a couple of big hits.
But he was simply playing his game, and Notre Dame was playing its game.
“I feel like I play with physicality every game,” explained Shuler “I feel like it's just more so for the defense. Everybody sets the tone. Drayk (Bowen) is going to make a play. JAus (Jaiden Ausberry), so it's about us playing Notre Dame football.
“Today was like a message. We're sending a message for how we want the season to be as far as the defense and what people say about the defense when they turn on the film.”
Shuler and most of the Notre Dame defense aren't strangers to the bright lights, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Irish were ready for the challenge.
That said, Shuler made sure to embrace the opportunity to open the season at one of the most historic venues in sports.
“I've been watching Green Bay games my whole life,” Shuler stated. “So just being in this environment was truly a blessing. To do it with my teammates and the brotherhood was the biggest experience. I didn't even know what to say during the pregame speech, just because we're finally in the moment and just want to embrace it.”
And embrace it they did.
When the alma mater wrapped up, Notre Dame headed to the stands to do the Lambeau Leap into the Irish student section. It was a moment the captains had planned in advance.
“Me and Drayk talked about it beforehand,” said Shuler “We were like, ‘Yeah, we jump in as soon as we can.’ It was just great to see it and be with the student section and the people. I feel like that's what makes Notre Dame so special, the people.”
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