Geoffrey Clark’s Game Balls for Florida State Game:
Offensive: Javon McKinley
We’ve been waiting for someone on the receiving corps to break out, and McKinley finally did it in the Irish’s third game of the season. He didn’t score any touchdowns, but he didn’t need to. He made enough big plays to set the offense up for success. Hopefully, this is the start of his normal level of play and not an anomaly.
Defensive: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
The defense wasn’t very remarkable in the first half, so it was hard to pinpoint anyone who stood out. Then, in the third quarter, Owusu-Koramoah made a couple of punishing plays that undoubtedly inspired the rest of the unit. They happened at a time when the game’s outcome still was somewhat in question. Perhaps Shaun Crawford’s interception still would have happened, but without Owusu-Koramoah, chances are those seeds of doubt for Florida State don’t get sown.
Next up – Michael Chen: