Notre Dame Football: Position report card for the Irish in Week 4

It’s always tough to assign a grade to a quarterback due to the complexity of the position, even in its simplest form. However, Brandon Wimbush, even though his stats may disagree, played the best game of his early career on Saturday. For example, 52 rushing yards is far removed from Wimbush’s career highs, but it was the way in which he earned those yards that gives him a high mark.

Similar to his run game, Wimbush’s 173 passing yards fell short of his season high, but they were the most effective passes he has thrown up to this point. Judging a quarterback is all about how he reacts under different circumstances. Yeah, Wimbush can put up hundreds of yards against Temple and Boston College defenses, but can he do it when the whole nation is watching? We got that answer Saturday night.

Wimbush was aided by strong defensive play last night, but constantly capitalizing on what the defense handed him can’t be faulted. He had some effective drives and made necessary throws throughout the game, showing the coaching staff and fans alike just what kind of talent they were beholding.

It will likely be more of the same from Wimbush next week, setting up for another exciting matchup. While we all love the way he runs, it’d sure be encouraging to see more out of that arm.