Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons the Irish will be contenders in 2018

4. The Irish have found their quarterback

It was only a matter of time until quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s passing woes caught up with him, and that time came during a 41-8 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. Wimbush would falter big time in this one, completing under 50 percent of his passes for 119 yards, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. What’s worse is that Wimbush ran for only 24 yards, struggling even in his element.

Backup quarterback Ian Book would replace Wimbush in this game, but managed an even worse performance, throwing for 33 yards and an interception on six passes. However, it’s important to note that Wimbush has nearly twice the amount of experience as Book, giving the sophomore a significantly longer leash in terms of turnovers.

Book’s last game against LSU would tell a far different story than his appearance in Miami, however. Wimbush, after going 3 for 8 on passing attempts, was replaced by Book who would proceed to throw for 164 yards while tossing two touchdowns and an interception. His poise while leading a last-minute game-winning drive should give Kelly all he needs to roll Book out Week 1.

With that said, there’s still work to be done in terms of polishing up some of Book’s decision-making skills. Book has thrown some poor interceptions this season, but his two-dimensional playing style provides more upside than Wimbush’s run-heavy approach ever could. Look for the Irish to prosper under Book before turning their sights to commit Phil Jurkovec in 2019.