Notre Dame Football: Brandon Wimbush should no longer be the starter
Brandon Wimbush is headed down the same path he was last year, if not worse for Notre Dame football, with some big struggles three games into the season.
It was another rough outing for Notre Dame football and starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush. For what should’ve been two pretty easy victories over the course of the past two weeks against the Ball State Cardinals and Vanderbilt Commodores, nothing came easy. The biggest reason for those struggles was the play of Wimbush in the passing game.
After tossing three interceptions and no touchdowns in the narrow victory over Ball State last week, Wimbush was looking for a better performance in the home matchup with Vanderbilt. Most expected Wimbush to come out with a solid effort using his dual-threat ability to get some yards on the ground. It didn’t happen.
Last season, the Wimbush’s touchdown to interception ratio allowed him to keep his starting job for as long as he did. He tossed 16 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 2017. But, he entered Sep. 15 with four interceptions and one touchdown pass. He didn’t do much better in another narrow win over Vanderbilt.
At least Wimbush did not have any interceptions in this win, but he also did not have any touchdown passes. He did have 84 rushing yards and one score with his legs. That helped contribute to a solid rushing performance for the Irish altogether. Running back Tony Jones Jr. added more than 110 rushing yards on less than 20 carries.
The legs of Wimbush and Jones Jr. helped this Notre Dame offense hang on over quarterback Kyle Shurmur and the Commodores, despite a late-game push to get a victory. Vanderbilt wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb dropped a pass late in the fourth quarter to end his team’s chances of a comeback win.
Next. Notre Dame is not Playoff contender with Wimbush. dark
However, we should not overlook the fact that the Irish are barely skidding by some subpar opposition before the 2018 slate really heats up. In the upcoming six weeks, Notre Dame has to face the Stanford Cardinal, Virginia Tech Hokies, and the Northwestern Wildcats. If Wimbush slips up, it could be costly to the College Football Playoff hopes for this team.