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It wasn’t always pretty, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended up beating the Boston College Eagles, 49-20. There were some notable performances that we need to take a deeper look at. Let’s get it started.
Shaun Crawford... A
He is finally healthy and playing great football. How can you not feel good for Shaun Crawford? He has battled back from a torn ACL and torn Achilles tendon. On Saturday, Crawford recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery. I think it is safe to say that Shaun Crawford has the best ball skills of any defensive back on the team. The Notre Dame defense has themselves a playmaker and his name is Shaun Crawford.
Brandon Wimbush... B+
It was only his third collegiate start. It was only his third collegiate start. IT WAS ONLY HIS THIRD COLLEGIATE START! Brandon Wimbush will be fine. I will admit, I was getting frustrated yesterday watching the offense struggle with the passing game. As a fan you need to be realistic. We cannot expect Brandon Wimbush to be Joe Montana from the very beginning. He is inexperienced and will get better. Give him time.
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The good news is that Wimbush is already a superstar running the football. He ran for over 200 yards and 4 touchdowns! He has the speed and vision you want in a running back. Notre Dame basically has two running backs in the game every single play. For the time being while he is ironing out the passing game, I am fine with Brandon Wimbush relying on his legs.
Josh Adams... A
Before I say anything about Josh Adams, shout out to the offensive line. They opened up giant holes for all the running backs. It is easy to forget about the offensive line when the running backs are running wild. He finished with 229 yards on 19 carries. That is what you call efficiency. Last week was all about trying to find Dexter Williams more carries. How can Brian Kelly justify taking Josh Adams off the field? Now I would like to see Dexter Williams mixed in more often to keep Josh Adams fresh later in the season, but it is clear who RB1 is for Notre Dame.
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The receivers as a group need to step up and make Brandon Wimbush’s job easier for him. I would like to see more two tight end sets while the receivers try to figure it out. And who said Josh Adams and Dexter Williams couldn’t be on the field together? Notre Dame will have to make some tweaks before they visit East Lansing and the Michigan State Spartans next week.