Can Notre Dame’s offense keep up the momentum from last week?
That’s a tall task to ask. Last week, Notre Dame’s 49-16 rout of Temple was a great performance from the offense. Brandon Wimbush, in his first career start, tallied up 184 passing yards. The Notre Dame football team rushed for 422 yards on just 44 attempts.
It was no question that the offense was rolling. The question is, can they repeat this type of performance against Georgia?
Let’s look at it from the corner stone of the offense to start.
Brandon Wimbush
If you look at Wimbush’s overall performance against Temple and you have to be satisfied.
The first-year starter threw for 184 yards completing 17-of-30 passes on the day. On top of that, he rushed 12 times for 106 yards.
The biggest take aways from last week is that you saw Wimbush look comfortable. He did throw an interception, but that’s not too bad considering the situation. A first-year QB starter at Notre Dame carries a lot of weight with it. Temple returned a team that finished No. 11 in scoring allowed last season. Granted, all of those starters did not return for the 2017 season.
It was no tall task for Wimbush to face, helping Notre Dame post 49 points and 606 total yards on offense.
He showed great maturity after evaluating his own performance and admitting how he needs to slide more.
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No answer for Equanimeous St. Brown
But in all reality, who does? St. Brown returns as Notre Dame’s best wide receiver after posting nine touchdowns, sixth in the nation among underclassmen.
Four catches for 80 yards last week lead the Irish. He will, without a doubt, be Wimbush’s best friend/safety net, being ND’s top target.
Georgia cornerbacks, Malkom Parrish and DeAndre Baker had two INT’s each last season. But, Parrish will likely still be out due to a foot injury.
The secondary for Georgia gives Notre Dame’s receivers a huge advantage, literally. A normal situation the Irish find themselves in, they stand much taller than most corners. St. Brown comes in at 6-5, Chase Claypool measures 6-4, and Miles Boykin stands 6-4.
This advantage could mean for the makings of a big game for St. Brown as Wimbush continues to get comfortable.
The Run
It’s no secret, Notre Dame’s bread and butter will be the run this year. Three players rushed for over 100 yards against Temple.
But, 422 total rushing yards is something you can’t expect them to repeat constantly.
Yes, Georgia did hold Appalachian State to 136 rushing yards. But can they handle the one-two punch of Josh Adams and Dexter Williams? It might take a while to find a team that can; especially when you throw in the x-factor of Wimbush scrambling.
Another factor for the Bulldogs to worry about: as much talent as the two backs bring, it’s not just them. A lot of the success of the running game is going to be thanks to the offensive line. You could drive a truck through the holes this line can open up.
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All factors included, it could be too much for Georgia’s defense to handle. It might be a tall task for Notre Dame to repeat the numbers they put up against Temple, but it might be an even taller task to find a team who could stop them.