Notre Dame Football Grades: Offense vs. Boston College
By Andrew Hall
The Notre Dame football team regained its momentum against Boston College on Saturday. The Irish rushed for 515 yards, the most since 1969. Here are the grades for Notre Dame’s performance against the Eagles.
B. . QB. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. BRANDON WIMBUSH
Brandon Wimbush set a Notre Dame rushing record for a Quarterback with 207 yards. Normally, setting a record would be grounds to give a player or position group an ‘A’. If Wimbush was judged solely on his running ability, an ‘A’ would definitely be deserved.
However, Wimbush failed miserably in the passing game. He only completed 11 of his 24 passes for 96 yards. Yes, some of the receivers dropped a few passes. They did not run great routes either. If the receivers correct some of these mistakes, Wimbush might connect on 14 of those 24 passes. A 58% completion percentage is still below average for a Division 1 Quarterback.
Going forward, Wimbush needs to develop his passing game. If he cannot, teams with solid defenses can take away his ability to run. This leads to Wimbush and the Notre Dame offense only putting up 19 points like they did against Georgia.
A. . Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. RUNNING BACKS
The trio of Josh Adams, Tony Jones Jr. and Dexter Williams along with Wimbush plowed through the Eagle defense to the tune of 515 yards. Junior Running Back Josh Adams rushed for 229 yards on 18 carries. Fellow Junior Dexter Williams added 50 yards on only 6 carries.
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There is not much to critique about the performance of the Running Backs. Adams exploded for several huge runs. Boston College defenders did catch him from behind on each of those runs. His top end speed may be questionable but his ability to hit the hole quickly is his strength.
Williams showed a burst of speed when he was finally inserted in the game at Running Back. He simply needs to play more. Not over Josh Adams or even 10 carries. He needs to receive about 5 to 10 carries per game that do not occur in garbage time.
. Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. WIDE RECEIVERS. F
Notre Dame’s Wide Receivers combined for 3 catches for 11 yards against Boston College. This horrendous performance is not completely their fault. Some of the blame definitely goes to Wimbush. Regardless, the Wide Receivers do not get separation from the defenders, which leaves the Quarterback sitting and waiting in the pocket.
The position group possesses the talent. Equanimeous St. Brown is one of the best Wide Receivers in the country. However, if teams know he is the only threat, they will do whatever they can to take St. Brown out of the game. Notre Dame needs someone to step up desperately
C+. . Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. TIGHT ENDS
The Notre Dame Tight Ends played a decent game on Saturday. Alize Mack and Durham Smythe were the only players who truly figured into the Irish passing attack. Breaking out of a slump, Mack caught 5 passes for 43 yards. Smythe added 33 yards on 1 reception.
The Tight Ends blocked extremely well in running game. For example, on the Adam’s long run on 3rd and 2 in the 1st Quarter, both Smythe and Mack sealed the defenders to the inside, opening up a huge hole.
A. . Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. OFFENSIVE LINE
After a poor performance and a slow start to Saturday’s game, the Offensive Line overpowered and wore down the Boston College defense. As stated before, the offense rushed for 515 yards. Any Offensive Line who plows the way to such a successful afternoon deserves praise. In addition, Wimbush was not sacked. Considering a future 1st Round Defensive End was on the field, this feat is impressive.
B-. . ALL. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. OFFENSE
Despite scoring 49 points, the Irish offense underachieved in this game. The dominant run performance covered up the fact that Notre Dame cannot throw the ball effectively. Wimbush and the receivers have the talent to be a potent combination. Both Wimbush and the receiver group need to play up to their potential by the time Notre Dame faces USC.
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