Notre Dame Football: Kelly Is Right To Start Wimbush Over Book

Ian Book became a Notre Dame football hero when he pulled out a win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl.

As far as the starting quarterback job for Notre Dame football in 2018 goes, there is no controversy inside the locker room walls. Brandon Wimbush is the starter, regardless of what any Notre Dame fans or blogs desire.

Ian Book stepped in under center during the Citrus Bowl against LSU to replace a struggling Wimbush. The Irish won the game and Book was hailed as a hero. Thanks to Brandon Wimbush’s statistical struggles in the passing game during the 2017 season, many Notre Dame fans jumped to an immediate and premature conclusion that Book should supplant Wimbush as Notre Dame’s starter.

Here’s why those people are wrong.

Before stepping on the field in the Citrus Bowl, Ian Book had attempted a grand total of 56 passes during his collegiate career, completing 32 of them. That’s a 57 percent completion rate with a small sample size. He had also thrown two touchdowns and three interceptions. Just going by the eye test, Book is a capable scrambler, but nothing close to the danger Wimbush presents as a runner.

Book was facing an LSU defense that had not been preparing for a player or gameplan predicated on throwing the ball 19 times in a single half. The Tiger defense is your typical SEC defense, complete with a quick front seven that thrives on stopping the run. Book was always going to have the advantage in that regard, facing a defense that wasn’t ready for his strengths. It didn’t mean he was a better quarterback than Wimbush, just different.

Ian Book would go on to complete over 73 percent of his passes, going 14-of-19 for 164 yards. He tossed two touchdowns and one pick. Of those 164 yards, 55 of them and a touchdown came on the game-winner to Miles Boykin.

Book had a nice game and was instrumental in defeating LSU — no question. I believe, however, that many Irish fans perceived the moment to be bigger than it actually was due to a combination of the exciting finish and Wimbush’s first half struggles.

I also firmly believe there was a strong portion of Notre Dame fans happy to see Wimbush struggle the way he did in that first half just to support their already formed opinions about him.

One half does not a season make — that goes for both Wimbush and Book.

Brian Kelly is making the right choice by sticking with a record-setting dual-threat quarterback who takes care of the football. Kudos to him for not crumbling to fan and media pressure by starting an inexperienced backup who had moderate success in bowl game.