Brandon Wimbush Evaluates Spring Game Performance
Brandon Wimbush said the Notre Dame offense “looked the part” during Saturday’s spring game.
The Irish junior quarterback, in his first year as a starter, did not set any records with his performance. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 303 yards to go along with two interceptions. Several drives ended with field goals by senior walk-on Sam Kohler.
He said he “played within the system,” a new offense now under the direction of offensive coordinator Chip Long.
“We’re growing and we’re in a process,” Wimbush said. “It’s delayed gratification that comes with it. We’re going through this thing as a team. We finished up spring on a high note on all sides of the ball.”
Wimbush also carried 13 times and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Playing in a red non-contact jersey against the first-team defense, Wimbush was sacked seven times.
He led the offense down the field for a touchdown on the first drive of the game, capped by a 25-yard run by junior running back Josh Adams.
After a three-and-out on the second drive, Wimbush was intercepted by sophomore safety Jalen Elliott on the third drive. Wimbush was trying to fit a pass into junior tight end Alize Mack. Junior safety Nick Coleman broke it up and deflected it into Elliott’s hands.
Wimbush was then intercepted early in the second quarter by senior cornerback Nick Watkins on a pass intended for junior wideout Miles Boykin in the end zone.
Head coach Brian Kelly was asked about Wimbush’s “struggles” during the spring game. The eighth-year coach disagreed with the notion that Wimbush had a subpar game.
“I don't know, characterizing struggling — I mean, he's learning our offense. He's learning the reads,” Kelly said. “…Every snap that he takes gets him closer to prepared for where we want him. I don't think we rate him as struggling versus playing superior football, as much as this is just the learning process for him; that he continues to learn every single day."
Wimbush handled the questions thrown his way with ease afterwards. Though he’d playing in spring games before and appeared in several games as a freshman in 2015, being the No. 1 quarterback added to his excitement Saturday.
To be out there full time with the other guys and be in charge of the offense and demand things of the guys, I enjoyed it,” Wimbush said.
Kelly stood behind the offense, allowing Long to call the plays. He watched as Wimbush handled the ups and downs of the day, from long completions to Mack and Boykin to the interceptions.
“I loved everything that happened to him today,” Kelly said of Wimbush. “It's how you take it, right. He's just wide-eyed, listening, paying attention and just totally committed to the process of getting better. And that's really what I think about more so than trying to label whether they played really well or they didn't play really well.”
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