Blue and Gold Illustrated

Oct 29, 2018

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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6 OCT. 29, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY BRYAN DRISKELL N otre Dame made it through the first half of the season with a per‑ fect 6‑0 record, climbing up to No. 5 in the polls. The Fighting Irish de‑ feated three teams that were ranked at the time of the game. Blue & Gold Illustrated hands out grades for the various position groups through the halfway point of the season. The grading scale: ***** National Title **** Top 10 *** Top 25 ** Too Unproven * Major Concern QUARTERBACK Senior Brandon Wimbush was in‑ strumental in Notre Dame's season‑ opening victory over Michigan, using his arm and legs to make plays against the Wolverines' vaunted defense. Wimbush put up good numbers in the win over Ball State (297 pass‑ ing yards), but his three interceptions stalled the offense. He was impactful on the ground in the win over Vander‑ bilt, but his inability to do damage in the pass game kept the points down. With the offense unable to score more than 24 points in each of its first three games, the staff decided to make a change at quarterback. Junior Ian Book stepped into the lineup in week four and produced immediately. He passed for 325 yards and accounted for five touchdowns in the 56‑27 blowout victory over Wake Forest. Book was on again the next week, passing for four scores to go with 278 yards to lead the Irish to a 38‑17 beat down of Stanford. Book was not quite as sharp in the 45‑23 win at Virginia Tech, but he still passed for 271 yards two scores. Grade: ***½ RUNNING BACK No position on offense had more questions surrounding it heading into the season than the running backs. Only junior Tony Jones Jr. began the season at the position with any expe‑ rience. The depth consisted of Jones and a pair of sophomores — converted wide receiver Jafar Armstrong and converted quarterback Avery Davis. Jones was solid in the win over Michigan, but the newcomers com‑ piled only 32 yards on 17 attempts, which is why Wimbush was needed. The unit began to break out in the victory over the Commodores, with Jones racking up 118 rushing yards and hauling in two passes for 56 yards. His 32‑yard fourth‑quarter re‑ ception set up a touchdown that gave the Irish a two‑score lead. When Dexter Williams returned, the backfield ignited, with the senior setting a career high with 161 yards in the win over Stanford. He took his first carry of the season 45 yards for a game‑opening touchdown. His new single‑game best didn't last long, with Williams rushing for 178 yards — including a 97‑yard score — a week later in the win over the Hokies. Grade: *** WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END The wide receivers were up and down throughout the first half of the season. The unit accounted for 13 drops in the first four games, and its blocking was erratic. In the final two games of the first half, the receivers and tight ends combined for just two drops, and the downfield blocking was a huge part of the run game success. Senior Miles Boykin had his first 100‑yard game of the season in a week two victory over Ball State, hauling in six passes for 119 yards. Over the next two games Boykin caught just two passes for 20 yards, but he was dominant in wins over Stanford and Virginia Tech. Boykin set career‑high marks with 11 receptions for 144 yards against the Cardinal, and a week later he caught another eight passes for 117 yards against the Hokies. Senior Chris Finke has been Notre Dame's most consistent wideout, and only Boykin's 9.5 yards per target bested Finke's 9.3 mark. Of receivers to be targeted at least 10 times, Finke had the team's best rating (164.28) when targeted. Notre Dame's tight ends combined for 30 catches, 285 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the first half of the season. Grade: ***½ UNDER THE DOME MAKING THE GRADE The Fighting Irish receive high marks for the first half of the season, but there is room for improvement Senior wide receiver Miles Boykin has come on strong as the season has progressed, and had 28 receptions for 428 yards (15.3 per catch) and three touchdowns through six games. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL

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