What a difference one offseason can make for a college athlete. Brandon Wimbush, the starting quarterback of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, silenced his doubters Saturday night in a very impressive performance against the Michigan Wolverines.

Just a few short months ago the Irish benched Wimbush during the Citrus Bowl after an abysmal start that saw him complete just three of his eight pass attempts for 52 yards. Then-sophomore quarterback Ian Book entered the game before throwing for 164 yards and two touchdowns as the team stormed back to beat LSU. The narrative was clear. Wimbush, a quarterback that the media had anointed all year as a bad passer, had been usurped by his understudy.

Fast forward to Sept. 1, 2018, and Wimbush looked like a player with a new lease on life. After beating out Book for the Week 1 starting job, Wimbush was the driving force for the Fighting Irish as they pushed past the Wolverines. Wimbush threw for 170 yards and one touchdown and added another 59 yards rushing. Those are staggering numbers against a defense that many have pegged as one of the top defenses in the nation.

What the Win Means

The victory will likely be the first of many if Notre Dame continues its strong level of play behind Wimbush. The Irish know exactly what this game means.

“It boosts it certainly,” said Wimbush when asked about what the win meant for the team’s confidence and momentum. “We were as confident as anybody coming into this game.”

The Irish improved to 4-0 against the Wolverines in nighttime openers, along with a 23-17 win in 1982, 19-17 victory in 1988 and 28-24 decision in 1990.

Wimbush and the Irish will host Ball State at home next week as they look to avoid a trap game. Another win will help to continue their march towards the college football playoffs. Join us Thursday as we preview the keys to the game.