Wimbush Let Emotions Go In Win Over FSU
Brandon Wimbush made four right turns since week four and became the starting quarterback on Saturday for Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pounder tossed three touchdowns in the first half against Florida State as he led the Irish to an emotional 42-13 win after stepping in for the injured Ian Book.
“I was in class and got a text from Coach (Tom) Rees,” Wimbush recalled. “It said ‘I need to see you asap.’ I thought it can’t be good because he never texts me that. I headed over there after class, and he informed me about what was going on with Ian. He told me I had to step up this week and I was ready to do whatever the team needed me to do.
“Ian was right next to me. He sat with me the entire week, and nothing changed. It was an easy week.”
It might sound strange to hear Book and Wimbush are so close but the two are truly good friends, and Rees has molded the strength of the relationship.
“That guy has been through everything you can experience at the quarterback position here,” said Wimbush. “He’s helped me and led the entire quarterback room. He has the experience, knowledge, and wisdom to help us succeed on and off the field.”
The opportunity was one Wimbush had stayed ready for as the senior never complained or showed disappointment openly, which is something Notre Dame fans had seen from previous quarterbacks in his situation.
“I was pretty stoked to get this opportunity,” explained Wimbush. “I did this one for my brothers. We’ve been working since January. We have put in so much work together. I owed it to them to go out and perform to get this win.”
Of course, Wimbush was disappointed when Brian Kelly decided to move to Book after the Irish started 3-0 and the New Jersey let his emotions go as he ran on the field to meet his mother.
“It was really emotional,” stated Wimbush.”The six weeks were tough, but they were inspiring. They did something to me. It allowed me to work through adversity and gave me a different perspective. I was able to support the team and then to come out here today, the emotion showed.
“I focused on developing myself over the last six weeks. I took it personally to develop the fundamentals.”
The Irish scored 32 points in the first half, and Wimbush enjoyed running a different offense that was completely different than the first three weeks of the season.
“It’s a testament to Ian making these guys confident,” Wimbush said of the growth of the offense. “I don’t think I came back to a better offense. I think I came back to the offense that was here and these guys have 10 weeks under their belt. Things are rolling. It’s great to have Dexter back there, and he had a hell of a night. It was awesome.”
With Book expected back for Syracuse, Wimbush will continue to prepare and do whatever he can to get the Irish to the College Football Playoff.
“It’s just the room we have,” said Wimbush. “The guys who are in the quarterback room - it’s something special. We support each other. We know there is more to life than football and I think that’s a huge spark between the two of us. I support him, and he supports me when things get tough.”
