Notre Dame QB Everett Golson Must Cut Down On Turnovers For Fighting Irish
By Nick Wilder
@NickCWilder
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
As Notre Dame continues to prepare for its matchup with Louisville on Saturday, quarterback Everett Golson should have one thing on his mind – protecting the football.
The Fighting Irish are on a two-game losing streak, which has crushed their College Football Playoff hopes, and one of the main reasons behind their struggles has been inconsistent decision-making from their signal caller in recent weeks.
To start the season, Golson was phenomenal for the Fighting Irish and was even considered by some to be a dark horse Heisman candidate. Through Notre Dame’s first three games, Golson committed zero turnovers. The team began the year with six-straight victories, and he was a significant reason for their success.
However, Brian Kelly has seen his team lose three out of its last four games, with turnovers repeatedly killing the Fighting Irish. It’s fair to say that if the team, specifically Golson, had taken better of the football, they’d still be in the College Football Playoff discussion.
Notre Dame has committed a total of 23 turnovers through 10 games, with 22 of those coming in their last seven outings. They are currently tied for 75th in the nation in turnovers lost, and luckily the team only has a minus-two turnover margin thanks to their opportunistic defense. Golson in particular has contributed 19 turnovers to the team’s total.
The Fighting Irish’s opponent on Saturday, the Cardinals, have been one of the best teams in the nation in terms of controlling and forcing turnovers as they own a plus-seven turnover margin. Louisville is also tied for 19th in the country in average turnover margin per game (.7).
The turnover battle is always critical in deciding the outcome of games, but it will be intriguing to see if Golson and his team can protect the football against an excellent turnover-managing team in this matchup on Saturday between Notre Dame and Louisville. It should be the No. 1 priority for the Fighting Irish as they look to get back on track with a win.
Nick Wilder is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickCWilder and add him to your network on Google.
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