Count notorious Notre Dame hater Desmond Howard among those on the Deshone Kizer hype train that is barreling full steam ahead this week on the heels of his six touchdown performance against Texas. Desmond called Kizer one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football in the clip above.
It’s hard to argue with Howard right now too. Even someone who touted Malik Zaire this summer like this humbled author can’t help but be really, really excited about the improvement shown by Kizer in Notre Dame’s loss to Texas. Kizer came in the second half with the Irish down 17 and didn’t blink. He brought the Irish all the way back to take the lead and without the missed targeting (sorry Big 12 officials but you’re full of it, it was targeting if there ever was one) he would have had a seventh touchdown.
For all the talk of Kizer’s touchdowns though, the thing I keep going back to is how he protected the football last week. Hopefully that’s not a jinx, but remember the careless protection of the football against Boston College? The forced passes into windows that were slammed shut? Or the costly fumble against Stanford at the end of the first half after Kizer’s spectacular run looked like it would give the Irish a chance at a field goal?
We did not see that against Texas. Kizer protected the football and put the Irish in the end-zone. Last year as a redshirt frosh Kizer only had three starts without a turnover – Pitt, Wake Forest, and USC. If he continues to protect the football and put the Irish in the end-zone, Kizer will prove Howard right in short order.
I think I need a shower after saying Desmond Howard might be right about something in short order. At the same time, it’s really fun watching Howard admit that a Notre Dame quarterback is one of the best in all of college football. I guess we’ll call it a wash.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
What does he know about winning the Heisman?
Wait a minute…