Brian Kelly reveals quarterback depth chart for Notre Dame’s game vs. Cincinnati

Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly has cleared up the question at quarterback heading into Week 5.

Last week was a good one for Notre Dame football. They defeated Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field in the Shamrock Series game. Defense stepped up in a big way and the offense took off in the fourth quarter to break the game open.

The biggest downside for Notre Dame was an early exit by quarterback Jack Coan due to a leg injury. Prior to his injury, Coan completed 16 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown against his former team. With Tyler Buchner injured, third-stringer Drew Pyne took over at quarterback and kept up the production with 81 yards and a touchdown on six completions.

Despite last week’s events, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly made it clear that he’s not interested in sidelining Coan out of precaution — as long as he “looks good” in practice.

Brian Kelly names Jack Coan starter for Notre Dame in big game against Cincinnati

Now 4-0 and ranked at No. 9 in the latest AP Top 25, the Irish will need their best quarterback as they head back home to host No.7 Cincinnati. The Bearcats are 3-0 and likely the most difficult team Notre Dame last left on their schedule, so the pressure is on Kelly to find a situation that can produce offense under duress.

It may be an interesting choice to stick with a starter that’s a little brittle coming off of an injury. Coan has already been sacked 19 times this year as his offensive line struggles to protect him. One big hit from Cincinnati could be disastrous for Coan, especially when his backups have shown their worth in his absence.

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