Georgia Tech quarterback Jordan Yates is expected to start Saturday at No. 8 Notre Dame, according to a person familiar with the situation. It will be Yates’ second start in a row after he was the starter against Boston College the previous Saturday in place of Jeff Sims, who was sidelined with his right foot in a protective boot. It will be Yates’ fifth start of the season and in his career.
In the 41-30 loss to Boston College, Yates led the Yellow Jackets to three touchdowns and a field goal. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also gained 76 yards, netting out at 47 with sack yardage. For the season, Yates has completed 69 of 109 passes (63.3%) for 739 yards with six touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Notre Dame was well aware of the possibility that Yates could be the starter.
“Yates is a spark, he’s a playmaker,” Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly said Thursday in a videoconference with Notre Dame media. “I think the thing with him is (if) he gets on the perimeter, he’s very difficult. You’ve got to keep him in the pocket. But he’s very game, he’s got moxie. Again, he’s not Sims in term of that explosiveness, but it’s a good 1-2 package.”
Kelly called the Jackets a team “that has really good football players on both sides of the ball.” He noted that the team’s 3-7 record might not indicate it, but noted the string of close losses and its 45-22 win over North Carolina.
“They’ve lost some games here, but this is a classic team that, if you do not pay them the due respect and you do not play well against them, they will beat you,” he said. “They get your attention.”
