Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan shines in Shrine Bowl
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan had one final opportunity to impress NFL scouts in a game-like environment during the Shrine Bowl this week in Las Vegas. By all accounts, it could not have gone better.
After four days of practice, during which Coan was named the practice player of the week for his team’s quarterback group, the former Wisconsin quarterback and Notre Dame graduate transfer came out on fire on Thursday night.
He completed five of his first six passes, including beginning the game with two completions of 17 and 18 yards. While his team ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the goal line on their initial drive, Coan led the group down the field with poise and confidence.
Ultimately, Coan led the West Team for just two drives, going 10-for-13 for 91 yards and a 1-yard touchdown pass to Oregon State’s Teagan Quitoriano. The teams were not allowed to kick extra points, so Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin took the ball in for the two-point conversion, giving the West an early 8-0 lead.
They kept that advantage for the remainder of the game, although the East made a late push. The final score was 25-24 in favor of Coan’s squad.
Coan led his team in both pass attempts and yardage. Iowa State’s Brock Purdy, who took over for Coan on that third drive, went 3-for-7 with 17 yards, while Kansas State’s Skylar Thompson was 6-for-9 with 76 yards and a touchdown pass.
While the West got the win, both game MVPs came from the opposing sideline. Brown quarterback and Boston College transfer EJ Perry was the game’s offensive MVP after throwing for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Diego Fagot of Navy was the game’s defensive MVP. He had seven tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. Fagot had seven tackles and a quarterback hurry against the Irish in November.
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Did Coan improve his NFL Draft stock?
He certainly didn’t hurt it.
Most NFL Draft projections had Coan on the outside looking in before Thursday night’s contest, and he made a solid argument during the Shrine Bowl that he is worth a late-round look.
In addition to an impressive stat line, the game commentators spent a sizable portion of the game recapping the practices of the week. They could not stop talking about Coan, his maturity and his ability to quickly pick up on topics whilst surrounded by a new coaching staff and an offense with different faces than he had at both Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
Tagovailoa-Amosa impressed throughout the week
Coan was joined in Las Vegas by Notre Dame defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. He, too, impressed those on hand in Nevada. Ahead of the game, an ESPN article touted Tagovailoa-Amosa as a player to watch after an impressive practice effort.
“With plenty of physicality in his game, Tagovailoa-Amosa had several highlight-worthy moments throughout the week, notably during the team session in which he split a double team in route to what would have been a tackle for loss in the backfield,” said Jordan Reid, an ESPN writer.
The full defensive statistics have not yet been made available, but Tagovailoa-Amosa had an impressive hurry against Perry in the second half on Thursday night.
