Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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62 NOV. 12, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED I n 1969, the 100th anniversary of college football, former Notre Dame Four Horseman and 1934-40 head coach Elmer Layden had his biography It Was A Different Game published. Just as the title indicates, a good portion of the book was devoted to the enormous changes in football in the nearly 50 years since he first started playing the sport. The same applies in the 50 years from 1969 to today. It is a vastly different game, espe- cially when it comes to passing attacks. Back in that same 1969 year, Notre Dame star junior quarter- back Joe Theismann attempted only 219 passes in 11 games — and an astronomical 18 were intercepted, or one per 12 pass attempts. Such numbers today among passers would be castigated as egre- gious incompetence. But it was a dif- ferent game back then with a differ- ent context and parameters to what constituted efficiency. The most celebrated quarterback in the game in 1969 was Broadway Joe Namath, who had just led his New York Jets to a shocking upset of Baltimore in the Super Bowl. Yet in that game, the Jets scored one touch- down and 16 points, and in the regu- lar season Namath completed only 49.2 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Today, such data at quarterback would be mocked and vilified. We bring this up because of the assault that is now taking place on the Notre Dame passing standards in the record book — or should we say, Book. During Notre Dame's 8-0 start, ju- nior quarterback Ian Book was on a sizzling pace with his 76.5 percent completion rate (130 of 170) that led the country and was not far from the national record set 10 years ago by Texas' Colt McCoy 76.67 (see pages 6-7). Setting the single-season Notre Dame completion record the next year (2009) was Jimmy Clausen with a 68.0 mark (289 of 425). Clausen that year also eclipsed the 60-year pass ef- ficiency standard set by Bob Williams for the 1949 national champions, with Clausen's 161.42 rating eking past Williams' 161.37 (when rounded off, both would be at 161.4). Book is on pace to set a new stan- dard in both categories at Notre Dame, but there is still a ways to go. To perhaps a younger legion of fol- lowers, such statistical outputs pro- vide evidence that Book or Clausen are the greatest ever to take the throt- tle at quarterback at Notre Dame. It also reminds me of how in my teen years in the 1970s I took umbrage to how Notre Dame faithful from the 1940s stated 1947 Heisman winner Johnny Lujack was a much better quarterback than 1977 national title savior Joe Montana. How could they state something so ridiculous, I thought? In his last two seasons (1946-47), Lujack threw for only 777 and 778 yards, while Mon- tana had totals of 1,604 and 2,010 in the regular season. Montana also had a better career completion percent- age (53.5 to 52.6) and nearly doubled the passing and rushing touchdowns (33 to 17) in their last two respective seasons. It wasn't until later I recognized the games were different, including Lujack also playing defense. Through the years, I discovered even more what a silly under- taking it is to compare a game from bygone eras to the one to- day. Most of the pass percent- age and efficiency stats will be far greater today than 40 or 50 years ago because of the way the game is played with shorter, higher-percentage passing at- tacks that began in the 1980s, rules changes, etc. That is why as valuable as se- nior Brandon Wimbush was to last season's No. 11 finish and earning the game ball with his wonderful athletic gifts in the 24-17 opener this year against an outstanding, veteran Michi- gan defense, Notre Dame had to rise to a higher level than the 49.5 percent completion level he had last year, or even the more respectable 55.3 figure he had this season. Wimbush this year actually topped the career marks of past luminaries/ national title quarterbacks such as Tom Clements (54.1), Montana (52.0), Tony Rice (48.5) — and even 1993 No. 2 NFL pick Rick Mirer (54.0). Does that make him better than all? Timing is everything, too. Had Ara Parseghian arrived at Notre Dame in 1962, Daryle Lamonica would have been the likely Heisman win- ner. Instead, third-team senior John Huarte had to wait until 1964 when Parseghian took the reins. Pass percentage is not everything, and oftentimes can be overrated. It is also a different game than what it used to be. Comparing and measuring quar- terbacks — be it Lujack in the 1940s, Theismann and Montana in the 1970s or Book in the present — can be a misleading endeavor and folly. Far more important is recognizing the value each has or can provide to bring out the best in himself and his teammates during his own era. ✦ Different Eras Often Reveal A Different Game THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has been at Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 1985. He can be reached at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Notre Dame legend Joe Theismann's numbers from his era cannot be equated with the way the game is played today. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA