Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1183432
18 NOV. 16, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI M aybe all the conversation about bye weeks is over‑ rated. Notre Dame had a bye the week before playing Michigan Oct. 26, yet was crushed by 31 points, 45‑14. Two weeks later, Duke had a bye the week prior to facing the Fighting Irish — and likewise was demolished by 31 points, 38‑7. The transitive property in mathe‑ matics also does not apply to football. Whereas Duke produced a 45‑10 victory at Virginia Tech earlier this season, the Hokies took Notre Dame to the wire on the road before los‑ ing 21‑20. Using that logic, the Blue Devils could be viewed as at least 34 points better than the Fighting Irish. However, in college football each week is its own entity, and Notre Dame dominated Duke from start to finish in the program's first trip to Durham, N.C., since 1961. The Irish outgained head coach David Cut‑ cliffe's team 469‑197 in total yards, and it wasn't even that close. Senior quarterback Ian Book pro‑ duced 320 yards of total offense, 181 through the air with four touch‑ downs and 139 on the ground, high‑ lighted by 45‑ and 53‑yard runs. Fifth‑year senior wide receiver Chris Finke snatched two touchdown passes and also had a 46‑yard punt re‑ turn to earn the game ball afterward. "This game was won at the line of scrimmage and controlling the line of scrimmage," head coach Brian Kelly said of Notre Dame's 288‑95 advan‑ tage in rushing. "And our quarter‑ back Ian Book deserves a lot of credit. He came out assertive, decisive. "… We utilized his ability to run against a team that runs a lot of cover one. We felt like that would be an as‑ set for him. It got him into the flow of the game." For the second week in a row, the Notre Dame defense permitted only one touchdown, and it recorded seven three‑and‑outs at Duke. "They have been really good all season," Kelly said of the defense. "We had one bad performance and certainly they rectified that with the way they've played the last couple of weeks. … Our defense has been pretty much there all year." FIRST QUARTER: NOTRE DAME, 14-0 Top Moment: With 8:02 remaining, Finke scored on an in cut from 18 yards on third‑and‑six for the game's first score to cap an 85‑yard drive in 10 plays. Crucial to the drive was that Duke had stopped the Irish on third‑and‑11 the previous play — but defensive end Drew Jordan was called offsides, giving Notre Dame a second chance. Feature Performer: The Book‑to‑ Finke combination during the touch‑ down drive converted two other third downs, a 14‑yard completion on third‑ and‑four from the Irish 21‑yard line, and then a 13‑yard connection on third‑ and‑10 from the Duke 35‑yard line. In between, senior wide receiver Chase Claypool snared a 30‑yard jump ball. Stats: Notre Dame's 25 plays netted 180 yards — 11 carries for 91 yards and 8‑of‑14 passing for 89 yards with two scores. Duke's 10 plays managed only 26 yards — 4‑of‑5 passing for 15 yards and five carries for 11 yards. Items: Duke's first two possessions ended with the Irish defense making the stop on third‑and‑two runs into the middle both times, and the third was the second three‑and‑out for the Blue Devils … After the second stop, Notre Dame drove 65 yards on five plays, highlighted by a 40‑yard run by sophomore running back Jahmir Smith … Book then found Claypool on a seven‑yard slant on third‑and‑ goal for the touchdown. SECOND QUARTER: NOTRE DAME, 21-7 Top Moment: A 45‑yard run by Book on a zone read — one play af‑ ter he scrambled 12 yards to mid‑ field — led to a two‑yard scoring run by sophomore running back C'Bo Flemister two plays later for a 21‑0 advantage with 7:58 remaining. Feature Performer: Book finished the first half 10‑of‑19 passing for 98 yards and added seven carries for 86 yards. Stats: Notre Dame at halftime had 273 total yards (175 rushing), while Duke had only 123 on 11‑of‑16 pass‑ ing for 79 yards plus 15 carries for 44 yards. Items: A 78‑yard catch and run by Finke was negated by a holding call on fifth‑year senior right guard Trevor Ruhland … A 22‑yard punt by the Irish to end that series then set up a two‑play, 39‑yard drive by Duke, with quarterback Quentin Har‑ ris connecting down the sideline to wideout Aaron Young on a 29‑yard touchdown with 2:55 left … Duke's last series of the half began at its own 49‑yard line after pass pressure by end Chris Rumph, including hitting Book's arm on the release, forced an errant, wobbly pass that linebacker Sheka Heyward intercepted … The drive ended when on the final play of the half Duke kicker AJ Reed missed wide right on a 44‑yard field‑goal attempt … The first two Duke series in the quarter were three‑and‑outs (making it four straight) while net‑ ting five yards. THIRD QUARTER: NOTRE DAME, 28-7 Top Moment: Trailing 21‑7, Duke began the second half by getting a first down at Notre Dame's 40‑yard line on a pass interference call off a fake punt. However, on the next play, Harris was intercepted by se‑ nior quarterback Troy Pride Jr. on a miscommunication in the route. Following that turnover, Notre Dame then drove 70 yards in eight plays, highlighted by back‑to‑back catches of 23 and 35 yards by Clay‑ pool before Finke snared the touch‑ DOMINANCE IN DURHAM Notre Dame takes control from the outset in 38-7 victory at Duke Senior quarterback Ian Book accounted for 320 yards of total offense and tossed four touchdowns passes to lead the way for a revitalized Fighting Irish offense. He led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 139 yards, including big runs of 53 and 45 yards. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN