Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 NOV. 16, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME 50 Passes: A Warning Sign When senior quarterback Ian Book ran in for the game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in the 21-20 victory versus Virginia Tech Nov. 2, it made possible the first victory in Notre Dame history in which a Fighting Irish quarterback reached 50 passes. Book finished 29 of 53 through the air for 341 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Previ- ously, the Irish had been 0-10 in games with 50-plus passes: 63 —Terry Hanratty vs. Purdue, 1967: Lost 28-21 The junior completed 29, but also had four intercepted. 60 — Brady Quinn vs. Michigan State, 2005: Lost 44-41 in overtime Completed 33 and helped the Irish rally from a 38-17 deficit to put the game into overtime. 59 — Brady Quinn vs. Purdue, 2003: Lost 23-10 Despite having future NFL running backs Julius Jones and Ryan Grant, the freshman Quinn's first career start saw him air it out with 29 completions and 297 yards, while absorbing 15 hits and 14 knockdowns. 58 — Joe Theismann at USC, 1970: Lost 38-28 In a monsoon for the 9-0 Irish he com- pleted 33 for a school-record 526 yards, but also had four interceptions and lost a wet ball in his own end zone for a USC score. 55 — Dayne Crist at Michigan State, 2010: Lost 34-31 in overtime Completed 32 passes for 369 yards, four touchdowns and only one inter- ception in head coach Brian Kelly's third game at Notre Dame. 54 — Tommy Rees vs. Tulsa, 2010: Lost 28-27 Replacing an injured Crist, the fresh- man completed 33 passes for 334 yards, four touchdowns and three intercep- tions. 52 — Everett Golson at Florida State, 2014: Lost 31-27 Brilliant effort versus No. 2 Seminoles saw him complete 31 for 313 yards and three scores — but a fourth touchdown with seconds remaining was erased by a controversial call. 52 — Brady Quinn vs. Florida State, 2003: Lost 37-0 The freshman completed only 20 for 175 yards and three interceptions in this whitewash. 51 — Tommy Rees at Michigan, 2013: Lost 41-30 Senior completed 29 for 314 yards, two scores and two interceptions. 51 — Jimmy Clausen vs. Navy, 2009: Lost 23-21 His 37 completions (for 452) yards is a single-game record, but the Irish failed to score four times in the red zone, including an interception and a fumble at the 1-yard line by Clausen, who also was sacked for a safety. — Lou Somogyi QUARTERBACK INTANGIBLES Recruiting quarterbacks is not just assess- ing physical skills, but personality traits that include how fragile one's psyche can be. The spotlight at Notre Dame especially can be overwhelming at times, especially after a loss, so dealing with that is a crucial intangible. "If you lose your confidence here as a quar- terback, you can't play quarterback at Notre Dame," head coach Brian Kelly stated. "There is just so much noise. So in the recruiting pro- cess, it's … making sure that you vet that out — what kind of personality does he have, what are his traits, his makeup. Can he handle the noise? "Watching a guy throw the ball around in seven-on-sevens is one thing. Can they handle all that is encompassing with this position here at Notre Dame is much more important." Part of the appeal in signing senior Ian Book was recognizing his mental toughness. Beginning with the 2018 Citrus Bowl victory versus LSU and continuing with the 18-play, 87-yard touchdown drive versus Virginia Tech in which he ran for the winning score with 29 seconds left, he's directed three fourth- quarter comeback wins, and also long, game- clinching drives at Northwestern in 2018 and USC in 2019. After dealing with a brutal week of criti- cism following the 45-14 Michigan defeat on Oct. 26, Book and his cohorts on offense might have experienced a seminal moment. "He's gone through the worst of it," Kelly said of the backlash from the Michigan game. "This should be a great launching pad for him to go out and really be excited about playing and play with great confidence." Also noted by Kelly is that while No. 2 quar- terback Phil Jurkovec, a sophomore, had his confidence rattled last spring, he matured through the summer and in August camp to the point where he's "showing that he's ca- pable of leading this football team." — Lou Somogyi WIN: WHAT'S IMPORTANT NOW Although there were tentative plans to redshirt senior Donte Vaughn this year to aid a rebuilding cornerback corps in 2020, the more pressing matter is to win in the here and now. Thus, Vaughn started against Virginia Tech, his fifth contest this season, which makes him unable to apply for a fifth season. Fellow cornerback Troy Pride Jr. also will be out of eligibility, and fifth-year senior cornerback Shaun Crawford might be leaving the door open to apply for a sixth season. "We wanted [Vaughn] to play, he wanted to play, so we were both on the same page for that," head coach Brian Kelly said. "We felt like Donte and Troy gave us the best chance of winning this year. "As for next year, we'll get to that when we get to that. There are a number of things you can do to help young [corners] from a defensive standpoint." Headlining the 2020 crew will be sophomore TaRiq Bracy, who has seen extensive work this year. However, the staff opted for man-to-man coverage against Virginia Tech and specifically had wanted the 6-3 Vaughn's length against Damon Hazelton, whereas Bracy is 5-10. — Lou Somogyi Ian Book's heroics against Virginia Tech marked the third fourth-quarter comeback that he has directed for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER Brady Quinn (2003-06) attempted more than 50 passes in a game on three occasions — all losses. He still ranks No. 1 all time in school history for career passing completions (929), attempts (1,602), yards (11,762) and touchdown passes (95). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS