Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1293421
22 OCT. 10, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY PATRICK ENGEL H ead coach Brian Kelly knows what fifth-year senior quar- terback Ian Book isn't, but nonetheless referred to him as that very object. Because it's what he has been so far this year, by virtue of game planning. Manager. Kelly is steadfast in his belief in Book, Notre Dame's third-year start- ing quarterback, and his ability to help the Irish win. Through two games this year, they haven't needed to turn to him. "I thought he managed our offense very well," Kelly said after a 52-0 win against South Florida. "He's not a manager, but he managed the things that we asked him to do." Kelly has asked him to complete the easy throws and take a back seat to a running game emphasis and shift under first-year offensive coor- dinator Tommy Rees. The first two weeks of the season were primarily about transitioning into the outside zone running scheme as the base of the rushing attack. The offen- sive line and running backs' comfort operating it has visibly grown. Notre Dame averaged 5.6 yards per carry, excluding sacks. Taking out scrambles and sacks, Notre Dame called runs on 77 plays and passes the other 62. Book, meanwhile, was 31-of-50 passing for 407 yards with one touch- down and one interception. He was averaging 8.14 yards per pass — good numbers for a manager, indeed. But something feels missing. Dive in a bit more: Book is 7 of 16 on passes 10 or more yards downfield, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). The total stands out as much as the completion rate. Notre Dame isn't asking him to take shots very often. And the success has been sporadic. The connection between him and the wide receivers has been as strong as a one-bar WiFi signal. So far, just 27.0 percent of his yardage has come from wideouts. He targeted the three starters a combined four times in the opener. Only one receiver ranks among Notre Dame's top four in re- ceptions — junior Joe Wilkins Jr. with four for 39 yards — and yards. Sepa- ration has been a problem. After a season opener in which Book completed one pass 20-plus yards downfield and misfired on a few others, he and Kelly were quick to point to lost practice time as a det- riment to gaining reps with a host of new skill position players. Notre Dame lost its top three pass catchers from 2019, after all. Its highest-upside wide receiver, junior Kevin Austin, is out until October. Its fastest, ju- nior Braden Lenzy, didn't play in the opener because of a hamstring issue. The result from all those maladies is limited downfield ability and a reliance on scheme to open it up. Not an indicator of a high ceiling. Asking how long Notre Dame can continue winning with its current passing setup is a two-part question. How long can the Irish actually get away with it? And should they try to Fifth-year senior quarterback Ian Book completed 31 of 50 throws for 407 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Notre Dame's first two games this season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS MANAGING WITHOUT Notre Dame's passing attack was not asked to do a lot the first two games, but is that sustainable?