Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2021 7 FAN FORUM With the news of Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan enrolling to likely take over starting quarterback duties at Notre Dame in 2021, one of the inquiries on BlueandGold.com was whether he would be an upgrade over three-year starter and dual-threat Ian Book, who helped the Irish to two College Football Playoff appearances in three years. Here were just a few responses: Mizzo37: Yes I do. Coan can anticipate WRs breaking routes with a pass that leads the wide receiver. His pocket presence is 100 percent better than Book's. His escaping abilities are not too bad. JohnnyH: He was consistently average at Wisconsin. He seems to be a great leader and very well liked, but the fan base wanted him out. There is a reason for that. Sound familiar? Minus the legs? I just think there are too many question marks right now. 8-5 or 9-4 is what I am seeing. CharlestonIrish25: I don't think he's "better," but he should offer something different. Lot of ifs here, but if the offensive line can be good enough to still let Williams and Tyree run wild, and a wide receiver or two emerge with a little more downfield ability, I think Coan opens up the deep passing game, especially off play action, that we didn't really get with Book. They'll need it, because he's not just picking up third-and-eight situations with his legs, like Book could do fairly consistently. He does move better than people think, though. PreTill1: As a pure passer, definitely. As a leader and in the clutch? Yet to be seen. Book made defenses focus on his running, typically forcing a defense to spy or play contain along the line instead of going all out in their rush. He couldn't stretch the field consistently, though. Now, defenses will not have to worry as much about the quarterback run so it can get after him more or drop more into coverage. They will have to re- spect the deep third more, though. We will see which one stresses a defense more. It is all give and take. I will always pick the better leader and heart over the better pure passer. Only time will tell regarding Coan's ability to lead this team next season. If we don't get better receiver play and more creativity in the scheme, Coan will be the next scapegoat for all that goes wrong. FROM THE WEBSITE JOIN THE CONVERSATION! GET A 60-DAY FREE TRIAL WITH CODE IRISH60 .com .com Our life plan community for those over the age of 62, provides residents with exceptional personalized services, a secure atmosphere and carefree luxury lifestyle – while making it possible to ease into further healthcare levels as needs change throughout retirement years. Jack Coan started all 14 games for Wisconsin in 2019, and threw for 2,727 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA/COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS