Notre Dame Football: Hopes for Book and Jurkovec in the Blue and Gold Game

Ahead of Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game Saturday, what improvements are we hoping to see from each of Notre Dame Football’s top two quarterbacks?

Even though it feels like the Notre Dame football team ended the 2018 campaign yesterday, the 2019 Notre Dame football season is right around the corner. The first true sign of an opening day on the horizon is the yearly Blue and Gold game which will be played this coming Saturday.

The game offers fans the first glimpse of what the new Irish squad might look like after saying goodbye to those who have graduated or declared for the draft. The Blue and Gold game is also an opportunity to take a better look at various positions within the confines of Kelly’s system, something not easy to assess in any holistic way through practice clips. And as per the usual, the quarterback position is one that will come under much scrutiny come Saturday.

There is certainly no lack of competitive spirit at the quarterback position. But barring any major changes, Notre Dame knows who their starting quarterback will be when they take the field against Louisville on September 2nd. Ian Book led Notre Dame to their first ever College Football Playoff berth, and there is not indication that he will not be the starter come opening day,

Equally as certain is Notre Dame’s backup quarterback situation. Phil Jurkovec is firmly entrenched in this role. Jurkovec was redshirted in his freshman year, utilizing the new rule to maintain his four years of eligibility while also allowing him to appear against Wake Forest and Florida State.

Even though the quarterback depth chart is rather solidified as the Irish head into the 2019 season, there are still adjustments that must be made by both these quarterbacks if Notre Dame wants to compete for a national title.

Let’s take a look at what we should be looking for in the way of signs of improvement from Ian Book and Phil Jurkovec during the Blue and Gold game this weekend.