Notre Dame Football: Top Storylines vs Iowa State
The Last Chapter of Ian Book?
After the collapse vs Michigan, most Irish fans were ready for the Phil Jurkovic era to begin. Leading up to that abysmal performance in The Big House, Book’s play had left a lot to be desired all season long. Overlooking his semi-inflated stats from the two scrimmage games vs Bowling Green and New Mexico State, his play was not getting the job done, and Notre Dame’s offense was struggling for it.
The following week vs Virginia Tech did not look any better, and with the length of the field to go and only a few minutes left in the game, Notre Dame needed a touchdown to avoid a second straight loss and the season completely slipping away from them.
The season really did rest in the balance of Book’s arm (and legs) — and with 29 seconds left in the game, Book scampered 7 yards for the game-winning touchdown and helped the Irish escape with a 21-20 victory.
At the time, many hoped those late game heroics would have a lasting impact on Book and the offense, giving them some confidence moving forward.
Those hopes turned into reality, as Notre Dame scored 38, 52, 40, and 45 points the following four weeks, with Ian Book leading that charge throwing for almost 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns.
With the late season resurgence of Book, it seems more likely that he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. If that is the case, this Saturday will be the final chapter of the Ian Book era. It was an era that was fittingly born vs LSU in the 2017 Citrus Bowl in the very same stadium the Irish will play in on Saturday.
It was an era that brought us a 19-3 record as a starter, an undefeated regular season, and a College Football Playoff appearance. Through the highs of 2018 and the frustrations and inconsistencies of 2019, No. 12 has handled everything thrown at him in stride, and will leave Notre Dame as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in program history after just two years of being the starter.
He will finish 6th on the school’s career passing yards list, and is four touchdown tosses away from having the 3rd most career touchdown passes in Notre Dame history. His 33 touchdown passes in 2019 currently sits as the second most in a season by an Irish quarterback, just four away from tying Brady Quinn’s 37 from 2006.
If this Saturday is indeed Ian Book’s last game commanding a Notre Dame offense, it has been an absolute pleasure to see the success he and this team has had over the last two years. Hopefully the Ian Book era can end on a high note after this Saturday, and regardless of the outcome, I will appreciate watching this last chapter write itself out.