Notre Dame Football: Book nearly perfect in 2018 starting debut

Here are three takeaways from Notre Dame football’s 56-27 win over Wake Forest in quarterback Ian Book’s first start of the 2018 season.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has found himself in a difficult spot after a string of poor outings from starter Brandon Wimbush, opting to start Ian Book in the team’s first road game this season. While Wimbush has never been known to be much of a passing threat, it was his 2.8 YPC average that made the quarterback switch an easier decision.

It only took a few drives for this decision to look like a success. However, the decision began to look season-altering by the end of the game. Book was crisp throughout, leading a balanced offensive attack while minimizing mistakes. It’s important to temper expectation considering upcoming matchups, but this start went about just as well as it could for Book.

Notre Dame needed a big win after posting three-straight one-score victories to start the season. The game against Wake Forest was never that close, giving Irish fans the chance to exhale after a season full of nail-biters to this point.

With a development as significant as a quarterback change, there’s plenty of subject matter to discuss. Here are three takeaways from the Irish’s latest victory over ACC competition.