Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions vs. New Mexico in Week 3
By Jacob Wilson
3. Ian Book combines for 500 total yards
Senior Ian Book looked particularly antsy in the pocket against Louisville, especially for a quarterback who enjoyed so much success in 2018. Book was quick to look for a way out despite fairly routine offensive line play, getting himself into a few dangerous situations along the way.
Needless to say, that kind of performance likely doesn’t fly against a team like Georgia. Therefore, Kelly will more than likely be letting his quarterback loose against the Lobos, a matchup that should serve as somewhat of a confidence builder if nothing else.
One of the main differences between offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offense under Brandon Wimbush and Book was the latter’s propensity for blowing out teams rather than just barely doing enough to get by. With Book under center once again, look for the California native to flirt with career highs as the offense looks to further iron out any remaining kinks in Week 3.
Book came closest to 500 total yards in a road matchup with Northwestern last season, passing for 343 yards while adding 56 on the ground. The Northwestern defense held their own at points in that game, so there’s potential for Book to far surpass that total as he takes on a much more porous defense this weekend.