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Notre Dame Football: Studs and duds from 2019 season

By Dante Pryor

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 30: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish wait to run on to the field for their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 30: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish wait to run on to the field for their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Stud: Ian Book

Ian Book caught a lot of criticism this year. Some warranted and some undeserved. This certainly isn’t a defense of Book, but the reality of him.

Here’s the truth about Book and the quarterback position at Notre Dame: if former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush could complete 60 percent of his passes, Book never sees the field. This isn’t at all a slight on Ian, but the truth about how great an athlete Wimbush was and his arm talent. The issue was Wimbush couldn’t read the entire field and wasn’t accurate.

Enter Book. His strength — as highlighted last season — is his capability to get the ball to his playmakers.

Despite not having elite talent around him, Book had an outstanding season completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 3,039 yards, 34 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Not only that, he was second on the team in rushing with 567 yards and four touchdowns running for 5.2 yards per carry.

Book delivered when he needed to in big moments this season. Most importantly, he didn’t cost his team games. Book’s leadership and grit was a huge factor in their 11-win season.

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