Brian Kelly Goes Off on Ian Book Again
WINSTON-SALEM, Due north.C. – Brian Kelly knew information technology was take chances. He decided not doing it was a greater risk.
In candor unusual for college football, the Notre Dame coach revealed the entire offseason was spent preparing quarterback Brandon Wimbush to beat Michigan. Which Wimbush did.
That was then. This was now.
After sputtering to beat Ball Land and Vanderbilt, the Fighting Irish gaelic benched their three-0 quarterback and started Ian Book. The motility worked. Worked? That's understating it.
Volume worked over Wake Forest 56-27 Sabbatum in a dominating operation that fabricated the Irish look like a 18-carat No. viii squad. The game was not as close as the score.
Book might non be national player of the week, just he will merit consideration. He completed 25-of-34 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for three TDs. An offense that could not generate more than than 24 points in three opening wins piled up 8 touchdowns and 566 yards.
The victory sent Notre Dame to iv-0 ahead of back-to-back opponents — No. 7 Stanford and at No. 10 Virginia Tech — that could make up one's mind whether information technology makes the four-squad Higher Football Playoff. The Irish volition exist clear favorites in every other game until they close Nov. 24 at Southern California.
Kelly said he "didn't sleep neat" Friday night in his Greensboro hotel room. That was a "pretty large decision" to brand, he best-selling.
"Nosotros weren't winning at a level that was going to allow us to proceed to win," he said. "We were putting too much stress on other parts of the functioning, especially the defense. We played 97 snaps against Ball Country. It was going to suspension. So it needed to get fixed now.
"It had nothing to exercise with Brandon in particular as much every bit how the criminal offence needed to be much more effective. That'due south it."
Kelly stopped short of saying the job belongs to Book. Kelly said what he always says, that Notre Matriarch needs both quarterbacks to win.
Yet it was difficult to reconcile that with how potent the Irish await with Volume, compared to what they looked like in scoring five touchdowns over the previous five halves. Book's ability to survey the field and locate intermediate receivers was something rarely seen from Wimbush.
Volume's passing makes defenses vulnerable elsewhere, as evidenced by Jafar Armstrong'south two first-half carries — one of 30 yards, one of xx. With Book, the Irish were better at Wake Forest'due south criminal offense — up-tempo — than Wake Woods was.
Book said he had a sense equally early on as Monday that something was different about the week.
"I don't know if I can actually say much about information technology," he said.
Kelly said Book took more reps as the practise week wore on and perhaps had a sense past Thursday that he would be the starter. That was never confirmed by Notre Dame until a Twitter post before showtime.
If Book is different from a year ago, Kelly said, information technology is more in physicality than in accuracy. Book led Notre Dame over North Carolina and LSU terminal season but didn't full as many passing yards (310) in those ii wins every bit he did on one hot afternoon in Winston-Salem.
Book netted 43 yards in 10 rushing attempts.
"He sticks his human foot in the ground, he's gone," Kelly said. "He smells the goal line, and he finds information technology. He'due south picking upwards start downs. He'due south a guy you accept to business relationship for in the run game."
Book said he was nervous. For how long? 2 plays, he said.
"I came here to be the starter," said the junior from El Dorado Hills, Calif. "It'south upwards to the coaches. He'll play the all-time quarterback to win. We're all i team. I'k non worried. I know they'll brand the correct conclusion, any that is."
Kelly explained that neither Notre Dame's collection of running backs nor wide receivers was ready to beat Michigan. With Wimbush, Notre Dame went alee 21-3 in the first half and held on to win 24-17.
The supporting cast is maturing, notably Armstrong, whose eight carries left him merely 2 yards brusk of 100. He also scored his fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns — a sign of growth for someone who ready Kansas high school records in receiving and did not play in a higher game until this year.
Notre Dame was ahead 28-thirteen at halftime but had allowed leads of xviii, 18 and 16 points to shrink. Kelly said he challenged the Irish at halftime to limit Wake Wood to three-and-out on the first serial, then score a fifth touchdown.
The Irish proceeded to iii TDs in 5:28 of clock time, and it was 49-13 in the tertiary quarter. No more feet.
"We needed to play with a sense of urgency," Kelly said. "I felt the pieces were there to take a really good football team. We needed to kicking it in gear."
Kelly awarded the game ball to center Sam Mustipher for the fashion the senior helm led the Irish through the week. And victory was not achieved solely because of Book.
Notre Matriarch's defense endured 92 plays and allowed 398 yards, or 4.three per play. Wake freshman quarterback Sam Hartman was so battered that he exited in the tertiary quarter. The Irish double-teamed wide receiver Greg Dortch, the nation'south leader in all-purpose yardage, limiting him to six catches for 56 yards.
Special teams were and so infrequent that nine kickoffs resulted in Wake Wood starting on its ain 25-yard line six times, plus once each from the 14, 18 and 21. Chris Finke'due south 52-chiliad punt render fix the 3rd touchdown.
It was not a perfect game. But it was, Kelly said, the perfect game to start Book.
"It would be absolutely foolish for me to sit hither in front of yous and get, 'We've got one quarterback and one quarterback only,' " Kelly said. "We've got two really good quarterbacks. And I'm going to reserve the right to decide each and every week who'south the best guy for that week to win."
The volume is not closed on this subject.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.forest@indystar.com or telephone call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
Source: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/notre-dame/2018/09/22/notre-dame-football-brian-kelly-switch-ian-book-proves-right-call-brandon-wimbush-wake-forest/1384666002/