NEW YORK — At his postgame press conference, a reporter asked Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly a simple question about his starting quarterback.

Have you ever seen Ian Book get rattled?

Kelly paused for about 10 seconds, his mouth slightly agape, his tongue half out, thinking. He answered with a story about Book when missed weight his freshman year and hid a 10-pound plate in his shorts for a weigh in. He was caught and ran as punishment. That, Kelly said, is the only time he’s seen Book rattled.

“On the football field, I haven’t seen him get rattled,” Kelly said.

It was No. 3 Notre Dame’s (11-0) unflappable passer, Book, who picked apart No. 12 Syracuse (8-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) in a 36-3 drubbing at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Book completed 62 percent of his passes for 292 yards and two scores. Against an SU defense prepped for shots down the middle of the field and 50-50 balls to receivers, Book stayed to the sidelines, threw to the back shoulder of his wideouts and used his legs when needed.

“Today, he might’ve been a click off at times,” Kelly said, “but he was still pretty effective.

In the week leading up to the game, Syracuse players said, the film showed Book to be a game-manager-type quarterback, who’d take occasional shots down the middle of the field to his big-bodied receivers. That didn’t happen. Instead, Book, with constant time in the pocket behind a stout offensive line, picked the Syracuse defense to pieces.

Early, when Syracuse gave a wideout single coverage on the outside, Book attacked the matchups, throwing to his receivers back shoulders. Normally in that situation, a quarterback would throw down the field, trying to lead his receiver. That, cornerback Chris Fredrick said, means a defensive back should turn to the inside of the field.

On a back shoulder throw, it’s the opposite and the defensive back is supposed to turn to the man. Late in the first quarter, Book tossed a back shoulder throw to 6-foot-4 wideout Chase Claypool. Freshman corner Trill Williams turned to the inside and Claypool adjusted to the ball to pull down a 33-yard gain.

“We saw it on film,” Fredrick said. “We knew they would throw them. I think we just didn’t play them the right way.”

Aside from back shoulder throws, UND attacked the perimeter and employed some other wrinkles — like using running backs — into the passing game, Kelly said. Running back Dexter Williams caught a short crossing route in a goal-to-go scenario and bullied his way into the end zone for Notre Dame’s first touchdown.

The Irish also targeted all parts of the field, challenging Book to make throws against SU’s Cover 1 looks, according to Kelly. Seven different Irish players caught passes and four caught three or more.

“He gets the ball out,” Kelly said, “and I thought that what we asked him to do today was probably, of all the games he’s played, required him to be sharper today than in any game this year. They’re a heavy Cover 1 team, so your timing really needs to be precise.”

Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer

Syracuse’s pass rush recorded 33 sacks in the first 10 games but got to Book just twice. He had long times to throw and when the pocket finally did collapse, he slipped away.

He’s not the runner that backup quarterback Brandon Wimbush is, but Book used his mobility well to roll out and avoid pressure, occasionally taking free yards on a scramble. He finished with six carries for 22 yards.

“Guys get very, very close to him and you think you’ve got him,” SU head coach Dino Babers said, ”and then all of a sudden he’s really slippery like an eel.”

Book’s escapability exposed one problem for SU — a vacant pass rush — and created another: Long times for defensive backs in single coverage. When Book left the pocket and extended plays, receivers broke off routes and tried to get open for their quarterback.

Defensive backs in man coverage are forced to react to receivers freestyling while eyeing a quarterback that might potentially take off.

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Leading 20-0 midway through the third quarter, Kelly kept the offense on the field for a 4th and 1 from the SU 29-yard line. Book rolled to his left, spotting tight end Cole Kmet. Linebacker Shyheim Cullen played man coverage on Kmet and kept Book from pulling the trigger.

But as Book closed to the line of scrimmage, Cullen broke off Kmet to stop the potential run. With the ball still ready to through, Book calmly flipped the ball 17 yards to Kmet on the sideline for a first down.

“You just gotta be disciplined,” Cisco said of playing a rollout. “There could always be a throw back, a lot of the time you might get a shallow drag and they might throw it over your head so you just gotta be disciplined and know what the team is trying to do.”

Three plays later, Book lead Claypool into the end zone on a perfectly thrown slant, pushing the Irish ahead 29-0 in a game they had already won.

Published on November 17, 2018 at 9:03 pm

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham