Notre Dame Notebook: Is Ian Book His Own Worst Enemy?
Looking over the new Notre Dame indoor practice field, Brian Kelly spoke during his Thursday night radio show while audience members listened attentively with drinks in their hands.
He let those in attendance know that defensive back Shaun Crawford will likely be back for the Michigan game in two weeks.
But given the weighty nature of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry, not much pertinent information was revealed.
We still don’t know how healthy — and therefore how much of an impact — running back Jafar Armstrong and receiver Lawrence Keys will have.
Both are expected to come back tomorrow after missing game time due to injury, but not much else has been shared publically.
What we do know is that its time for quarterback Ian Book to produce at a higher level, one he’s certainly capable of reaching. Maybe all he needs to do is get out of his own way?
I’m also curious to see if the weather will impact tomorrow’s contest... and not just the cold-averse USC players. Could 17 mph winds influence the Irish game plan?
Lastly, what does Kelly see in this USC team and how do you prepare for a team with so many overwhelming strengths and weaknesses?
Book His Own Worst Enemy?
Every week, Kelly seems to have a different explanation for some of Book’s struggles. One week it was he’s too indecisive. The next week it was he’s going through his reads too quickly.
There’s probably some kernel of truth to each of Kelly’s justifications, but last night he may have touched on the root of the problem: Book needs to get out of his own head.
Radio host Jack Nolan mentioned during the broadcast that Book is his own toughest critic, and Kelly quickly interrupted him.
“He’s too critical of himself,” he said.
While many fans have been upset with his play, perhaps what’s really getting to Book is he’s underperforming compared to his own expectations.
Irish Illustrated’s Tim O’Malley has noted before that Book has at least given thought to the notion of declaring for the NFL draft after this season, and that he was disappointed that he wasn’t one of the five players evaluated by professional scouts at the end of last year.
This may be a bit too theoretical, but the weight of leaving early and hopefully getting drafted could be putting an undue burden on Book. At the end of the day, he can always come back if he wants to, so the weight of his football career doesn’t have to be on his shoulders.
We’ve heard from Kelly that defensive end Julian Okwara’s preseason goal of 18.5 season sacks may have gotten in his way early in the season — that is, until he brushed those expectations off and balled out against Virginia with three sacks and two quarterback hurries.
But for Book, it’s about more than just stats. It’s his demeanor, his presence in the pocket and ability to stay calm and see the field.
“He was, he was outstanding, right?” Kelly said of Book’s performance against Bowling Green. “His numbers show that. But I think we're looking at the nuances of the position more than we are production because he's been fairly productive, but he hasn't been where he needs to be at the elite level.”
This weekend will be telling as to where his progression is.
Wind Adjustment?
This could be nothing more than a throwaway response to a fan question Nolan randomly selected, but when asked about using two punt returners in case of a fumble, Kelly said he would only do that in certain situations.
“In Weather conditions where there's a lot of wind and punts could be short, I've used dual returners,” he said. “One would be the short returner because you don't want that ball on the ground. We know that could be a problem. It could hit one of your players and now it becomes a live ball. So I've had two returners, but I think it's really situational.”
The current forecast has a high of 17 mph winds tomorrow, which poses the question: is that windy enough?
A Healthier But Less Aggressive USC Defense
One of the most notable tidbits Kelly mentioned about this Trojan team is that it’s also gotten healthier since their last game against Washington.
Of course, true freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis is back, but so is safety sophomore Talanoa Hufanga.
Despite missing the game against Washington, he is second on the team in total tackles (including 14 against Utah) and is first on the team in solo tackles. He’s also only missed three tackles on the season, per Pro Football Focus, which has been an issue for the USC defense this year.
Having him back tomorrow could hinder big plays for the Irish while providing a significant boost to the Trojan defense, which Kelly suggests might be less aggressive against them compared to at the end of last season.
“Last year, they brought overload blitz virtually from the very first play against us to the last. It was all pressure,” he said. It was the last game of the year. They had very little to lose. Not that that means that they would change, per se, and we're prepared for it, but they were very, very, aggressive in terms of pressures last year. They haven't been that way this year.”
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @CoachDeDario and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.