All right Ian Book, we get it. Pad your stats without breaking a sweat against Bowling Green, ride those numbers to a 25-spot jump from No. 41 to a No. 16 ranking in passing efficiency, then bask in the praise and promises that "Book is back, baby!"
Book's 80-percent completion percentage against the wingless Falcons, along with his 261 passing yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions and a damn near perfect 272.12 passer rating needs to be celebrated.
But it's time for Ian Book to finally pick on somebody his own size.
The Irish senior quarterback has been magical during his carer against second-tier opponents. But put Book in a big spot against an elite team and the numbers don't look so good, evidenced strongly over his last six starts -- the five this year and the 30-3 playoff loss to Clemson that ended last season.
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Let's start with Book against the three "have-nots" of those last six opponents:
*Louisville, New Mexico, Bowling Green
Combined record: 6-9
Completion percentage: 67%
Average passing yards: 271
Total touchdowns: 11
Total interceptions: 0
Now, let's look at Book's performance against the three "haves" he's played.
*Clemson, Georgia, Virginia
Combined record: 14-1
Completion percentage: 59%
Average passing yards: 200
Total touchdowns: 2
Total interceptions: 3
Obviously, better teams mean better defenses and better defenses mean tougher sledding for any quarterback, but this statistical contrast is striking.
In Book's 14 career starts, only twice has he failed to throw or run for a touchdown in a game -- Clemson last year and Virginia this year, easily two of the better defenses he has faced.
And Book's struggles against the better teams go well beyond raw production numbers.
The most concerning issue to Notre Dame fans and the Irish coaches continues to be Book's inability to stay poised in the pocket and find more plays downfield, which was especially evident against Virginia when at least three times, Book failed to let a play develop, bailed out and ran for minimal yardage.
