Last year, Ian Book became only the fifth Notre Dame quarterback to eclipse 1,000 career rushing yards, and also the sixth to surpass 500 in one season.
The dual-threat aspect of Book has been a surprise to many because when he was recruited in 2016, he was listed as the nation’s No. 15 “pro-style” quarterback by Rivals, and a “pocket passer” by other outlets.
Yet his elusiveness, improvisational skills and ability to effectively execute the read option have been assets on many an occasion. This included his game-winning touchdown run from seven yards with 29 seconds left in the Virginia Tech contest last season to help defeat the Hokies 21-20.
In fact, that victory against Virginia Tech marked the first of what would be four straight games in which Book led the team in rushing (a school record at quarterback): Virginia Tech (50 yards), Duke (139), Navy (31) and Boston College (66).
His 546 rushing yards were the second most on the team. Meanwhile, the five returning scholarship running backs for the Irish from 2019 combined for 524 rushing yards all season, with Jahmir Smith’s 180 the most. Added to the running back stable this year will be top-100 freshman Chris Tyree and Stanford graduate transfer Trevor Speights, who sat out last season.
The perceived flip side of Book’s rushing production is the question of whether he bails the pocket too soon, which can negatively affect the passing attack.
Consequently, two of the storylines for the 2020 offense include how much more patient can Book be in the pocket, and how much will the production in the running game improve without graduated leading rusher Tony Jones Jr.?
Is there a consistent backfield figure Notre Dame will be able to rely on week after week, or will second-year running backs coach and first-year run-game coordinator Lance Taylor devise a scheme with first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees that can maximize specific skill sets. Last year one of the options was to use sophomore receiver Braden Lenzy’s explosive speed on jet sweeps. His 200 rushing yards — third most on the team — were highlighted by 51- and 61-yard touchdown runs against USC and Boston College, respectively.
Will such creativity be needed again this year, or with the return of 114 career starts along the offensive line can a conventional ground attack also find success?
Either way, Book’s mobility and running skills will be utilized. In each of the past six seasons since 2014, the Notre Dame quarterback position overall has accounted for at least 470 rushing yards. Last year it was 710 when including the backups.
Somewhere the happy medium between using Book’s running assets wisely but not rely on them too much has to be found.
Including bowl games, here are the top 10 rushing totals at quarterback in one year at Notre Dame, followed by 1,000-yard rushers in a career.
Top Single-Season Rushing Outputs By A Quarterback
1. Tony Rice (1989) — 934 yards
2. Brandon Wimbush (2017) — 804
3. Rice (1988) — 775
4. Carlyle Holiday (2001) — 666
5. Ian Book (2019) — 546
6. DeShone Kizer (2015) — 525
7t. Paul Hornung (1955) — 472
7t. Kizer (2016) — 472
9. Jarious Jackson (1999) — 464
10. Jackson (1998) — 453
1,000 Career Rushing Yards
1. Rice (1987-89) — 2,049
2. Wimbush (2015-18) — 1,204
3. Tom Clements (1972-74) — 1,148
4. Joe Theismann (1968-70) —1,091
5. Book (2016-present) — 1,032
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