Notre Dame felt in command for much of the final three quarters in defeating Boston College 45-31 Saturday.
The Irish never punted. Their offense’s impediment was itself — three lost fumbles killed a drive inside the Boston College 40 and took the air out of two plays that gained first downs. They averaged 7.6 yards per play and have scored at least 45 points in consecutive games for the first time since 1996.
Notre Dame’s defense allowed more than 30 points for the third time in coordinator Clark Lea’s tenure, but it feels a little different than the 45 allowed to Michigan last year and the 40 in last week’s win over Clemson. Boston College scored a garbage-time touchdown and skated past disaster a couple times earlier in the game.
Here are some observations and numbers after watching the game back a second time.
Ian Book’s Day
Start with this throw, which illustrates everything about his willingness to hang in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield and find a receiver in stride.
Book, all told, had seven incompletions while completing 20 passes for 283 yards with three touchdowns. Here’s a look at each miss:
• Two throws in the end zone on Notre Dame’s opening drive
• Two throwaways on consecutive plays early in the second quarter
• A second-quarter throw on a scramble to senior slot receiver Avery Davis, who appeared to catch the ball just short of the goal line before it was knocked loose
