Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, October 7, 2019

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Notre dame 52, bowling green 0 | monday, october 7, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Locked in Book sets record with 5 touchdowns passes, defense gives Notre Dame first shutout since 2014

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior tight end Cole Kmet dives into the end zone as he is tackled after catching a 21-yard throw from senior quarterback Ian Book during Notre Dame’s 52-0 win over Bowling Green on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Kmet had two receptions for 31 yards during the game, one of which was his second career touchdown.

Win highlights Book’s dormant dual-threat ability Jack Concannon Sports Writer

Ian Book has earned himself a reputation as a quarterback that does the small things right. He draws praise for taking care of the ball, his accuracy throw ing the ball into traffic and his leadership abilities for this Irish squad. One piece of praise the Irish senior quarterback rarely draws: the strength of his arm. The Irish offense isn’t built on vertical shots, attempting just 18 passes of 20 or more yards in their first four games, excluding throwaways. Book has see CONCANNON PAGE 2

By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer

Ian Book threw five touchdowns in the first half, and Notre Dame rolled to a 52-0 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday. Book was dominant, completing 15 of 17 passes for 255 yards with touchdowns to four different receivers — becoming the first Notre Dame quarterback to pass for five touchdowns in a single half. The run game was very effective early on, allowing Notre Dame to run action plays which opened the field up for Book. Junior running back Tony Jones Jr. carried the ball seven times for 102 yards. Book looked as good as he has all season, and was allowed more freedom to take shots down the field. He had six completions of more than 20 yards, a big shift from Notre Dame’s more conservative offensive play calling earlier in the season.

Book said he places full confidence in the Irish offense. “I know what we can do,” he said. “I think everyone on the offense knows where our bar is and what we can achieve. It’s about us believing in each other, playing for each other, and focusing on the details going out there every single day and doing it.” The tempo was also impressive — four of the five drives took less than 1:30, a fact Book said was important. “We pride ourselves on having tempo, and something we really focused on this week was just getting into rhythm and really pushing the tempo and just moving fast. That’s part of our identity as an offense, so it definitely helps us,” he said. Coach Brian Kelly said he was impressed by Book’s performance. “I thought he did a really nice job of seeing the field,

putting the ball in a position where he could make some contested catches, I liked the things he did today,” Kelly said. Notre Dame’s defense smothered Bowling Green from the opening snap. The Falcons opted to bench senior quarterback Darius Wade after just two drives in favor of the more mobile redshirt junior Grant Loy. Loy had more success, mixing quarterback keepers and checkdown passes to move down the field. They almost immediately abandoned the ideas of conventional pocket passing and running between the tackles in favor of quarterback rollouts and multiple trick plays, which were much more effective. However, the Irish defense always held firm when it counted most, stopping a fourth-and-inches from near midfield in the second quarter and blocking see VICTORY PAGE 3

Okwara leads defense in shutout of Bowling Green By JACK CONCANNON Sports Writer

The Irish defense posted its first shutout in five years against Bowling Green, stif ling the Falcons offense and f lushing quarterback Grant Loy out of the pocket on nearly every play. The Irish bent but never broke, conceding 228 yards but tightening up whenever the Falcons threatened. Irish senior defensive end Julian Okwara picked up a sack and had another strong performance after his threesack showing last week. Okwara said that getting his class’s first shutout was a great moment for him and his classmates. “It was awesome, I was just see DEFENSE PAGE 3


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