The Book on Ian: El Dorado Hills QB went to Notre Dame to win titles. He has his shot
Before the fourth game of the 2017 season, Ian Book was granted his opportunity.
He was named by Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly as the Irish starter, to command the team at quarterback for one of sport’s most storied outfits.
No pressure, son. Roll with it.
Book has rolled to the tune of a 30-4 career record, best in the history of the program. But Book’s work is not finished. He craves and covets two more victories, to back the words of his boss, to validate why he headed to South Bend.
Said Kelly before that 2018 contest, “We think (Book’s) a good quarterback. We recruited him to Notre Dame to win championships.”
Those moments are at his fingertips. Notre Dame (10-1) takes on top-ranked Alabama (11-0) on Friday in a College Football Playoff semifinal in Texas. Alabama is a heavy favorite, and its lineup of NFL-ready defenders will key on Book.
Book initially didn’t expect to be here. He is the pride of El Dorado Hills, a product of Oak Ridge High School who initially gave a verbal commitment to attend Washington State on a football scholarship. But in walking the hallowed grounds at Notre Dame with his parents on a recruiting visit, Book was struck by his surroundings.
He said he didn’t just see it, but he felt it. He stared for a long moment at Touchdown Jesus, the “Word of Life” mural that towers on the campus library, and by the time Book headed to the parking lot, he was sold on the Irish.
The 2018 Irish started 12-0, then lost a CFP semifinal to Clemson, 30-3. Book was not at his best that day and vowed to get better. He did, right on into this season. He has passed for 2,601 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, and his 8,718 career passing yards and 72 total touchdown passes rank second on the program’s all-time list.
Book seeks a title
But playoff victories are what resonate most. Statistics and winning streaks are just window dressing to the real prize.
“We truly have an opportunity, and it starts with believing,” Book said earlier this week via Zoom. “We believe we can win. We believe that we can win a National Championship. And that’s where it matters and that’s where it starts. It’s just an unbelievable opportunity for this team.”
He added, “And these guys believe. We’re just excited to get out to Dallas, go play on the biggest stage. That’s why you come to Notre Dame. We’re here and we’re ready to do it.”
Book will have a Sacramento-regional audience following along. Be it his high school coach Eric Cavaliere or small-business owners dotted across El Dorado Hills, Book has a backing. Eyes will be glued to television sets.
Cavaliere said Book hasn’t changed from his prep days, except in size and statue, saying, “He’s super humble, and he’s still the same kid. He still has the same best friends from high school. He’s a good, wholesome El Dorado Hills kid.”
Book’s followers include Justin Lamson, The Bee’s 2019 Player of the Year from Oak Ridge who is headed to Syracuse on scholarship to play quarterback.
“Ian’s a great guy,” Lamson said. “We worked out a few times here in his offseason. We’re all rooting for him.”
Cavaliere has compared Book’s cool and calm to the most celebrated and accomplished of all Notre Dame quarterbacks: Joe Montana. So did Dabo Swinney of Clemson, who said of the two, “I hate to compare him to Joe Montana, but Joe Montana played at Notre Dame, and he just has a little bit of magic to him. (Book) is the heart and soul. He makes them go.”
But Book couldn’t get the Irish to go against Clemson in the ACC Championship game on Dec. 19. Though Book passed for 219 yards on 20-for-28 passing, he was relentlessly chased by Clemson defenders, and he was thrown for losses of 35 total yards on 10 carries. Clemson won 34-10.
Book is the first to acknowledge he and the Irish have to play better.
“He needs to play within himself and within the system,” Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said via Zoom. “I don’t think there’s anything heroic he needs to do that’s going to single-handedly win us the game.”
On Alabama’s radar
Book has the attention of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who said this week, “Ian really distributes the ball well, runs the offense well, makes plays with his legs as well as his arms, can make all the throws. It’s certainly going to be a challenge for our defense. He’s a dual-threat guy that presents a lot of problems for us.”
Book is the focal point but coach Kelly takes the brunt of the heat when Notre Dame loses traction. The coach bristles at any notion that the Irish haven’t stood up to the task.
Notre Dame’s last effort against Alabama was a lean one, a 43-14 setback to the Tide in the 2013 BCS title game, and there was the 30-3 playoff loss to Clemson in 2018.
“We’re knocking at the door every year, playing really good teams and great opponents, and they’re elite football teams,” Kelly said. “I don’t know why this narrative continues to pop up when we’re always in the game. No, we haven’t won a national championship. That’s correct. And, you know, I’m not changing the record. But we are there every single year and we are grinding it out just like everybody else.”
Book has no regrets. Not coming to Notre Dame, not the triumphs and lessons learned from tough losses, or the heat that comes with playing the position, making him a target on social media. He told The Bee earlier this season, “If I play well, the social media stuff is great. Play bad and it’s horrible. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. That’s what social media is. Anyone can hide beyond a keyboard or a phone. People follow us. Mostly, my experiences have been great here.”
Book said this week, “Just fortunate to be able to be in the playoffs twice in my career, unbelievable. We’ve got to go finish it, though. We were able to make it (to the playoffs) in 2018 and get close, but we didn’t finish the deal. We get another opportunity now with a lot of guys on the team who played in that game who are now older, more mature, better leaders, better football players. And now we get that chance.”