Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is only 72 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
With 72 days left until kickoff, we look back at Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book’s 72 career touchdown passes.
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There are a few numbers that Notre Dame fans will always think of when recalling the career of Ian Book. The one he wore on his jersey, for example. Twelve. Or the amount of wins he racked up in that uniform. Thirty. No Notre Dame quarterback has ever had more.
A number that probably comes to mind less than those is 72, the total number of touchdown passes Book threw in two and a half years as a starter. Only Brady Quinn has thrown for more (95) among Irish signal callers in the extensive history of the program.
Book’s first touchdown came against North Carolina in his redshirt freshman season in 2017. He also threw two interceptions that day, but the Irish still prevailed 33-10 in the first start of Book’s career. The touchdown pass opened the scoring, and it was a typical Book TD.
He faked a handoff to the left on what would have been a counter and bounced out to his right. Nearing the sideline on a play that started on the right hash, he flung the ball across his body and into the hands of a fairly wide-open Cameron Smith.
Only three more touchdown passes followed for Book that season. He backed up Brandon Wimbush in every game but the one against the Tar Heels. His best year throwing the rock was his true senior season. He had 34 touchdown passes against just six interceptions. He became the fourth Notre Dame quarterback to ever throw for at least 3,000 yards in a single season. Jack Coan became the fifth last year.
Book’s career ended rather quietly from a passing perspective. He didn’t generate any scores through the air in either of his final two starts, one against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and another against Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.
The final touchdown pass of his career came against Syracuse in the 2020 regular season finale. There were only 6,831 fans in attendance to see Book throw two touchdown passes in the final two minutes of the first half to effectively put the game away.
Book won’t ever go down as the best Notre Dame quarterback of all time, but he wasn’t far from it. Seventy-two touchdown passes are enough evidence to suggest he was close.
