It’s hard to believe that it will be five years already this fall since Notre Dame’s memorable 2018 campaign that resulted in the first College Football Playoff appearance all-time for the Irish. One memorable game from that season took place in November in the Chicago suburbs as unbeaten Notre Dame traveled to Northwestern.
Ian Book wound up with a strong showing that evening, going 22 of 34 passing for 343 yards and two scores while rushing for 56 yards and another touchdown. We learned after that game that Book hurt his ribs during the contest, but thanks to an interview with Greg Flammang, we now have the details of the injury that Book kept away from his coaches literally the entire game.
Check out the whole discussion here:
I suppose that is one perk of choosing to play at Notre Dame compared to some other programs. Say you get hurt in a game and are not sure how serious it may be, there may just be a future doctor in your own position group that can evaluate your blood-filled waste at a moment’s notice.
In all seriousness, after letting Northwestern get back into things late despite once holding a 24-7 lead, Book’s keeper on third down that went for a 22-yard touchdown run is only that much more impressive after knowing the details.
Check out some of the best pictures from that night below. It one celebration photo it’s easy to see now that Book is very gingerly celebrating with Chris Finke as the two bump sides.