Notre Dame will be a significant favorite when they open the season on Saturday against Duke as the Irish are appearing as nearly a three touchdown pick at most shops.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe met the media to start off game week and was very complimentary to quarterback Ian Book and the tenth ranked Fighting Irish.
“A year ago they dominated and his Book running ability was on display,” Cutcliffe said. “But he can throw it and he can throw it well and there’s not a weakness on their team. I would expect them to blend both pass and run. I know what his capabilities are.”
Book threw for 181 yards on 18 of 32 passing at Duke last November. Four of those resulted in added 139 more yards on the ground in a game the Irish led 21-0 at one point and were in complete control of for the duration.
As for what Cutcliffe expects to see under first year offensive play-caller Tommy Rees, it’s more of the same.
“Brian Kelly’s offenses always have elements that they’re going to execute well. They’re going to be physical. I don’t think you’ll see Ian Book doing anything different than what he’s done in the past, not with that offensive line and their experience they’re going to stay on the same path. Everybody puts in new wrinkles here and there but the bottom line is to prepare the best you can on what you expect.”
Makes perfect sense to me, especially against a team that simply won’t put the same talent on the field that Notre Dame will be able to do.
Duke is coming off a season that saw them go just 5-7 overall and 3-5 in ACC play. It was only the second time the last eight years that the Blue Devils didn’t qualify for a bowl which is saying a lot for a program that qualified for just two bowl appearances between 1961 and 2011.