ESPN got a nugget from an SEC assistant, as they compared a new starter to Notre Dame’s Ian Book. It the comparison justified?
As this weird season continues, the data for new starting quarterback is finally coming to fruition. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN looked at 5 of the newest starters and obviously Notre Dame doesn’t have one. There was however, a comparison to the Irish starting signal caller Ian Book.
Georgia didn’t start Stetson Bennett in their opener, the nod went to D’Wan Mathis, but Bennett did finish the game and started this past week even with the USC transfer JT Daniels being medically cleared to play. It looks like it’s Bennett’s job to lose at this moment and Rittenberg found that an SEC assistant compared the Bulldogs new starter to Notre Dame’s Book.
Is this a warranted comparison? Both are similar size at around 6-feet tall, Book has a slight weight advantage. The diminutive starters rely on a high completion percentage, Bennett sporting a 64.9% this year, while Book had 73.1% in his first two starts. Each of them had a win over an opponent ranked No. 7 in their second game, Book over Stanford and Bennett over Auburn.
Book had a 6-to-0 TD to INT ratio, while Bennett posted 3-to-0. Book had an advantage in yardage as well, throwing for 603 yards in his first two games, Bennet just 451. Bennett does have two less quarter of work, but the advantage goes to Book.
Book’s passer rating was also better than Bennett’s during their first two games of extended action, 178.4 to 148.7. There is an area where Bennett does statistically beat Book, it’s in adjusted quarterback ranking. Bennett sports a very impressive 94.4, Book after two starts was 79.3.
At this point, it seems like the SEC assistant was quick to the gun in the comparison between Book and Bennett. What is interesting though was a comment made by Kirk Herbstreit and David Pollack, a former Bulldog. They both said in their CFB Podcast yesterday that Bennett led the offense better than previous starter Jake Fromm, who was a fifth-round pick in last years NFL Draft.
The literal book is still out on Bennett, while we know exactly what the Irish get every week with Book. It’s an interesting comparison, although, it might be a little too early to anoint Bennett as Georgia’s savior. Fromm did lead the Bulldogs to a spot in the College Football Playoff finals, If it wasn’t for Tua Tagovailoa’s heroics, Fromm’s squad probably would have defeated mighty Alabama for the crown. It’s a bit too early to make any comparisons right now.
