SOUTH BEND – There was nothing magical about Ian Book’s demeanor as he stepped into the huddle midway through the fourth quarter.
Still trailing by two points to a heavy underdog from Pittsburgh on an odd Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium, the junior quarterback exuded California cool.
“We had to stay calm,” Book said after sparking a 19-14 comeback win with a pair of touchdown passes in the final 17 minutes. “There’s no point in freaking out when you have some time on the clock.”
Book nearly hit Chase Claypool for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of that drive, but Panthers defensive back Dane Jackson executed an obvious takedown for a 15-yard pass interference penalty.
On third-and-five from the Pitt 47, Book bloodlessly found Miles Boykin, his favorite target, for 12 yards along the left sideline. On the very next play, he went right back to Boykin for the game-winning score, a 35-yard strike with 5:43 remaining.
What was the mood in fifth-ranked Notre Dame’s huddle on that decisive drive?
“Let’s go win the game,” senior center and captain Sam Mustipher said after improving to 7-0. “There was nothing left to do. We understand what’s at stake every time we go out on the field.”
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