Field Level Media
Nov 9, 2019
Senior quarterback Ian Book threw four touchdown passes, including two to wide receiver Chris Finke, and No. 15 Notre Dame rolled to a 38-7 win over host Duke on Saturday night in Durham, N.C.
Chase Claypool and George Takacs also caught touchdown passes for the Fighting Irish, and C'Bo Flemister added one on the ground. Notre Dame (7-2) picked up its second straight win.
Book completed 18 of 32 passes for 181 yards and had two interceptions in addition to his scoring plays. He also led Notre Dame with 12 carries for 139 yards on the ground, including a 53-yard run.
Duke (4-5) lost its third consecutive game. Quarterback Quentin Harris completed 16 of 28 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and was limited to 10 rushing yards on seven carries.
Notre Dame opened the scoring with 8:02 to go in the first quarter, with Book finding Finke for an 18-yard touchdown that capped off a 10-play, 85-yard drive.
The Fighting Irish made it 14-0 with 4:03 remaining in the first. Book notched his second scoring pass of the evening when he hit Claypool for a 7-yard touchdown.
The score marked Claypool's career-high fifth touchdown of the season and the 11th of his career.
A rout seemed likely when Notre Dame went up 21-0 on a 2-yard rushing score by Flemister with 7:58 left in the second quarter. The play gave the Fighting Irish touchdowns on three of their first six drives.
Duke battled back, however, trimming the deficit to 21-7 on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Harris to redshirt senior wide receiver Aaron Young with 2:55 left before halftime.
Notre Dame regrouped after the half and increased its lead to 28-7 on another scoring strike from Book to Finke, this time from 6 yards, with 9:10 to go in the third quarter. It marked the second touchdown reception of the game, the third of the season and the seventh of his career for Finke, a senior from Ohio.
A 34-yard field goal by Jonathan Doerer pushed the Fighting Irish's lead to 31-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Takacs hauled in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Book to make it 38-7 with 7:21 remaining.
--Field Level Media