Defense dominates, Book solid in Blue-Gold Game
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Khalid Kareem couldn’t tackle the quarterbacks.
But it didn’t stop the defensive end from enjoying a three-sack performance Saturday in the Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold game.
The quarterbacks wore red jerseys and were not allowed to be tackled. Still, the defense applied enough pressure to get credit for 15 sacks.
“They still count,” Kareem said. “We got a few points from them. It was exciting to get a few rushes in and get to the quarterback.”
Kareem is hopeful the production continues in the fall.
“Our whole D-line can be amazing, and not just me and Julian (Okwara),” Kareem said. “Together as one unit, we can be unstoppable.”
The 6-foot-4, 262-pound Kareem had 4½ sacks and 10½ tackles for a loss in 2018. Okwara, a 6-4, 240-pound lineman, finished tied for the team lead with eight sacks.
Coach Brian Kelly sees the opportunity for more from both — if they take the next step as seniors.
“It’s finishing plays for (Okwara), so he can be a menace to teams,” Kelly said. “We want that. (For) Khalid, it’s cleaning up his overall game. He’s a dedicated player. We just want to clean up all the little things.”
Okwara had one sack Saturday, as the defense (Gold) defeated the offense 58-45 in front of 30,074 fans at Notre Dame Stadium. The scoring system included points for defensive stops and sacks/ tackles for a loss.
Here are three more takeaways from the game.
2. Ian Book showcases his progress.
The starting quarterback completed all five of his passes on the opening possession, capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Young.
“I really wanted to push the tempo in the first drive, and we were able to do that,” Book said. “That’s what we’ve been doing all spring.”
Book finished spring camp on a good note, completing 16 of 21 passes for 220 yards and the one TD.
“The touchdown throw he made was indicative of the progress he’s made this spring, where he slid, bought time in the pocket and was able to hit (Young) in the back of the end zone,” Kelly said. “Those are the types of throws that separates good players from great players.”
3. Phil Jurkovec gains experience.
Jurkovec, Book’s backup, completed 15 of 26 passes for 135 yards. But he was sacked 12 times.
“I have to work on getting the ball out,” Jurkovec said. “In that situation where they’re going to call me down, I have to just throw the ball away.”
It’s all part of the learning process for the Jurkovec, who attempted two passes in two games during a redshirt-freshman season in 2018.
4. Jafar Armstrong displays his versatility.
The running back had 156 all-purpose yards — 85 rushing, 71 receiving — and a rushing touchdown.
Armstrong had 72 carries for 383 yards and seven touchdowns while moving from receiver to running back in 2018.
“(I’ve grown) as a complete football player, from pass-blocking to vision to making cuts,” Armstrong said. “I have a lot more work to do before the first game, but that’s a great starting point.”
Note: Notre Dame also announced kickoff times for its 2019 home games. The only 6:30 p.m. home kickoff is Oct. 12 against USC. The New Mexico (Sept. 14), Virginia Tech (Nov. 2), Navy (Nov. 16) and Boston College (Nov. 23) games will start at 1:30 p.m. The Virginia (Sept. 28) and Bowling Green (Oct. 5) games will start at 2:30 p.m.