WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For the first time, Notre Dame did not score for her first possession. Even though the temperatures were in the 80s, Ian Book needed more time to warm up.

Book replaced Brandon Wimbush as a starting quarterback, then flatly justified coach Brian Kelly's decision. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns while the No. 8 Fighting Irish crushed Wake Forest 56-27 on Saturday.

Wimbush is considered a better runner than Book, who has been nimble enough to collect 43 yards on 10 rushes.

The announced participation was 30 092, although there are many empty places at BB & T Field, the smallest place where Notre Dame has played since the Second World War.

The victory took Notre Dame to 4-0 in front of consecutive opponents who could decide if it slips into the four teams College Football Playoff – No. 7 Stanford and No. 10 Virginia Tech.

An attack that could not generate more than 24 points in three opening wins has accumulated eight touchdowns and 566 yards. Jafar Armstrong rushed eight times for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie quarterback Phil Jurkovec arrived late in the fourth quarter for his first action at Notre Dame. Under the new rules, first-year students can play as many as four games without costing them a year of eligibility.

Wake Forest fell to 2-2 and lost quarterback Sam Hartman, who came out in the third quarter. He was constantly harassed by the Irish defense.

Wake Forest has never beaten a Top 10 opponent at home.

Three reasons why Notre Dame won:

Book it: A new QB

The Book experience is not an experience. Our Lady's attack just does not look like this quarterback.

Certainly, the defense of Wake Forest will not be the strongest for the Irish. Closer to the weaker, actually.

But Book's ability to survey the field and locate intermediate receptors is something rarely seen at Wimbush. The accuracy of Book's passes makes defenses vulnerable elsewhere, as evidenced by Armstrong's first two trades, one of 30 meters, one of 20.

Notre Dame scored more points in the first half (28) than in her first three games (24, 24, 22). Notre Dame has played five half-times with five touchdowns and that's not enough in modern college football. So, Kelly made a change, and it worked.

Defense meets challenges

There are many challenges against the Wake Forest attack, including the fast tempo. The Deacons played 56 games in the first period. . . but won 225 yards. Holding an opponent at 4 meters per game is winning football.

This was particularly evident when Wake Forest forced a first-quarter fumble to take Notre Dame 13. In a sudden change in the red zone, the Irish gave a three-part pitch. Wake Forest set a goal of 3: 0, representing the first deficit of the Notre Dame season.

The demonic deacons may not have scored in the first half, except for the penalties of Notre-Dame at two-thirds downhill – hard test for the passer and overcoming interference. The Irish can not take credit for two shots on the pitch by Nick Sciba, the first-year hitter, who twice hit the left gallows within 40 meters.

Wake Forest receiver Greg Dortch, the NCAA leader in multi-purpose measurement, was limited to six catches for 56 yards. He could not run and he could not hide.

Win the kick

Unlike Wake Forest, the Irish were special teams.

Chris Finke returned a 52-yard kick to establish the third touchdown of Notre Dame. Hunter Tyler Newsome kept the ball away from Dortch, offside in the 13th.

After the nine shots of Notre Dame, Wake Forest started six times his own 25-yard line, one time each time between 14, 18 and 21 years old.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at [email protected] or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @ DavidWoods007.

No. 8 Notre Dame 56, Wake Forest 27

Our Lady 7 21 21 7 – 56
Wake Forest 3 10 7 7 – 27

WF – FG Sciba 30, 5:19

ND – Armstrong 30 race (kick Yoon), 3:06

WF – FG Sciba 39, 14:56

ND – Wright 3 passes from Book (Yoon kick), 11:25

ND – T. Jones 4 run (Yoon kick), 9:19

WF – Colburn 2 Running (Sciba kick), 6:26

ND – Book 2 Run (kick Yoon), 5:24

ND – Claypool 7 goes from Book (Yoon kick), 9:46

ND – Armstrong 1 run (Yoon kick), 5:15

ND – Book 2 Run (kick Yoon), 5:24

WF – Hinton 23, race (kick from Sciba): 44

ND – Book 1, lesson (Yoon kick), 11:27

WF – Newman 15 run (kick Sciba), 4:53

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Our Lady, Armstrong 8-98, A.Davis 9-43, Book 10-43, T.Jones 7-39, Smith 2-16, Jurkovec 1-7, Young 1- (minus 1), (Team) 2- (minus 4). Wake Forest, Carney 13-79, Newman 8-73, Beal 10-34, Colburn 10-32, Hinton 1-23, Hartman 16-11, Dortch 1-6, Delaney 2-1.

PASSAGE – Notre Dame, Book 25-34-0-325, Jurkovec 0-2-0-0. Wake Forest, Hartman 12-24-0-110, Newman 4-7-1-29.

RECEPTION – Notre Dame, Mack 6-61, Claypool 4-51, Finke 4-41, Austin 2-35, T. Jones 2-32, A.Davis 2-15, Armstrong 2-15, Young 1-66, M .Bankin 1-6, Wright 1-3. Wake Forest, Dortch 6-56, Hinton 3-23, Washington 2-24, Chapman 2-7, Claude 1-15, Bachman 1-12, Delaney 1-2.

MISSED FIELD OBJECTIVES – Wake Forest, Sciba 38, Sciba 38.