Book was probably a better athlete than RL. I think he ran like a 4.6 flat at the combine or pro day or whatever. So RL doesn't even have him on that. But I don't know, maybe he runs a 4.55. I suppose he's more of a 'natural' runner, maybe, meaning something like, he's happy to take off and run, is a pretty good all around athlete, and has sort of a knack for it. And the fact that he is not a great passer encourages this tendency as a practical matter. He's a dual threat! If a coach wanted to run Book as much as RL is utilized in that way he'd probably do just as well. And he is smaller, RL is like a TE almost. Plus I think RL is deceptively fast, and really does catch defenders off guard.
It's not an apples to apples comparison in any case. Book was a three year starter and all time ND great, and RL is a one year rent a QB in the portal era. And RL hardly carries the team, he's almost more like a cog in this offense. The defense leads the way, and the run game, of which he most certainly is a key part, leads the offense. We pass as effectively as we do, on account of the strength and threat of the run game, and as a complement to it. And as long as we stay within RL's limits as a passer, which Denbrock has seemed to orchestrate brilliantly, our passing game is very functional.
