To ‘Bounce back’ is defined as “to return quickly to a normal condition after a difficult situation or event.” That is exactly what Notre Dame did this weekend at Purdue. One week after suffering the most disappointing loss in program history, the Fighting Irish exploded for a 66-7 road win, the most points scored in a single game during the Marcus Freeman era. Let’s look at what was successful for the Irish to retain the Shillelagh Trophy:
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Offense
The Notre Dame offense is alive, and in classic fashion, running the da*n ball. Despite dealing with in-game injuries to offensive line starters Billy Schrauth and Ashton Craig, the Irish ran all over Purdue for 364 rushing yards, including 278 in the first half. This is the type of rushing performance that is needed to make up for a quiet passing game. Jeremiyah Love led all rushers with 109 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries, while fellow back Jadarian Price also found the endzone in his 86 yard outing on eight carries. Perhaps the biggest welcome sight for the Irish offense on Saturday was Riley Leonard’s rushing performance. Leonard rushed eleven times, totaling three touchdowns and 100 yards on the ground. This performance on the ground easily overshadowed his lackluster passing game. Leonard completed 11/16 pass attempts for 112 yards, and continues to lack a passing touchdown this season. On a positive note, Leonard proved he can control a game, run an offense, and continues to show good ball protection as he did not turn the ball over.
Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock may have found his groove. A week after going 3/10 on 3rd down attempts, the Irish play caller found much greater success last week, finishing 7/12 on 3rd down tries. Notre Dame’s 364 rushing yards was 174 more than they totaled against Northern Illinois, and they did it on two less carries. The Irish’s 8.5 yards per rush will be difficult to replicate, however, even a percentage of that success should open up the rest of the offense in future weeks. Letting the run game open up the pass game could be the key to offensive success for the Irish.
Notre Dame had a nice surprise in the second half, when backup quarterback Steve Angeli substituted in and performed very well. Notably, the game was won by the time Angeli had entered the game (49-0), however, he flashed his potential as a passer in this limited playing time. Angeli finished 6/9 for 100 yards and two passing touchdowns, the first passing touchdowns for Notre Dame’s offense this season. In the scenario that Leonard is hampered by injury or not performing well, this Angeli performance should be a good sign to the coaching staff that they have a viable passer waiting in the wings.
Defense
In a great performance from all three phases of the Notre Dame squad, it was the defense that truly shined. During this dominant effort, the Irish defense held Purdue to one third quarter touchdown pass and 162 total yards. Coach Al Golden put the clamps on Purdue, allowing only six first downs - for comparison, the Irish offense totaled 27. In addition, the defense played great on clutch downs, holding Purdue to 1/12 on 3rd down conversions and 0/1 on their sole 4th down attempt.
Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was harassed and confused all game, completing just 11/24 pass attempts for 121 yards and a passing touchdown with two interceptions. Irish defensive lineman, sophomore Boubacar Traore, made the play of the game on this 34-yard pick six, which was a part of his two tackles and one sack performance. The second interception was made by true freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who was also impressive with three tackles and a half sack.
The number that this Irish defense will remember: 38. That is how many rushing yards Purdue totaled on Saturday. The Irish defense was all over Card, as he finished with six carries for -42 yards rushing, his longest rush being one yard. The Irish defense finished with five sacks. The defensive leader was senior Jason Onye, who totaled four tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pass deflection. Another performance that deserves a spotlight is that of Jordan Botelho who recorded three tackles and a sack before being carted off with an injury in the second quarter.
Notre Dame, once again, has an elite defense. They will be the reason the Irish win football games and deserve respect for their efforts so far this season. Notre Dame’s 12 points per game allowed and 265 yards per game allowed are both top-30 nationally.
Eventually Coach Denbrock and Riley Leonard will need to figure out how to make the passing game more explosive, but for now, enjoy this historic win.
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