Fresh off last week’s absolute beating at home against the frisky Huskies of Northern Illinois, Notre Dame looked to avenge their loss and unleash their frustrations on the Boilermakers of Purdue. And that’s exactly what they did.
The offense started the barrage early, with Jeremiah Love scoring the first touchdown on a 50-yard run to put the Irish up 7-0. The onslaught continued, with Riley Leonard adding three rushing touchdowns of his own (3, 13, and 34 yards). Notre Dame placed the cherry on top at the end of the half with a pick-six by Boubacar Traore, followed by a 70-yard touchdown run by Jadarian Price with just four seconds remaining.
By halftime, Riley Leonard had amassed 112 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, making him one of two ND players to break 100 yards on the ground—the other being Jeremiah Love with 109 rushing yards.
While the touchdowns kept piling up, the real story of the half was the dominance of Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive lines. The O-line paved the way for the running game, while the D-line rebounded from last week’s lackluster performance, holding Purdue to just 77 total yards (64 in the air and 13 on the ground).
The second half might as well have had a running clock, as Notre Dame continued to impose their will on Purdue. The comfortable lead allowed Steve Angeli to get some meaningful snaps, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cooper Flanagan. This also gave Notre Dame the chance to rest their starters and avoid further injuries.
While the final score was overwhelmingly in Notre Dame’s favor (66-7), a few questions remain. First, can Riley Leonard throw the ball consistently? While he made some Mahomes-esque throws, he missed several wide-open receivers and has yet to throw a touchdown pass as a Notre Dame quarterback. Second, can they find consistency on the offensive line? Two already inexperienced starters—right guard Billy Schrauth and center Ashton Craig—were injured during the game. The extent of their injuries is still unknown, but losing them would be a significant blow to Notre Dame’s offense, as the line was already one of their weakest position groups.
Overall, I’m pleased with today’s dominant win. But, I hope Marcus Freeman learned from last week’s loss that they need to prepare every week with the same intensity they brought against Texas A&M and Purdue. Like most Notre Dame fans, I’m tired of having letdown games, and I hope today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame returns home next week against (0-2) Miami of Ohio to hopefully continue building off this rebound win!
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