The smiles in the stands at Notre Dame Stadium could not obscure the reality.
“I think everyone can see where we are,” Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie said. “Right now we’re not a real good football team.”
Before making those non-refundable bowl reservations, Irish fans could recall a chilling scenario in Notre Dame’s 11th straight home victory over Purdue.
Just 10:52 into the game against the unranked Boilermakers, trailing 14-0 and facing a fourth-and-inches from their 38, the Irish felt compelled to go for the first down.
After having to use a timeout, a lunge by Jackson was barely enough.
At that point the Boilermakers had driven 80 and 70 yards for scores, and but for a few inches, could have had the ball at the Irish 38. “Bleak” is the word Davie chose.
“I don’t like being in that position,” Davie said. “You can’t win if you can’t play defense.”
In three games Notre Dame has allowed averages of 264 passing yards and 436 yards overall.
“To win today can be something you can build on to have a heck of a season,” Davie said. “But just because we did win today doesn’t mean we’re going to have a heck of a season.”
Big day: Autry Denson’s 143 rushing yards gave him a career total of 3,509, surpassing Vagas Ferguson to become the second-leading rusher in Notre Dame history to Allen Pinkett. Denson’s two touchdowns, a 14-yard run and a 5-yard run, gave him seven against the Boilermakers, tying Anthony Johnson for the most in the Irish-Boilermakers series. Denson exceeded 100 yards for the 19th time in his college career, two short of Pinkett’s school record, and the sixth in the last eight.
Sideline notes: Raki Nelson, a junior split end, sprained his right ankle late in the first quarter and was on crutches during the second half. . . . Jarious Jackson’s 51-yard pass to sophomore tight end Jabari Holloway was the longest completion of his career. . . . The Irish have outscored their opponents 30-3 in the third quarter this season, but have been outscored 79-23 in the first half.
