In what was supposed to be a statement game, Notre Dame barely survived. In what was supposed to be a breakout performance, quarterback Carlyle Holiday stalled. In what was supposed to be the start of a new era, the Irish offense looked suspiciously stuck in the last one.
Notre Dame’s 24-17 victory over Purdue on Saturday was a knotty affair, full of kinks and bumps and potholes.
Surviving imperfection, however, allowed the Irish to maintain perfection.
“To be 2-0 right now is a special thing,” coach Tyrone Willingham said after his first victory at Notre Dame Stadium.
How special? Not since 1996, when Lou Holtz roamed the sidelines, Ron Powlus ran the offense and Autry Denson ran the ball, had Notre Dame begun a season 2-0.
Purdue (1-1) compiled 115 more yards than Notre Dame and had a 122-yard edge in the passing game. The Irish, though, compensated for their ineffective offense with superb defense and stellar special-teams play.
Notre Dame forced four turnovers and committed just one, which turned out to be the difference in a tightly contested game before 80,795 fans in blistering heat.
“In all the years I’ve coached, it invariably comes down to one thing: turnovers,” Purdue coach Joe Tiller said.
Willingham is of a like mind on the matter.
“When a team scores on a turnover, you’re going to be 90 percent sure that you’ll win the football game,” he said.
The Irish scored on a turnover not once, but three times.
Late in the fourth quarter with the game tied 17-17, cornerback Vontez Duff intercepted a deflected Kyle Orton pass at the Purdue 33-yard line and streaked to the end zone, swiping the football over the pylon as he dove for the winning score.
“On defense you don’t get to score touchdowns that much,” said Duff, who has three in his last three games. “Once I get the ball in my hands, I’m going to score.”
It’s a mentality the Irish offense is still working on adapting. Notre Dame’s offense has not managed a touchdown this season, which makes its 2-0 record that much more unusual.
Holiday, hurried and harried all day by Purdue’s relentless pass rush, was sacked four times. He managed only seven completions in 22 attempts, one in the entire second half as Notre Dame had only 203 yards of total offense.
“We knew Carlyle was a young quarterback with a new system, so if we showed him a lot, he would check off at the line,” said Purdue free safety Stuart Schweigert, who was all over the field, making 12 tackles for Boilermakers. “We didn’t want to just stand around like Maryland did and let [Notre Dame] dictate.”
They didn’t, forcing the Irish to rely more on their running game. Tailback Ryan Grant, held to 66 yards against Maryland, carried 21 times for 96 yards.
Purdue drove into Notre Dame territory on its final possession, advancing to the Irish 30. But linebacker Mike Goolsby nailed Ray Williams for a 6-yard loss on a reverse, stalling the Boilermakers. On fourth-and-13, defensive end Ryan Roberts chased Orton from the pocket, and Orton wound up throwing the ball away. Purdue had no timeouts remaining and couldn’t stop the clock.
Safety Gerome Sapp got the Irish on the board first with a 54-yard fumble return less than two minutes into the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Notre Dame’s Justin Thomas slammed into Deaunte Ferrell, jarring the ball out of his arms. Lionel Bolen picked the ball out of the air at the 4-yard line and stepped into the end zone, propelling the Irish from a scoreless tie to a 14-0 lead in a span of 11 seconds.
Nicholas Setta’s 19-yard field goal five minutes later gave the Irish a 17-0 lead, but the momentum abruptly shifted to Purdue after Anthony Chambers returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in the waning minutes of the second quarter.
Purdue drove 71 yards for another TD late in the third quarter and tied it 17-17 with Berin Lacevic’s 45-yard field goal seven seconds into the fourth.
Notre Dame’s victory was not secured until the final moments. But the outcome, cornerback Shane Walton insisted, was never in doubt.
“It’s a mentality we have, to see winning, to hear winning, to think winning,” he said. “And that’s what will happen.”
The particulars of Sautrday’s victory might not have sent a dramatic message. But with Michigan next, the Irish know they have to do better.
