The game was set to begin on the cusp of darkness, a showcase showdown Saturday night between two gold-helmeted powerhouses.
It was over, though, shortly after it started because on a chilly, windy early-autumn evening, the Boilermakers seemed to melt into the night, falling prey to a seemingly unstoppable Irish offense.
By the time the final seconds had ticked off the clock, what was meant to be a prime-time faceoff had finished as a first-rate rout. No. 13 Notre Dame rolled over 22nd-ranked Purdue 49-28 before a crowd 65,491 at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Notre Dame got the scoring started early. Though the Irish offense was forced to punt on its opening possession, the defense forced a Purdue punt just five plays later.
The defense would make brief appearances–totaling just longer than 10 minutes–for the remainder of the first half as the Irish offense converted its next four possessions into touchdowns.
Notre Dame finished the night with more than three times as many passing yards–468–as it had rushing yards–153.
“We had a lot of plays in there that were run-pass option, and then [quarterback Brady Quinn] just picked them apart,” Irish coach Charlie Weis said. “Then the receivers made plays and made them miss.”
Quinn completed 26 of 39 passes for 440 yards and three touchdowns. He had 11 straight completions in the third quarter.
By the time he was done, Quinn had pushed his career total to 6,038 passing yards, leapfrogging Rick Mirer, who had 5,997 career passing yards at Notre Dame. Only Ron Powlus (7,602) and Steve Beuerlein (6,527) have thrown for more yards than Quinn at Notre Dame.
And no Irish quarterback ever has thrown for more than Quinn’s 440 yards against Purdue.
The first score was a quick strike. Pinned to their own 10-yard line, the Irish drove 90 yards in just seven plays. Rashon Powers-Neal’s 1-yard touchdown run on first-and-goal was set up by a stunning one-handed grab by Jeff Samardzija, who stretched and plucked the slightly overthrown Quinn pass out of the air with his right hand before falling with a 41-yard reception at the 1-yard line.
Notre Dame next had a 15-play, 98-yard, 5-minute-36-second drive, scoring on another 1-yard run by Powers-Neal on fourth-and-goal.
After Notre Dame’s Trevor Laws blocked Ben Jones’ 44-yard field-goal attempt on Purdue’s next possession, the Irish offense continued its onslaught with a 73-yard, 13-play drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown reception by Samradzija, extending Notre Dame’s lead to 21-0 with 6:24 remaining in the second quarter.
Purdue’s defense got only a four-play reprieve before a punt forced it back onto the field. The Irish raced 63 yards on just five plays, including a 37-yard reception by Samardzija, before a 10-yard touchdown run by Darius Walker extended the lead to 28-0, an advantage Notre Dame would take into the locker room at halftime.
Maurice Stovall led the Irish with eight receptions for 134 yards. Samardzija added seven for 153.
“We just took what Purdue gave us,” Stovall said.
On Saturday night, that amounted to a victory, Notre Dame’s fourth straight road victory of the season.
As safety Tom Zbikowski put it, “It’s fun going into other people’s places and winning.”
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apatel@tribune.com
