Story by
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
Three takeaways from Notre Dame’s 49-10 win over Purdue
- Story byPharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
- Three takeaways from Notre Dame’s 49-10 win over Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE – The first offensive drive for Purdue and Notre Dame both resulted in punts on Saturday. That was about the only similarity between the teams at Ross-Ade Stadium as Notre Dame dominated the next three-and-a-half quarters.
The Fighting Irish moved the ball with ease on offense and their defense flew around the field to make tackles and create pressure in the backfield. Notre Dame (4-0) led by 35 points at halftime and it never got close as it cruised by Purdue (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten Conference), 49-10.
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"I'm really proud of those guys," Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. "Rivalry game, I thought they played really well, especially in the first half; they were lights out. The best thing about the second half is they responded to a little adversity."
Here are three key takeaways from Notre Dame's win over Purdue on Saturday.
LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD
Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was sacked just six times entering Saturday's game against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish defensive line seemed determined to match that mark in the first half and they nearly did.
Notre Dame defensive ends and tackles lived in the backfield, making Browne's job incredibly difficult. From the first snap, Browne was under pressure. Defensive end Bryce Young drilled him for a loss of nine on the Boilermakers' first play.
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That became the story for Purdue, as Browne was sacked four more times in the first half. He was brought down on back-to-back plays on Purdue's first drive of the second quarter to force a punt.
The very next drive, Young brought Browne down again and this time Browne fumbled it. Linebacker Drayk Bowen scooped up the loose ball and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown.
Notre Dame recorded one more sack in the second half to finish with six. Those sacks amounted in a loss of 46 yards for the Boilermakers. The defensive line also stuffed the run game, limiting Purdue to just 1.3 yards per carry.
"I knew we had to get pressure on the quarterback. However many guys we had to send at him, we would do," Freeman said. "We got good four man pressure. The one play which was huge is Bryce [Young] sacks the quarterback, Boubacar [Traore] forces a fumble and Drayk [Bowen] scoops and scores it. That was a huge moment for us."
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RESURGENCE FROM WILLIAMS
Anyeas Williams had a game to forget against Michigan State last week. The junior was ripped into by Freeman after getting flagged for celebrating a touchdown in the second quarter and he only had one carry afterwards. It culminated what had been a tough start to the season for Williams, but Freeman said Monday he still believes in the running back and had apologized for the blow-up against the Spartans.
Williams responded on Sunday by looking his best all season. Running back Nolan James Jr. handled the carries for the first two drives, but Williams supplanted him late in the first quarter and made an impact immediately.
His second carry was a 22-yard touchdown burst on the first play of the second quarter to put Notre Dame up 14-0. He ended the first half with eight carries for 53 yards and a touchdown and had 80 total rushing yards. It wasn't his greatest output of the season, but an encouraging performance after struggling the previous two weeks.
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"The week, at least through our conversion, did not shake him or phase him," Freeman said of Williams. "He came to work every day. … It was good to see him running the ball and have success. I'm proud of him."
PICK YOUR POISON
Notre Dame's offense was humming against Purdue, racking up 444 total offensive yards. The run game looked good and quarterback CJ Carr continued to play well. He finished 14-of-22 passing for 237 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw his first interception of the season in the third quarter.
Carr relied on wide receiver Micah Gilbert last week, finding him eight times for 170 yards. Against Purdue, the attack was balanced and got multiple players involved.
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Nine different players recorded a catch, led by wide receiver Jordan Faison with four for 66 yards. The tight ends had not been used often this season, but Carr found both Cooper Flanagan and James Flanigan. The former had two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown and the former had one catch for nine yards.
Gilbert still made an impact, recording two catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. He scored the first touchdown of the game, then had a 57-yard catch-and-run.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish will stay on the road and travel to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 3.
