It’s a perfect September for Notre Dame.
The Irish knocked out Purdue in the first half, going up 35-0 at the break and never looking back to move to 4-0.
Notre Dame’s defense put on a clinic, holding the Boilermakers scoreless and recording four sacks in the first half as the offense cruised. The four sacks is tied for the most in a first half for the Irish under Marcus Freeman.
Bryce Young was a menace on the line, bringing down Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne twice, forcing a fumble in the second quarter that was scooped up and returned by Drayk Bowen for six.
CJ Carr was as cool and confident as ever orchestrating the Notre Dame offense, going 14-22 for 237 yards and three touchdowns. The sophomore also showed off his legs, taking a keeper into the endzone for a rushing score. Carr’s legs were also critical in picking up a fourth and short deep in Irish territory, as well as on a big third down conversion in the redzone.
Micah Gilbert also continued his rise as a big-play receiver, catching a pair of balls for 83 yards and a touchdown. Gilbert opened the scoring for the Irish after a rare punt to start the game, but Carr and the offense quickly found their rhythm soon after. The receiver snagged a 23-yard score to put Notre Dame up 7-0.
The Irish rushing attack also saw some more life in the second quarter as Aneyeas Williams inserted himself back into the backfield. After only rushing once in the second half against Michigan State, Williams flashed with a 22-yard touchdown run to put Notre Dame up two scores. Williams rushed for 53 yards in the first half on eight attempts while Nolan James Jr. rushed four times for 19 yards.
While the offense was rolling right along, the Irish defense continued to dial up the pressure on the Boilermakers. Boubacar Traore and Joey O’Brien — who received his first career start — led the defense with four tackles apiece, and combined for a sack. Notre Dame allowed under 100 yards through the first 30 minutes.
With Williams receiving the bulk of the rushing attempts, James Jr. remained productive catching the ball out of the backfield. Deep in the second quarter, Carr floated a pass over a blitzing defender and into the hands of James Jr. to go up 35-0.
The third quarter was a bit of a struggle for the Irish offense. Carr, who had yet to turn the ball over this season, opened the half with a rare interception. It marked the first interception for Carr since last November against Pitt.
Notre Dame would have to punt on its next opportunity to fully put the game to bed, but as the game stretched into the fourth quarter, Carr snapped back into it to end his day. Carr hit Jordan Faison, who made an impressive contested sideline catch for 26 yards to set the Irish up.
Carr finished the drive with a smooth playaction fake down at the goal line, finding Cooper Flanagan all alone for his second touchdown of the season.
Next up for Notre Dame is a trip to North Carolina for a visit with Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels. A kickoff time has yet to be announced.
