Irish Dominate Purdue After Weather Delay

The University of Notre Dame football team (1-2) scored three consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter to seize control of a 56-30 victory over Purdue (2-2) in Notre Dame Stadium. The game was delayed just before halftime due to inclement weather and the threat of lightning. 

Jadarian Price led the Irish offensive output with four touchdowns, rushing for three and returning a kickoff 100 yards for a score. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr was highly effective, completing 10 of 12 passes for 223 yards and two long touchdown passes to Jordan Faison and Malachi Fields.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The start of the game followed a perfect script for the Fighting Irish. Purdue buried itself with an unsportsmanlike penalty on its first drive and faced third and 24 after two ineffective runs. Donovan Hinish hurried the Boilermaker quarterback into a throw out of bounds and the Notre Dame offense quickly got the ball into their hands. 

CJ Carr dropped back and found Malachi Fields streaking down the middle of the field on a post pattern. Fields made a clean catch at the 18-yard line and scampered the rest of the way for a 66-yard touchdown reception. 

Purdue answered quickly with a 31-yard pass into scoring position then executing a perfect throw back to the quarterback who was wide open at the 14-yard line to tie the game at 7-7. 

Jadarian Price placed the Irish in great field position on the next possession with a 42-yard kick return. Jeremiyah Love powered the Irish down the field with two third-down run conversions while a Jordan Faison 17-yard reception set the Irish up in position to score. 

Love followed up with a burst for 13 yards to the one-yard line then scored two plays later to put the Irish back in the lead. 

Boubacar Traore put Purdue behind the sticks with a sack and forced fumble (recovered by Purdue) to eventually for a punt but Purdue went back in their bag of tricks and executed a fake punt to keep possession. Eventually driving to the 30-yard line, Purdue tried a pass into the end zone broken up by Mark Zackery IV. Zackery made his first career start in the game today replacing the injured Leonard Moore. 

Purdue converted a 48-yard field goal to cut Notre Dame’s lead to four points 10 seconds into the second quarter. 

The Irish made it three touchdowns on three drives when they received the kick off. Jordan Faison got his team moving with a first-down catch, Carr scrambled for a first down then Love broke away for a 17-yard run.

Love was relieved by Price at the Purdue 21-yard line and he burst through the right side for the scoring run. 

It was time for the defense to make a play and they stepped up. Freshman linebacker Madden Faraimo popped an intended pass across the middle up in the air and Christian Gray made the interception at the Purdue 44-yard line. Gray returned the interception to the Purdue 36. 

Price continued his determined runs, stiff arming a defender and getting 12 yards around the left side. He burst for a third down conversion next, just tripped up by a defender before he could break into the clear at the Purdue nine-yard line. He found pay dirt on the next play, looping around the right side this time, aided by a Eli Raridon block on the end of the line, to reach the end zone for his second time in the game. 

The Boilermakers drove back down the field in 12 plays eventually getting stopped on third and five in the red zone. Purdue tacked on another field goal from 26 yards out with just under two minutes remaining in the half. 

Notre Dame looked to drive in the time remaining before the break, but Carr was sacked from behind and fumbled, with the ball recovered by Purdue at the Irish 19-yard line. 

The Boilermakers ran one play before the game was stopped for lightning in the area. 

The delay due to weather lasted until 7 p.m. ET (exactly one hour, 54 minutes) and the game was restarted and would skip a halftime break. 

The Irish held the Boilermakers once play resumed with the kicker coming on again and converting a 35-yard field goal. Donovan Hinish and Gabriel Rubio combined on a sack to force the field goal attempt. 

The delay seemed to kickstart the Irish special teams as well. Price took the Purdue kickoff at the goal line, broke through a hole and bounced off another tackle for a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. 

The scoring in the first half would not end. Purdue answered with a lightning quick 75 yard drive in six plays, scoring on a 24-yard touchdown toss. 

Purdue’s momentum did not last long. Carr started the drive with a 14-yard strike to Faison then three plays later Love tried the middle, bounced to his right behind blocks from Jaden Greathouse and Faison and raced down the sidelines for a 46-yard touchdown. 

The defense earned a stop on Purdue’s next drive, forcing the first punt of the game. Faison started the drive again with 14 yards then broke open down the left sideline for a 48-yard touchdown grab. 

Following Faison’s big play the defense earned another stop when Bryce Young sacked the quarterback on third down. 

Love began the drive with 36 rushing yards on four carries and he would finish the game with a career-high 157 yards. Carr hit Will Pauling for 21 yards into the red zone, then Price finished off the drive with a 12 yard run and a one-yard plunge for his third rushing score of the game. 

The teams started to substitute liberally after Price’s touchdown with Kenny Minchey seeing his first quarterback action of the year along with numerous other Irish players. 

Purdue tacked on a touchdown late in the game to represent the final score of 56-30.