A look at what the media is saying after Notre Dame’s 27-13 victory against Purdue on Saturday.
Mike Singer & Tim Hyde, BlueandGold.com: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football postgame show after Purdue Boilermakers game
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Patrick Engel, BlueandGold.com: Possible 'turning point' for Notre Dame defense comes at the right time
SOUTH BEND – Kyle Hamilton drew the curtains on a takedown of Purdue as he barrel-rolled in Notre Dame Stadium’s south end zone, the football cradled in his arms after snatching it out the air for an interception.
All in one motion, the junior safety rose, faced the crowd, pantomimed a pouring motion in one hand and threw his arms upward as teammates greeted him.
A 27-13 victory over Purdue, punctuated. A weight lifted off the shoulders. And not just his.
“There were a bunch of question marks around our defense this past week,” Hamilton said. “It was a little annoying, seeing the work we put in throughout the summer and understanding it’s the first two games with a new defensive coordinator and that we were 2-0.”
Public angst was indeed prevalent, though not unwarranted. The Irish’s defense allowed four plays of 60-plus yards – one more than they surrendered in the prior four seasons – in wins over Florida State and Toledo where they couldn’t protect fourth-quarter leads. There were coverages busts and missed tackles. Pressure vanished at times. Havoc plays did too.
All told, it was uncharacteristic. A pair of claustrophobic wins with defensive lapses and blocking concerns didn’t provide much reason to think the Irish could get through the late September and October meat of their schedule without severe dents in the armor.
The defense was much better than it was in the first two weeks against Florida State and Toledo. The offensive line protected a bit better. The Fighting Irish (3-0) outscored the Boilermakers (2-1) by 17 points in the final three quarters.
Head coach Brian Kelly's team was graded accordingly by BlueandGold.com as a result. Here's Notre Dame's report card from its third win of the season in as many games.
Notre Dame Passing Offense B+
Notre Dame was a few missed throws to senior wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. away from turning a B+ into an A+. Austin Jr., who went into the game with more receptions than any other Notre Dame wide receiver, did not have a single catch. Graduate senior quarterback Jack Coan missed him three times when he was wide open, and he dropped another one of his crucial targets. Sophomore tight end Michael Mayer, who had by far the most catches (16) of any Notre Dame player going into the game, only had one catch for five yards. And yet, Notre Dame still passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns thanks to senior wide receiver Austin Davis and junior running back Kyren Williams. That duo had 167 combined receiving yards and a touchdown apiece. Even when Notre Dame’s top two targets couldn’t get going, Notre Dame found a way to stay successful through the air.
Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune: Flawed Irish find their defensive footing in win over Purdue
Bottom Line
No. 12 Notre Dame slogged its way Saturday through the last of three games before it hits the gristle in its schedule, looking again very much like a flawed team trying to grow into its national ranking.
This time, at least, first-year coordinator Marcus Freeman’s defense stepped up to the task in a 27-13 victory over Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium.
The Irish offense labored, especially on third down, until ND running back Kyren Williams willed himself 51 yards for a game-clinching TD with 6:05 left in the game, breaking several tackles along the way.
Brian Kelly picked up victory number 105 as the Irish head coach, tying coaching icon Knute Rockne atop the school’s victory list, Rockne’s 105th win was a 27-0 rout of USC in Los Angeles.
ESPN: College Football Power Rankings after Week 3
No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)
Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly knew his team would have growing pains early this season, especially because of a rebuilt offensive line that already is dealing with injuries. So he doesn't seem too concerned about his offense's inconsistency during a 3-0 start. The Irish averaged only 3.5 yards per carry, and quarterback Jack Coan was sacked four times against the Purdue Boilermakers in a 27-14 win. The Irish were starting their third-team left tackle, Tosh Baker, after Blake Fisher (knee) and Michael Carmody (ankle) went down with injuries in the first two games. The Irish won't have much time to get better with next week's game against No. 18 Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago coming fast. -- Mark Schlabach
