what we learned: purdue

A day after Notre Dame's 56 to 30 win over Purdue, this was exactly the kind of performance an 0 and 2 team needed, a lopsided offensive showcase that reminds everyone what this roster is capable of. But a closer look at the game reveals that not everything has actually been fixed.

The Positives

CJ Carr was nearly perfect, completing 17 of 20 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66 yard connection with Malachi Fields on the opening drive that set the tone immediately. Notre Dame scored touchdowns on seven of its first eight possessions and finished with 535 total yards, the kind of offensive explosion that had been missing through the first two weeks of the season. Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love combined for four rushing touchdowns, and Price's 100 yard kickoff return score was the kind of explosive, game changing play this team can lean on going forward.

Anthonie Knapp had his best game of the young season at left tackle, giving Carr a clean pocket on nearly every dropback and sealing the edge on several of the long runs that broke Purdue's defense open in the second quarter. For a program that desperately needed a win, both for its record and for its psyche, this was as complete an offensive performance as Notre Dame has put together this season, and it snaps the growing sense of panic that had followed the 0 and 2 start.

The Negatives

The defense, unfortunately, did not turn the corner in this game, even against a clearly overmatched Purdue team playing without its starting quarterback for stretches. Purdue's backups combined to throw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, and the Boilermakers held the ball for 28 minutes and converted 21 first downs, numbers that would have been alarming against a ranked opponent and are still concerning against a rebuilding Big Ten team picked near the bottom of its conference.

Karson Hobbs continued to struggle in coverage, getting turned around on a double move that led to one of Purdue's second half touchdowns, and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa was slow to diagnose several screen passes that turned modest gains into first downs. Jason Onye and Boubacar Traore combined for only one hurry between them against a Purdue offensive line that had allowed pressure at one of the highest rates in the conference entering the game, a troubling sign about Notre Dame's ability to generate a rush without blitzing.

Marcus Freeman was blunt about it afterward, telling reporters the defense was not confused, they simply were not executing. That is a fair diagnosis this morning, but it is one the coaching staff will need to prove correct over the coming weeks, starting with next week's road trip to Arkansas.

Who Shined

CJ Carr and Jadarian Price were the headline performers, with Carr's efficiency and Price's dual threat scoring, on the ground and on special teams, powering the offensive explosion. Malachi Fields also emerged as a legitimate downfield threat with his 66 yard touchdown catch, and Anthonie Knapp's clean protection up front deserves real credit.

Who Disappointed

Karson Hobbs and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa were both beaten repeatedly in coverage, and Jason Onye and Boubacar Traore were unable to generate consistent pressure without extra rushers, allowing a backup quarterback rotation to move the ball with far too much ease. This was a game the offense won largely on its own, and that will not always be enough against better competition later in the schedule.