Armando Allen led the way with 247 all-purpose yards and Notre Dame delivered a breakthrough offensive performance on Saturday in a 38-21 thumping of Purdue. The Irish took control in the third quarter behind a rejuvenated running game and timely play action passes by Jimmy Clausen. Allen ran for 134 of Notre Dame’s 201 rushing yards while Clausen passed for 275 and three touchdowns.

The victory moved the Irish to 3-1 on the season and provided a glimpse of what the offense can do when all facets of the game are working. The line opened several large holes, Allen flashed exceptional speed, and Clausen spread the ball around to his tight ends and receivers with pinpoint accuracy.

Defensively, the Irish played poorly at times and surrendered a few big plays, but they held Boilermaker running back Kory Sheets in check for most of the day and played well in the red zone. Also, Robert Blanton jump started Notre Dame after a sluggish first period with a thrilling 47-yard interception return early in the second quarter.

Purdue opened the scoring on its second possession with an impressive drive that featured mid-range passes, screens and a 22-yard scoring run by Sheets on a Statue of Liberty handoff by quarterback Curtis Painter. Things began to look bleak for Notre Dame when James Aldridge was stopped on fourth down on the next series. The Boilermakers quickly moved into scoring position with a 39 yard pass from Painter to Desmond Tardy, but the drive stalled inside the Irish 15 and Chris Summers missed an easy field goal attempt.

Notre Dame returned the favor as Brandon Walker could not convert a 31-yard attempt on the next Irish possession as the game moved into the second quarter. The fans grew restless as Purdue took over and began to move the ball, but Blanton’s big play tied the game at 7-7 with 9:56 remaining in the first half.

Painter was not fazed by his mistake, and subsequently led the Boilermakers on a 78-yard scoring march for a 14-7 lead. Clausen responded by hitting Michael Floyd for 17 and 38 yards after Allen contributed a 35-yard kickoff return. Notre Dame tied the score when Clausen capped the drive with a six yard fade pass to Golden Tate.

As the teams went into the locker room, most observers believed the game would become a shootout that would be decided on the final possession. Much to the delight of the home crowd, however, the Irish took the second half kickoff and marched down the field as Allen exploded through gaping holes in the Boilermaker defense. The sophomore covered the final 45 yards in three consecutive plays to give Notre Dame its first lead of the afternoon.

When Purdue could not answer, Clausen mixed three runs for 48 yards by Allen with short passes to bring the Irish right back into scoring territory. A well executed play action fake and a six yard toss to tight end Kyle Rudolph extended their lead to 28-14 lead.

Notre Dame fans were still busy doing pushups when Painter and Tardy hooked up for a 54-yard scoring strike, and suddenly Notre Dame’s comfortable advantage was cut in half. Over twenty minutes remained in the contest as Purdue kicked off to the Irish.

Allen came to the rescue with a long return to his 46 yard line, and Clausen followed his only sack of the day with a first down pass to Rudolph. The drive appeared to sputter at the Boilermaker 30, but a fourth down gamble paid off when Clausen hit David Grimes behind the Purdue secondary for a touchdown.

Painter and Sheets fought back despite a poor kickoff return, and the Irish defense was quickly backed up to its own 13 yard line. The team responded and essentially clinched the victory on the next series by forcing four straight incompletions to preserve its 35-21 margin.

Tate moved the Irish out of trouble with an acrobatic 39-yard catch along the sideline, and Notre Dame continued into Boilermaker territory. Although the drive stalled, Walker came on and kicked his first field goal of the season, a perfect 41-yarder. These three points were not only important because they put the game out of reach, but also because Walker was able to shed the 800 pound gorilla that had been stalking him all season.

The 21 point third quarter and the ability to score touchdowns on all three of its possessions represented the type of football Irish fans thought they might not see anytime soon. A quick review of the numbers confirms that Notre Dame should have expected this type of performance, but football games do not always follow a script.

Purdue had given up 200 yards rushing per game coming into this game, and the Irish ran for 201.

The Boilers had given up 4.9 yards per rush this season, and Notre Dame had 5.0.

Purdue had surrendered 472 yards per game in its last two outings against Oregon and Central Michigan, and the Irish recorded 476.

Here are a few key questions that we asked in the preview:

Will Notre Dame’s trio of running backs be able to match Sheets’ total output?
Allen outgained Sheets 134-89 and Notre Dame outrushed Purdue by 201-103.

Which team will control the line of scrimmage?
The Irish did a better job, particularly in the decisive third quarter when it manhandled Purdue.

Which team will win the fourth quarter?
Notre Dame had more gas in the tank in the late going, but it was able to coast to victory.

Which quarterback will be more decisive and accurate?
Clausen’s 35 passes were more efficient and effective than Painter’s 59 throws.

Which defense will be most successful on third down?
Both teams were six of 14 on third down, but Notre Dame was better after a shaky first quarter.

Will Weis win the chess match against Brock Spack?
Was there ever a doubt? The scoring passes to Grimes and Rudolph were Exhibits A & B.

Will either kicker help his team win?
Both missed easy chances in the first half, but Walker was able to exit the game with newfound confidence. The Irish special teams also dominated their Boilermaker counterparts.

Notre Dame followers will savor this productive, balanced and error free offensive performance and hope that it signifies a real breakthrough for several talented young playmakers. Allen, Rudolph, Floyd and Tate can pose a variety of problems for opposing defenses and Clausen has silenced those who claimed he was overhyped. Others skill players such as Grimes, Aldridge and Robert Hughes are quality contributors and the linemen took a major step forward by demonstrating proficiency in both run and pass blocking.

The Irish will face better defenses than Purdue in the coming weeks, but they should fear no one if they can continue to run the ball. This will open up the play action passes to a degree not seen since 2005. All that remains for this offense is to develop the confidence and consistency that comes when talented individual players come together as a unit.

Defensively, the game only partially masked a few very serious concerns. Notre Dame gave up 462 yards and was burned on several occasions. Even safeties David Bruton and Kyle McCarthy took bad angles as the Irish were gashed for big plays by Sheets and Tardy. Fortunately, the group has been relatively injury free and the emergence of a more consistent offense will alleviate some of the pressure. In the mean time, the team is
growing before our eyes and the dark days of 2007 are rapidly fading from view.