Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love accounted for six touchdowns as Notre Dame overwhelmed Purdue by 56-30 on Saturday. Quarterback CJ Carr threw for two long scores in an efficient performance. The Irish gained 535 yards of total offense and did not punt all afternoon. Purdue enjoyed a few moments of success against the beleaguered Notre Dame defense but could not keep pace. This long-awaited victory elevates Notre Dame to 1-2 this season.

Carr wasted no time in putting his team on the scoreboard. His first play from scrimmage was a beautifully thrown 66-yard bomb to Malachi Fields for a 7-0 lead. Boilermaker quarterback Ryan Browne immediately led his team to a tying touchdown. Browne caught a halfback pass in the flat and ran untouched into the end zone. This drive rekindled concerns regarding the Irish pass defense. Once again, Notre Dame failed to pressure the passer and played a soft zone in the secondary.

Love answered with a touchdown to reclaim the lead. Purdue could only respond with a field goal as the game moved to the second quarter. Price then took over and scored twice to extend the Irish lead to 28-10. His touchdown bursts were sandwiched around an interception by Notre Dame’s Christian Gray off a deflected Browne pass.

After Spencer Porath added another three-pointer to cut the lead to 28-13, the game took a strange turn. Purdue separated the ball from Carr in the pocket deep in Irish territory on the ensuing possession. The Boilermakers ran one play before the officials sent the teams to the locker room in anticipation of severe weather. After an hour delay, Porath added another field goal to trim the deficit to 28-16.

Lightning struck again but in a different form. Price fielded the kickoff at his goal line and sailed past the Boilermakers for a 100-yard touchdown. One minute still remained in the second period, and Purdue did not waste a second of it. Browne led his team down the field in six plays by carving up Notre Dame’s vulnerable secondary. His 24-yard strike to Nitro Tuggle trimmed the Irish halftime advantage to a less comfortable 35-23.

The Irish reasserted themselves in the third quarter. Love sped around right end for a 46-yard score to make it 42-23. Notre Dame’s defense forced a punt and the hosts scored again as Carr hit Jordan Faison from 48 yards. Suddenly, it was 49-23 and the final result was no longer in doubt. Ten minutes still remained in the period, however, so Coach Marcus Freeman kept his starters on the field. Price obliged with one final curtain call. His one-yard rush capped a drive during which Carr hit Will Pauling on a pair of throws.

Now leading by 56-23, Freeman deployed his reserves to finish the game. Kenny Minchey performed well at quarterback but the Irish missed on a pair of fourth down conversion attempts. His Boilermaker counterpart, Malachi Singleton, threw an interception to Irish freshman Dallas Golden before running for a late touchdown. Despite the margin of victory, it did not feel particularly good to give up 30 points to this opponent. Purdue had virtually no running game and was forced to rely on the pass. Notre Dame still allowed 303 yards through the air and played a soft first half.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Will Notre Dame force multiple turnovers? Two interceptions on athletic plays by the Irish helped the cause and were good to see.
• Can the Irish defensive front collapse the pocket? Notre Dame had only two sacks although they exerted more pressure in the second half. Coach Freeman was not happy with his defense during the weather delay. Perhaps his message to them in the locker room had a positive effect.
• Which team will run the ball most efficiently? Love and Price powered a 254-76 Irish rushing advantage. Singleton played only in the fourth quarter and led the Boilers with 26 yards.
• Will the Irish kicking game be adequate without Burnette? Notre Dame did not convert its lone field goal attempt but Erik Schmidt accounted for eight extra poinsts. A couple of them looked shaky but his kickoffs were solid.
• Can Notre Dame’s secondary contain Browne’s talented receivers? Not consistently. Purdue burned them in stretches and scored points far too easily. Again, the formula for failure was no pressure on the quarterback and soft zone coverage.
• Will Carr be able to complete more intermediate and long passes? Carr threw only 12 passes but most were beauties. His touchdowns came from 66 and 48 yards on well-thrown deep balls. He averaged 22 yards per completion.
• Can Notre Dame win the middle eight minutes for the first time this season? Yes, but only by 14-13. Love’s scoring run and Price’s kickoff return were offset by two Purdue field goals and a touchdown. The latter came on an inexcusable 75-yard, 53-second drive before the half.
• Will the Irish players exude more energy and joy than in the prior two games? Definitely. Eight touchdowns produced much to celebrate and a lot of pushups in the stands. Getting the backups in the game for extended action was also great for morale.

It was a relief to come away with a victory, although it was hardly a “statement” game. We witnessed a balanced offense led by a young quarterback who exudes talent, poise, and confidence. Another special teams score served as a reminder that this phase of the game remains important. The defense, however, is not out of the woods. Although star cornerback Leonard Moore was sidelined and safety Adon Shuler missed time, the overall coverage scheme has too many holes. Up front, blitzers run right into blockers and are stopped cold. There is very little creativity. Purdue’s offensive line was not very good but the Irish still struggled to get home.

Notre Dame will leave home now to play at Arkansas next Saturday afternoon. The Razorbacks have a porous defense and a potent attack. Their quarterback is a dynamic player and they can score a lot of points. Let’s hope the Irish will hold them under 30.