Notre Dame football just extended its winning streak to a mind-blowing 14 consecutive games, dropping a dominant 49-10 performance on rebuilding Purdue this Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium. The No. 3 Irish are now a pristine 4-0, and this isn’t some flash in the pan; it’s the longest winning streak for Notre Dame since Lou Holtz’s legendary 17-game run back in 1992-93. Marcus Freeman’s 2024 squad kicked off this heater with a 66-7 win right there at Purdue’s home field, making this sweep feel extra sweet.
Offensive Explosions and a Streak Broken
The offense walked away with a B+ grade, and man, there were some serious highlights. Aneyas Williams, after losing his starting job to Nolan James Jr., absolutely lit it up with a 22-yard touchdown run and an impressive 53 rushing yards by halftime. Talk about a response! Micah Gilbert kept his explosive play streak alive, scoring the first touchdown on a 27-yard post route and then setting up the second score with a massive 56-yard gain on a shallow cross. However, even in a rout, there was a moment: CJ Carr threw his first interception since a pick-6 against Pittsburgh last November, snapping a crazy streak of 133 pass attempts without a pick. Nobody’s perfect, but the scoreboard sure looked like it.
Defense Clamps Down and Coaches Go For It
The defense earned a well-deserved A, and they earned it with grit. Even with freshman Joey O’Brien stepping in as the third-team safety, they unleashed four first-half sacks, completely taking the air out of Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne. Drayk Bowen was a beast, scooping up a fumble from Bryce Young’s second sack and running it back 15 yards for a score. These guys are just suffocating; they’ve held opponents scoreless on their opening series in nine straight games and allowed just two field goals over their past 15 games on the first defensive series of the second half. And the coaching? Coach Freeman’s crew earned an A for some gutsy play calling, converting a fourth-and-1 from their own 24-yard line while up 14-0. Carr kept it for 2 yards, and nine plays later, the Irish were in the end zone. That’s how you put a game away against the 128th-ranked scoring defense in FBS play.
Overall, it was an A- performance. After completing an early-season Big Ten triple crown with solid wins over Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Purdue, the Irish are now ready to kick off the ACC portion of their schedule. Next weekend, it’s a road trip to North Carolina. This team is rolling, and the early season momentum is massive. Can they keep this incredible run going? You know we’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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