SOUTH BEND ― Notre Dame football did something Saturday that it last did 254 days earlier.
Notre Dame football did something Saturday at home that it last did 274 days earlier.
The winless Irish went and won a football game. Finally.
It didn’t start in prime time, though that’s where it ended. It didn’t feature a ranked opponent. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a 56-30 win.
Thank you, Purdue.
For the second straight September, whatever ails Notre Dame football can be cured (somewhat) against Purdue. Last September, 110 miles to the southwest in sunny and steamy West Lafayette, Notre Dame scored 66 points, allowed seven and kick-started a 10-game win streak that culminated in a College Football Playoff berth against Indiana.
On Saturday at home despite a weather delay of one hour and 54 minutes (really 53), a Notre Dame team that had opened 2025 with two losses to two ranked teams by a combined four points, finally got going in the right direction. Kind of.
Saturday was the first time Notre Dame won since January 9 against Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl. Saturday was the first time Notre Dame won at home since December 20 over Indiana in the first-round CFP game.
Both wins felt like forever ago.
Before the rain arrived and soaked everything in sight, flip cards and rosters were essential for Notre Dame fans, particularly on defense. We saw many different faces, and not a crisis too soon. We saw defensive linemen Elijah Hughes and Cole Mullins, linebacker Madden Faraimo and freshmen defensive backs Dallas Golden (nickel) and Mark Zackery IV (corner). We didn’t see nickel Karson Hobbs at all.
We finally saw defensive Bryce Young be dominant.
We still saw Chris Ash coordinating the defense from the west sideline. He didn’t pack up his office during the delay like many may have wanted (hoped).
It took a while for Purdue to realize that two freshmen were playing key roles on defense. The Boilermakers opened the game with three plays for (-14) yards ― exactly what the Irish needed.
The good defensive vibes didn’t last for an Irish group that would allow a flea-flicker touchdown pass to Ryan Browne. Probably didn’t have that one on the coverage call sheet. By halftime, which arrived just before nightfall, Purdue was on track for nearly 600 yards of total offense.
So much for those defensive adjustments. Too many explosive plays for the other guys. Again.
Play was halted with 91 seconds remaining in the first half and the Irish up 28-13. Mother Nature rolled through with one last summer storm. It marked the third straight season, and second time in as many at home, that an Irish game was delayed because of weather.
Being sent to the locker room was the last place the Irish offense wanted to be. While too many ills to count ailed the defense, the Notre Dame offense was fine ― up until right before lightning was detected near the stadium.
As ugly as it was, and it was, this one was needed. The Irish defense didn’t look all that improved, but at least it was a win. After the first two weeks of the season, you take it and move on to the next challenge. That’s life around Notre Dame football.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Saturday at home was a long day, but was it a happy one for Notre Dame football?
Reporting by Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
