Notre Dame football: 3 Keys to victory against Purdue in Week 3

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Florida State Seminoles running back Jashaun Corbin (0) sprints towards the end zone. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lead the Florida State Seminoles 17-14 at the half Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021.Fsu V Notre Dame348 /

Notre Dame football: 3 Keys to victory against Purdue in Week 3

Eliminate the big plays on defense

One of the more shocking things that have happened regularly this season for this Notre Dame football team has been the defense allowing so many big plays. This was not an issue the last few seasons, but as we saw against Toledo and Florida State, this defense has a tendency to fall asleep at times, and they have been beaten for big plays time and time again.

Against Purdue, that cannot happen, as Plummer is going to take his shots downfield, and Bell is a guy who will make you pay if you make a mistake. Luckily for Notre Dame, Purdue’s starting running back is out for this one, giving them a bit of an advantage on defense, but Plummer can flat out sling it, and the cornerbacks better be up for the challenge as Kyle Hamilton cannot do it all.

Sep 11, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) stiff arms Toledo Rockets linebacker Dyontae Johnson (2) in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

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It has been almost shocking how many big plays have been allowed this season, especially after how few they allowed under former defensive coordinator, Clark Lea. For Freeman and this defense, this is the biggest test of the season so far, and keeping the big plays at a minimum is going to go a long way in this team moving to 3-0 on the young season.

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