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Notre Dame Football vs. Purdue: 3 Surprises from the Week 3 victory

By Brad Weiss

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is seen before the game against the Toledo Rockets at Notre Dame Stadium on September 11, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is seen before the game against the Toledo Rockets at Notre Dame Stadium on September 11, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Sep 11, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Football linebacker JD Bertrand (27) reacts after the game against the Toledo Rockets at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Football linebacker JD Bertrand (27) reacts after the game against the Toledo Rockets at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

The Notre Dame football team ran their record to 3-0 on the young season, and these three things were surprises in the victory against Purdue Saturday.

The Notre Dame football team needed a big victory at home to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, and while it was touch-and-go at times, they were able to do so against Purdue. In the end, the Irish proved to be the better team on both sides of the ball, got Kyren Williams going in the run game, and eventually proved to be too much for the Boilermakers.

As we turn our attention to the Wisconsin game inside Soldier Field, let us take a final look back at the 27-13 victory Saturday, and three surprising things.

Notre Dame Football vs. Purdue: 3 Surprises from the Week 3 victory

JD Bertrand continues to dominate at linebacker

When Marist Liufau went down with a season-ending injury, the starting WILL linebacker spot was handed to JD Bertrand, who could have won the job even with the injury. Since taking over, Bertrand has been an absolute monster for this Notre Dame defense, and at this point, his performances are going to start being no surprise.

After racking up double-digit tackles in wins against Florida State and Toledo, Bertrand was once again in the middle of it all against Purdue, leading the Irish with 12 tackles. Five of those were solo jobs, and at this point, he already has 35 tackles on the season and is on a pace to collect well over 100 for the year.

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