3 bold takeaways after Notre Dame football's blowout win over Purdue
Remember when we were worried about Notre Dame football starting out 1-2 and already being out of the playoff race? Remember when we wondered if Marcus Freeman would have the Irish ready to play after an absolute stinker against Northern Illinois?
It didn't take long at all to wipe out any concerns about consecutive losses on Saturday as the Blue and Gold took a 42-0 lead in the first half against Purdue. They took that lead and galloped to a 66-7 win over the Boilermakers.
So what exactly did we learn from Notre Dame football's explosion? What should we be looking toward next week and the weeks after as the Irish still try and demonstrate they're one of the best teams in the country?
Riley Leonard showed why he's the starting quarterback
It's not just that Leonard ran for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns, though that did demonstrate why offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock trusts the Duke transfer to run the offense over all others. It's also how backup Steve Angeli looked.
Yes, Leonard still didn't demonstrate that he has any desire to throw down field. Yes, his accuracy is still a concern. Yes, his vision when the play starts to break down is a problem. But it appears that Leonard can run the entire offense.
Angeli had some very nice throws, but he has nowhere near the mobility to run Denbrock's offense. I'm confident he could do it if he had to. If Leonard goes down, Angeli is an excellent backup. But he's not a dude who can run the ball the way Denbrock wants to. That's why Leonard is the man and will continue to be him unless and until he gets hurt.
Notre Dame football's defense is not broken
Almost as concerning last week was how hard it was for the Irish to get off the field on defense against NIU. Al Golden's unit took out their frustrations on Purdue.
Against the Notre Dame football defense, Hudson Card and company managed a grand total of 162 total yards. Purdue was held to 38 yards on 25 carries thanks in large part to 4 sacks and 5 tackles for loss.
Card himself was just 11-for-24 with 1 TD and 2 INTs.
It was ugly from the start and the Fighting Irish made a big statement with this game.
Offensive line could be a concern
Time to throw a dash of cold water into the mix. An already snakebit position group saw two offensive line starters leave the game in the first half and neither returned.
Billy Schrauth and Ashton Craig both had to leave with leg injuries. It was clear that Schauth wasn't coming back almost immediately. We'll have to see if Craig stayed gone because of the blowout or because he couldn't have come back.
Notre Dame football likely won't need either next week against Miami of Ohio, but the week after that, they take on 19th-ranked Louisville and they'll need all hands on deck for that game.