Notre Dame Beats Purdue, Defense Continues To Be Troublesome
- Bruce Straughan
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
After suffering both heartbreaking and frustrating back-to-back losses against Miami and Texas A&M, Notre Dame went into the Purdue game with its back against the wall and in a must-win situation. Marcus Freeman has consistently done a great job coaching this team after adversity strikes, and he needed to do that again to avoid a 0-3 start to the season. Fans have been in an uproar lately, and rightfully so, even calling for DC Chris Ash's job after just two games, and Freeman needed this win to keep them from looking his way next.
Photo by Notre Dame Athletics
The game started with high hopes, as the defense had a good first series to get off the field. The offense stepped on the field, and CJ Carr immediately threw a strike to Malachi Fields for a 66-yard touchdown. This led many, including myself, to believe that today might be the turnaround we had been looking for. That was until the defense stepped on the field for their second series, and from then on, allowed Purdue to march up and down the field to the tune of 379 yards of total offense.
It's very frustrating to watch this defense go from one of the best in the country last season to one of the worst over the course of one off-season. We all expected a drop-off after losing one of the nation's best defensive coordinators in Al Golden, but this amount of decline is absurd, to say the least. This team is way too talented on the defensive side of the ball to be playing like this.
From poor tackling, missed assignments, lack of physicality, and flat-out looking lost out there at times, one wonders what has happened to this defense. Like everything else in life, it all starts at the top, and that being coaching and specifically the DC, Chris Ash. It just appears that Ash has been a bad fit for this team and defense, and ultimately, it has been a decision that has cost the team greatly.
With that being said, I don't know exactly what happened, which only leads one to speculate, but the defense seemed to flip a switch late in the 3rd quarter and into the 4th quarter with a dramatic change in play calling and even intensity and energy in the players. It was so noticeable that it left many fans across social media wondering if Freeman had taken over the defensive play-calling. Did Ash just suddenly have an awakening? Did it just finally click for the players? or did Freeman really take over? That answer we may not ever get, but I certainly hope it continues into the next game, whatever it may be.
The good news in all of this is that the offense continues to shine and get better each week. Denbrock made it a point to feature the 1-2 Punch of Love and Price, and it paid off early and often for the Irish offensively against Purdue. But that begs the question, where was this during Miami and Texas A&M? CJ Carr continues to grow and become more comfortable and confident each week, which spells greatness for the future of this offense. Kenny Minchey was even able to come into the game and get some meaningful reps, which is always good to see for the backups as well as for the future of the program.
With all this being said, the offense was never a concern in my mind, and I believe they can score as much as anyone in the country. It's such a shame that the defense can't say the same, and I'm not sure it will unless something dramatically changes - and fast. Marcus Freeman has little to no time to find that answer, as an SEC team in Arkansas on the road is just one week away. Will he have some answer by then? Only time will tell, but for his sake, the fans, and my own health and well-being, I sure hope he does.
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