Notre Dame Beats Purdue: Key Takeaways From the Huge Win

Notre Dame gets its first win of the season

After an odd and frustrating start to the season, Notre Dame finally collected its first win, defeating Purdue 56-30. If ever there was a week the Irish needed a confidence boost against an inferior opponent, this was it. And Notre Dame took advantage.

There is a lot to like from this Irish victory, yet some major concerns remain regarding the long-term outlook of the season. Let's dig deeper into all angles of this storm-extended affair.

The Notre Dame offense is improving rapidly

Through three games, it's clear the Irish offense is maturing rapidly. CJ Carr is going to be a star for the Irish. He's gaining comfort and confidence each time he takes the field, and no moment of pressure or stress is too much for him to handle.

Carr's efficient 10/12 passing effort for 223 yards and 2 TDs, highlighted by his 66-yard bomb to Malachi Fields, demonstrated the Irish's ability to beat teams deep, something fans have been begging to see over recent years.

As Carr develops and improves weekly, so too will the Irish offensive line. Combining this with the terrific stable of backs Notre Dame has, led by Jeremiyah Love and JD Price, makes me think this Irish offense will get better throughout the year and is capable of putting up boatloads of points, something the Irish may need in order to win games.

The Notre Dame pass defense is still a major problem

While Notre Dame's offense took a big jump forward against Purdue, the Irish defense, specifically the pass defense, remains a huge issue. Even in a game where Notre Dame clearly had a physical advantage in almost all ways possible, the Irish allowed over 300 yards passing and got burnt over the top multiple times.

The Irish have allowed 98 points to be scored on them in three games. For comparison, this is more than the BVG defense allowed in Notre Dame's awful 2016 campaign through the same number of games. This leaves Irish fans wondering if the pass defense will ever "get it" and play soundly, or if each game is going to be a shootout.

After so many years of the Irish defense being the backbone of the program, it is no longer. It was reasonable to think that the pass defense would look vastly improved against an inferior Purdue team, but it did not. Unfortunately, it feels like this issue may plague the Irish all season.

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