1st Quarter Thoughts – Purdue at Notre Dame

I didn’t get to watch the game live because I was at a wedding yesterday, but I DVRed the game and still took some quarter by quarter notes.  Just an FYI, I do these as the game wears on so some of these look pretty funny in retrospect, but they are entertaining none the less.

• Great first drive by the Irish defense, but Kyle McCarthy HAS to make that pick.  That was an absolute gift and he simply lost the ball in the air.
• The Jimmy Clausent o Kyle Rudolph incomplete pass on the second play of the game was WIDE open, but Clausen made an inaccurate pass.
• The Kory Sheets touchdown was a lesson in bad tackling.  Three different Irish defenders had a shot at Sheets including Darius Flemming, Kyle McCarthy and Terrail Lambert.  Flemming and McCarthy missed the tackle while Lambert had a chance to blow the play up but was easily blocked by a Purdue WR.
• On Armando Allen’s first run of the game he had a clear cut back to the right but instead ran directly into a pile of defenders… again.
• Wow…. don’t know what to say we when can’t convert a fourth and one against Purdue.  Notre Dame is no just 1 for 6 on fourth down this year.  YIKES.
• Brian Smith came to play in the first quarter.  He has been stout up the middle against the run early on.
• Stop me if you have heard this…. Notre Dame’s defense is allowing third down after third down and can’t get off the field.
• Weis and Haywood should take the tape of the Purdue quick flare to the wide receiver because the 33 yard was better than any single such play Notre Dame has run since 2006.
• McCarthy’s hustle play saves a touchdown and then Purdue misses the FG for no points, but the Irish defense needs to do a much better job on third down to have a chance today.
• Irish dodge a bullet on defense and the offense shows signs of life as the first quarter ends.  Purdue has having trouble when the Irish spread them out so hopefully Notre Dame continues to spread the field and throw the ball in the second quarter.