Notre Dame’s 56–30 win over Purdue didn’t just showcase an efficient offense — it also forced the Irish to lean heavily on their youngest defensive backs. With veterans Leonard Moore and Devonta Smith sidelined (and Adon Shuler suspended for the first half from last week’s BS targeting flag), the secondary was thrust into a trial by fire against a pass-happy Boilermakers attack.
Purdue finished with 303 passing yards on 25 completions, hitting several chunk plays to stay in the game early. Notre Dame adjusted in the second half, but the story was clear: freshmen and first-time contributors are now playing critical snaps because the Irish simply don’t have the luxury of a full-strength secondary.
Veterans sidelined
Freeman confirmed after the game that both Leonard Moore and Devonta Smith were questionable all week and ultimately couldn’t go. Smith has now missed two straight games while Moore hobbled through his ankle injury a week ago before sitting this one out. That absence left Notre Dame to rely on underclassmen who had barely arrived on campus this summer.
“Leonard and Devonta were both questionable going into the game,” Freeman said. “We knew that. Devonta practiced, we just didn’t know if he was going to be able to play, and they couldn’t go. But we have a lot of confidence in these guys that we have on the field.”
Johnson holds the back end together
Pressed into a starting role with Shuler unavailable until halftime, Tae Johnson handled the communication on the back end and provided run support against a Purdue offense determined to attack downfield. Freeman said Johnson’s presence mattered as the young corners adjusted to the speed of the game.
“He did his job, he made sure we were lined up, and he competed,” Freeman said. “When you’ve got freshmen out there, you need somebody who can settle them down and make the calls. Tae gave us that tonight.”
Even as Purdue connected on a few chunk plays, Johnson was part of the reason the defense held firm after halftime. His ability to keep the secondary organized helped Golden and Zackery settle in and make plays as the game wore on. Johnson appears destined for a larger role as the season progresses even when the secondary is at full-strength.
Baptism by fire
That meant heavy snaps for Mark Zackery and Dallas Golden, two true freshmen who weren’t expected to be this involved so soon. Freeman admitted the growing pains are inevitable.
“They got to go through the growing,” he said. “It is what it is. There’s not many freshmen that get a chance to come and start as a true freshman at Notre Dame. They got here in June and we need them, and we trust them. There’s going to be a time where Mark gives up a big play and the next time he knocks it down. And then Dallas is going to intercept the ball on a fade and the next time they catch it. That’s going to help them get better.”
Golden already delivered a glimpse of that potential. He gave up some plays but later responded with an interception — a small but encouraging sign of progress. Freeman called it an example of “delayed gratification” for a player who doesn’t flinch when mistakes happen.
“He gets beat on the ball — that stinks. It’s uncomfortable,” Freeman said. “Put the work in to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s what he’s going to do. And I was really happy, man. I told him when he made that interception, that’s delayed gratification. There’s a lot more to come.”
Holding on against Purdue
Notre Dame’s defense struggled early, giving up 23 first-half points and several explosive passes. Purdue’s quarterbacks averaged 7.6 yards per attempt and completed passes of 31, 24, and 23 yards. But the secondary held up better after halftime, limiting the Boilermakers to one touchdown drive in the final 30 minutes.
The Irish finished with two interceptions and held Purdue to 4 of 14 on third down, showing some improvement in the second half. Still, the reliance on freshmen was obvious. Every time the camera panned to the field, Golden or Zackery were matched up against veteran Big Ten receivers, forced to learn on the job.
Freeman’s balancing act
Freeman has been adamant that Notre Dame’s defensive problems this season are more about execution than confusion. He repeated that message when asked about communication breakdowns in the secondary.
“I don’t think they’re confused,” Freeman said. “We just aren’t executing at the level we want to. It isn’t like our guys don’t know what they’re doing. They know what they’re doing. It’s just we got to continue to execute at a higher level,” Freeman tried to explain.
“Maybe what you’re seeing is frustration. And I don’t want our guys to be animated. I don’t want to be animated, but I am too sometimes. And I got to be better as the leader and they got to be better, because you can’t let your frustration when a team’s moving the ball turn into actions that look like you’re blaming somebody else.”
That kind of perspective is part protection and part challenge. Freeman knows the growing pains will continue, but he’s also demanding that young players raise their execution quickly if Notre Dame wants to stay in the playoff race.
Long-term payoff
The obvious downside to playing freshmen is the mistakes. The upside is the experience. By October, Zackery and Golden could be far more comfortable in their roles than most first-year corners typically are. Moore himself wasn’t expected to play as large of a role as he did until the injury to Benjamin Morrsion thrust him into the lineup. And if Notre Dame gets Moore and Smith back healthy, suddenly the Irish will have both experience and more depth than he had before.
As Freeman put it: “What you never want to do is lose. We don’t do things to lose. But to gain that valuable experience and still be able to come out with a convincing victory like we did, as a coach, you’re like, ‘Okay, we got better in multiple ways today.’”
The takeaway
Notre Dame didn’t pitch a defensive masterpiece against Purdue, but the game could mark a turning point for a young secondary at least. Forced into action, Zackery and Golden showed why the staff trusts them — they made mistakes, but they also made plays. Major questions still loom large as to whether or not defensive coordinator Chris Ash can write this ship though. A quarter of the way into the season this defense still looks lost no matter how Freeman wants to try and explain it away.
The Irish still gave up 303 passing yards, and there will be more rough patches ahead. But as Freeman emphasized, the only way for young defensive backs to grow is to play. Against Purdue, they got that chance, and Notre Dame still walked away with a 26-point win. More explosive offense like USC are on the horizon though so more progress will be needed in a hurry.
If the Irish defense is going to find its stride, it may be because its youngest players learn faster than expected.
