Sept. 29, 2007
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Kory Sheets rushed for 141 yards, and Purdue beat Notre Dame 33-19 on Saturday to keep the Irish winless.
With former quarterback Drew Brees in attendance, the Boilermakers (5-0) got off to their best start since 2004. Curtis Painter passed for 252 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Summers made all four of his field goal attempts.
Notre Dame freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter, and the Irish (0-5) put up a fight in the second half for the first time this season. In the end, Notre Dame's worst ever start got worse, and the Irish face a rugged next three weeks with games against UCLA, Boston College and USC.
Backup quarterback Evan Sharpley completed 16 of 26 passes for 208 yards in relief of a hobbled Clausen, and Golden Tate caught three passes for 104 yards for the Irish.
Clausen limped often in the game, and at times was shuffled in and out of the lineup.
Purdue will take its unbeaten record into next week's home game against Ohio State.
Purdue led 23-0 at halftime, but Notre Dame dominated much of the second half.
Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski intercepted a pass by Painter on Purdue's first possession of the second half, and the Irish took advantage. On a fourth-and-goal at the Purdue 5-yard line, Clausen completed a pass to John Carlson to cut Purdue's lead to 23-6.
Purdue got a few gifts from Notre Dame on its next possession. The Irish bailed the Boilermakers out on a third-and-21 with a late hit, and Purdue later capitalized. Summers' 29-yard field goal gave the Boilermakers a 26-6 lead. The Irish committed three penalties for 35 yards on the possession.
Notre Dame gave itself a chance early in the fourth quarter. Sharpley threw a 43-yard completion to Tate on a fourth-and-5 from the Notre Dame 37. Sharpley eventually threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Duval Kamara with 12:43 left in the fourth quarter to cut Purdue's lead to 26-12.
On Notre Dame's next possession, Sharpley completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to a falling Tate to cut Purdue's lead to 26-19 with 7:58 to go.
Purdue settled down on its next possession. Four running plays netted 35 yards before Painter connected with tight end Dustin Keller for a 14-yard touchdown pass that increased the Boilermakers' lead to 33-19 with 5:33 left.
Notre Dame drove to the Purdue 18 on its next possession, but Purdue's Terrell Vinson intercepted Sharpley in the end zone to end the threat. Vinson's second pick of the game.
A 36-yard pass from Clausen to Tate took the Irish deep into Purdue territory, gave the Irish their best chance to score in the first half , but Alex Magee blocked Brandon Walker's 35-yard field-goal attempt.
Purdue hasn't allowed a first-half touchdown since its season opener against Toledo. The Boilermakers have outscored their opponents 137-20 in first-half play this season.
Notre Dame gained 432 yards, by far its best output of the season. The Irish scored just 27 points in their first four games.