Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 21, 2024 25 3 Fighting Irish players — senior quarterback Riley Leonard (100), sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love (90) and junior running back Jadar- ian Price (77) — compiled at least 75 yards on the ground in the first half — the first time that has happened for Notre Dame dating back to 2012, per Notre Dame media relations. In the 2012 season opener versus Navy in Ireland, running backs Theo Riddick and George Atkinson III both rushed for more than 75 yards. The last time any FBS team had three players do it in the first half of a road game was West Virginia in a 49-0 win at Kansas in 2015. 4 Different Notre Dame players scored a rushing touchdown against Purdue: Leonard, Love, Price and sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey. It is the first time that has happened for the Irish since 2000 at Southern Cal. The Irish also had four different players produce an explosive run (20 or more yards): Price (70), Love (48), Leonard (34) and junior quarterback Steve Angeli (29). 8 Years ago was the last time an FBS player compiled 100 or more passing yards, 100 or more rushing yards and 3 or more rushing touchdowns in a first half, before Leonard did it versus the Boilermakers. He finished the first half with 100 yards and 3 touchdowns on 11 rushing attempts and was 11-of-16 passing for 112 yards, and then did not play in final 30 minutes of the game. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson was the last to do it, accomplishing the feat in a 62-28 win at Syracuse on Sept. 9, 2016, on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. 9 Straight victories for Notre Dame against Purdue — the second-longest win streak in series history. The longest is 11 from 1986-96 by the Irish, who won all but one of those games by at least 17 points (35-28 in 1995 was the lone exception) with an average scoring margin of 28 points (39-11). Notre Dame now holds a 60-26-2 all-time advan- tage in the series and is 29-14-2 in games played at West Lafayette, Ind. 42-0 Marked Notre Dame's second-largest halftime lead since 1996. The largest was 45-0 over Georgia Tech in 2021, while the third-largest was 40-0 over Pitt in 1996. The 42-point advantage was the highest for a road team during the 2024 college football season to date, per Notre Dame media relations. Last year, Oregon (at Arizona State) was the only road team to build a 42-point lead at halftime. 59 Points was Notre Dame's margin of vic- tory against Purdue. It is the worst loss by margin for Purdue in the history of its football program. The previous high was 56 four times. 66 Points are the most ever scored by the Fighting Irish in a road game, breaking the previous mark of 62 set at Army in 1973. Per ESPN, Notre Dame's 66 points were also the most scored following a loss within the same season since 1908. That year, the Irish lost 12-6 at Michigan and then defeated Chicago Physicians & Surgeons 88-0 in their next game. In addition, the 66 points are the Irish's most ever scored against the Boilermakers, eclipsing the previous mark of 52 set in 1983 and matched in 1988. 70 Yards on the touchdown run by junior run- ning back Jadarian Price late in the second quarter marked Notre Dame's fifth touchdown run of 30 or more yards this season. The Irish had four of those the entire 2023 season. In addition to Price's 70-yard scamper against the Boilermakers, he had a 47-yarder at Texas A&M in Week 1. Sophomore Jeremiyah Love is also respon- sible for two — a 34-yarder against Northern Illi- nois and in Week 2 and a 48-yarder versus Purdue — while Leonard added a 34-yarder at Purdue. 118 Consecutive passing attempts without a touchdown toss for Leonard — the longest streak in the nation, per CBS Sports. 278 Rushing yards for Notre Dame in the first half against Purdue — the ninth time the Irish have racked up 200 or more rushing yards in the first half of a game since 2000. It was the most in the first half of a game since 2012, surpassing the 258 versus Wake Forest in 2017, and marked the most in any half since the Irish ran for 297 in the second half of a win over Boston College in 2017. A week after being outrushed by Northern Il- linois (190-123), the Irish finished with a 362-38 advantage on the ground against the Boilermakers. BY THE NUMBERS BY STEVE DOWNEY 1st Career touchdown re- ception for graduate student tight end KEVIN BAUMAN was an 8-yard connection with junior quarterback Steve An- geli top open the fourth quarter. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER