Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/81738
✦ TOP STORYLINES: NOTRE DAME VS. PURDUE BY LOU SOMOGYI HOME COOKING IN THE HOME STATE Home-field advantage has been a mis- nomer at Notre Dame in recent years. It's not so much that the Irish haven't posted an unbeaten home campaign in a school-record 13 seasons, but rather the alarming regularity at which it has been unable to defend its home turf. Since 2007, the Irish are 17-16 at home, including ignominious losses to Navy (2007 and 2009), a 2-8 Syracuse team (2008), Connecticut (2009), Tulsa (2010) and South Florida (2011), with the latter three coming in their first-ever visit to Notre Dame Stadium. Nevertheless, if there is one program whose number Notre Dame has had when it comes to home games over the past four decades, it's Purdue. Since 1976, the Irish are 16-1 (.941) at home against the Boilermakers, with the lone blemish a 41-16 trouncing in 2004 at the hands of head coach Joe Tiller's No. 15-ranked team. Over those same 36 years, other tradi- tional rivals have had much greater suc- cess in Notre Dame Stadium. USC is 8-9 on Irish turf since 1979, while Michigan State is 7-7 there since 1983. Pitt has won five times in 13 tries since 1976, while Boston College is 5-6 there since making its first visit in 1987. Yet Purdue, which once held the record for most consecutive victories at Notre Dame Stadium with five from 1954-62, has repeatedly come up short, and lost three straight from 1998-2002 through unusual circumstances: • In 1998, the Boilermakers took a 30-21 advantage with just 7:52 left, only to lose 31-30 when Jim Sanson kicked a 17-yard field goal with 57 seconds left. Notre Dame safety Tony Driver, who many believed had left school that same Fifth-year senior Caleb TerBush, who was elected a team captain this spring, started 13 games and threw for 1,905 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2011. PHOTO COURTESY PURDUE ✦ PAGE 6 week, intercepted two Drew Brees passes in the final two minutes, the first returned 37 yards to set up the go-ahead field goal and the second to seal the outcome. • In 2000, after Irish starting quarter- back Arnaz Battle was injured a week earlier, head coach Bob Davie turned to converted tight end Gary Godsey. Irish T-shirts before the game read "In Godsey We Trust." Godsey scored Notre Dame's first touchdown on a nine-yard run, and he completed 14 of 25 passes for 158 yards with one interception in the 23-21 Irish victory. He drove the Irish to the game-winning field goal from 38 yards out by Nicholas Setta, as time elapsed. Brees was 13-of-22 passing for 221 yards with two scores and an interception. • In head coach Tyrone Willingham's first season (2002), Notre Dame pulled off a 24-17 victory — with all three touchdowns scored by defensive backs. Gerome Sapp returned a fumble for a 54-yard score, Lionel Bolen grabbed a fumble on the ensuing kickoff for a four- yard tally, and Vontez Duff scored the game winner in the fourth quarter when he picked off a Kyle Orton pass and raced 33 yards. It all begins with Purdue if Notre Dame is to finish unblemished at home for the first time in 13 years. ROCKING THE CRADLE Miami (Ohio) has the title of "Cradle of Coaches," and Purdue has designated itself in its marketing as the "Cradle of Quarterbacks." While many schools, including Notre Dame, could present a similar case, what Purdue has going for it is its quarter- backs have started more NFL games than any other school, plus thrown for the most yards and touchdowns in the league. With Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Drew