Notre Dame routs Purdue behind stout defense and QB CJ Carr's passing attack

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CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, linebacker Drayk Bowen scored his first career TD on a 15-yard fumble return and No. 3 Notre Dame beat Purdue 49-10 on Saturday.

Carr was 14 of 22 for 237 yards and threw his first interception of the season. It's the second straight week Carr has had a TD pass and a TD run in the same game. Aneyas Williams carried 14 times for 80 yards with one TD as the Fighting Irish (4-0) produced a season-high 177 yards rushing.

Notre Dame has won 14 straight and will start October with a perfect record for the first time since 2021.

It was another miserable day for the struggling Boilermakers (1-3). Ryan Browne was 18 of 28 for 111 yards and lost the fumble that Bowen returned for the touchdown. Purdue had only 12 yards rushing in the first half and finished the game with only 218 total yards as it lost its third straight.

Notre Dame took control when it stopped a fake punt on Purdue's second possession 1 yard short of a first down near midfield.

Four plays later, Carr connected with Micah Gilbert for a 14-yard TD pass to make it 7-0. Notre Dame capped its next two possessions with a 22-yard scoring run from Williams and a 1-yard TD run from Carr. Then Bryce Young's strip sack led to Bowen's scoop-and-score to make it 28-0 with 4:15 left in the first half.

Carr closed out the first-half scoring with a 3-yard TD pass to Nolan James Jr. and, before departing early, added a 2-yard TD pass to Cooper Flanagan.

The takeaway

Notre Dame: Coach Marcus Freeman will like the dominance of his team in the first half but will have plenty to correct in a far less efficient second half. When it mattered most, Notre Dame looked like a title contender. But it may have to wait to rise in the AP Top 25.

Purdue: Things keep getting worse for the Boilermakers. The offense settled for one field goal and a TD with 6 seconds left in the game after scoring 36 or more points in three straight games. The defense continues to give up big plays, and Purdue still hasn't beaten a Power 4 foe since its 2023 season finale against Indiana.

The rivalry

Purdue and Notre Dame have met 90 times in this series but lately it's been all Irish. They've won 11 straight in the Battle for the Shillelagh. Two years ago, Notre Dame dealt Purdue what was then the worst loss in school history, 66-7. And in the last three meetings, Notre Dame has outscored Purdue 171-40.