At First Glance

IrishEyes’ on-the-spot observations of today’s first quarter vs. the Boilermakers

A quick look back at the first quarter of the Brian Kelly era:

• Ryan Kerrigan ruined both of Notre Dame’s first two drives with his backfield penetration as a pass-rusher and backside pursuit vs. the run
• Fleming lost containment twice but made a nice stop on 3rd and 1 in the backfield
• Walls matched his season-best interception total with his first pick of the season to stifle Purdue’s second drive inside the Irish xx yard line
• Cierre Wood sparked the Irish to their first score of the 2010 season with runs of 16, 15 and 15 yards, the latter on a 3rd and 6
• Armando Allen’s 22-yard cutback touchdown run was one of the five best runs of his Irish career
• Duval Kamara’s skinny post for 12 yards helped set up Allen’s touchdown jaunt
• Kyle Rudolph finished the first quarter with three receptions for 28 yards
• Cornerback Gary Gray a defensive bright spot with four stellar tackles in space in run support

Stat to note: First-time starting QB Dayne Crist 8-9 for 58 yards in the first period.

1st Quarter Offensive MVP: Cierre Wood
1st Quarter Defensive MVP: Darrin Walls