On Second Thought

IrishEyes’ real-time review of the 2nd Quarter vs. the Boilermakers.

A quick review of second quarter action:

• Notre Dame’s second drive of the quarter stalled after a designed draw by Crist was well-diagnosed by the Purdue front inside the 5-yard line; Crist then missed a wide open Kyle Rudolph in the back of the end zone on 3rd down and the Irish were forced to settle for a field goal.
• Missed tackles plagued the Irish, including two bad whiffs in space by Manti Te’o and a third of the garden variety for the sophomore inside ‘backer.
• A heavy Irish D-Line rotation featured seven defensive linemen in the first four defensive series.
• Gary Gray six tackles in the first 25 game minutes; all near or at the line of scrimmage. His final stop ended Purdue’s deepest penetration with a field goal to cut the Irish lead to 10-3.
• Freshman wide receiver Bennett Jackson made an impact in his attempt at kick coverage, streaking through the Boilers’ crease for an open-field stop at the Purdue 13. He duplicated the effort with less than a minute remaining, dropping Al-Terek McBurse after just 8 yards at the 22-yard line.
• Ruffer’s 46 yard field goal to give the Irish a 13-3 lead ties the longest field goal of the 2009 season. The walk-on remains perfect in his brief kicking career (7-7).

5th-year senior wide receiver Keith Smith caught seven passes in the first half for the Boilers, totaling 54 yards.

Seven Irish players recorded a reception in the first half of the Brian Kelly era. Crist finished the first half 12-16 for 123 yards.