Quarterback Riley Leonard finally got Notre Dame’s offense moving on Saturday. He did it with his legs.
Leonard and Jeremiyah Love were dominant in the first half, leading No. 18 Notre Dame to a 66-7 victory over Purdue, marking the biggest loss in the Boilermakers’ 137-year history.
For Leonard, the big numbers were less important than making up for the disappointing loss to Northern Illinois the previous week.
“I was just itching to get on the field again, to prove myself,” Leonard said. He ended the game with 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns— all in the first half, matching his career high. “I just wanted another opportunity to get back out there, so this game was not only big for me, but big for the whole team.”
Leonard didn’t need to play in the second half because the game was so one-sided.
Notre Dame (2-1) gained 278 of its 362 rushing yards in the first half. With Leonard and Love leading the way, the Irish achieved their highest point total and largest victory margin in the 88-game series. It was also Notre Dame’s highest point total since a 66-14 win against New Mexico in 2019.
Love rushed 11 times for a career-high 109 yards, including a career-long 48-yard touchdown run.
Purdue (1-1) suffered its ninth consecutive loss in the Shillelagh Trophy series.
The game was never in doubt.
“Obviously, the performance is a reflection of the preparation,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “We can’t assume that anybody is going to make that choice (to prepare). As a coach, I have to continue to preach this message. It’s up to our players to make that decision. I believe it’s a mentality. That’s the thing I took away from last week.”
The scoring started early when Love ran down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown. Leonard added touchdowns with runs of 3, 34, and 13 yards.
Notre Dame ended the half with two more touchdowns in the final 92 seconds—a 34-yard interception return by Boubacar Traore and a 70-yard touchdown run by Jadarian Price, making it 42-0 at halftime.
