Shock and Awe

The first three Irish wins of the season were due largely to the Irish ground game, but today belonged to Brady Quinn. Quinn went 29/36 for 440 yards with three touchdowns, picking the Purdue Boilermakers apart like a turkey on Thanksgiving. In doing so, he became only the third quarterback in Irish history to throw for 400+ yards in three career games. The hustle play of the game was made by Chinedum Ndukwe, who chased down running back Kory Sheets after a 38 yard gain, stopping him on the one yard line. On the following play, linebacker Brandon Hoyte caused a Jerod Void fumble, which was recovered by Irish cornerback Mike Richardson. The Irish then drove 98 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0. That 14-point swing changed the game and from that point on, the outcome was never in doubt. The Irish now have two weeks to prepare for Southern California, to whom we have lost by 31 points in each of our last three meetings. Should USC drop Arizona as expected next week, that will be the game of the young century. Go Irish!