Irish Take Control in 2nd Half

Fullback Anthony Johnson rushed for 3 touchdowns and caught 2 passes for 90 yards Saturday as the eighth-ranked Irish defeated Purdue, 44-20.

“We controlled the ball well,” Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz said after his team overcame a sluggish first half to finish with 476 yards in total offense. “We established a running game and we had good blocking and running. It was the crispest-looking effort of the year.”

Purdue, limited to just 10 net yards on 5 of its second-half possessions, had 87 net yards in the final two quarters.

“They are good, a fine football team. . . . They wore us down,” Purdue Coach Fred Akers said. “The defense was out there for a long time in the second half. We weren’t able to generate a first down for two straight possessions and that was a key.”

Johnson, a 6-foot, 216-pound sophomore, scored from the eight to put the Irish (3-0) ahead to stay, 24-20, with 4:45 left in the third quarter. Johnson, who had a 51-yard pass reception to set up Notre Dame’s first touchdown, also scored on a 6-yard run and a 1-yard run, which tied the score, 17-17, at halftime.

Purdue is 0-2-1.