Purdue Goes Down in an Irish Deluge : Midwest: Brooks rushes for 205 yards and scores three touchdowns for Notre Dame in 48-0 victory.

Purdue struggled through a first-half drizzle only to drown in a Notre Dame downpour.

The rain-softened turf didn’t slow Reggie Brooks, who rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as the Irish defeated Purdue, 48-0.

“The guys put the holes there,” Brooks said. “All I had to do was keep my feet and get the ball upfield.”

Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz said Brooks’ performance shows he has gained a better sense of direction.

“He used to be an east-west runner--break three tackles and head to the sidelines,” Holtz said. “Once he changed that, he became an excellent back.”

The Irish (3-0-1) battered Purdue (1-2) with a running attack that gained 458 yards. Notre Dame scored three touchdowns in the third quarter.

“During the third quarter, Notre Dame just had the momentum going, and we couldn’t answer it,” Purdue center Nick Mamula said.

Purdue Coach Jim Colletto said his young team--with seven freshman or sophomore starters--suffered from lack of size and, in some cases, lack of heart. “Some of our guys are really competitive players, and others are just along for the ride,” he said.

Brooks rushed 63 yards for a touchdown on the second play of a 35-second drive that gave the Irish a 21-0 lead. Jerome Bettis ran 24 yards on the next possession, bringing a quick end to a 43-second drive that began after the Irish forced Purdue (1-2) to punt from its one.

Brooks rushed 20 yards for another touchdown and added his final score with an 80-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Backup quarterback Kevin McDougal closed the scoring on a 15-yard run with 8:37 to play. Purdue’s most serious scoring threat fizzled two minutes later when Matt Pike fumbled a snap at the Notre Dame one.