As if the very spirits of a disillusioned and disbelieving Notre Dame Nation suddenly possessed him, Charlie Weis gazed upon his team at halftime Saturday.
Really? This was what his Irish amounted to? Another dreary, scoreless first half? A stomach-turning 23-point deficit against Purdue? Two weeks into an allegedly regenerative “training camp” approach? One week after an alleged step forward against Michigan State?
“I had had just about enough of playing losing football,” Weis said.
So the Irish coach unleashed the fire and brimstone. And then a 33-19 loss before 62,250 at Ross-Ade Stadium left few people steaming but produced plenty of wrinkled brows.
Were there answers at last? Such as nearly 300 yards of second-half offense, or freshman receivers Duval Kamara (six catches, 68 yards, one touchdown) and Golden Tate (104 yards, one score)?
Or was this but a different shade of desperation? The worst start in Irish history continued despite the rally. The halftime invective inspired a team almost to tie a game.
Does Notre Dame fall to 0-5 and actually get credit for a half of trying hard?
“When we got it to one score, you could feel the electricity,” tackle Sam Young said. “I think it’s the first time this year that we’ve really had … electricity on the sidelines, having a feeling like, ‘Hey, we’re going to go out there and we’re going to win this game.’
“It didn’t turn out that way, but it was something we hadn’t experienced in a while. It was nice to see that back.”
Now it’s a matter of who is back next weekend at UCLA. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen shuttled in and out of the game in the third quarter because of a hip injury, ultimately giving way to Evan Sharpley for good in the fourth quarter.
Sharpley then threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns in less than a full half of action, though his late interception with the Irish inside the Purdue 20-yard line was the game-sealing mistake.
“I prepare myself each week the same way,” Sharpley said. “I’m a play away, no matter what. It really wasn’t a surprise to me once I was out on the field.”
Clausen, who wasn’t made available for comment afterward, was hardly anemic, completing 18 of 26 passes for 169 yards and his first collegiate touchdown toss. But because the offense looked recharged when Weis all but abandoned the run, the future triggerman is paramount.
“Right now, Jimmy’s our starter going into the game,” Weis said. “I’m not looking to make personnel changes 20 minutes after the game. But I still have to go back, watch what happened and see how everybody is.”
That question extends beyond one position. In the first half, the Irish had two turnovers, had a field goal blocked and allowed Purdue (5-0) five red-zone scores in five tries.
In the second half, the Irish punted just once while forcing two three-and-outs and intercepting Purdue’s Curtis Painter once. The 426 yards of offense, gained mostly after halftime, more than doubled Notre Dame’s previous best single-game output.
It is a multiple personality disorder, emphasis on disorder. Perhaps that is why the volume of Weis’ voice ascended toward the end of his postgame comments, as he offered what had to be a reprise of his message to his club.
“You can win with how you played in the second half,” Weis said. “With the energy you had in the second half. With the defense and offense feeding off each other like they did in the second half. You can’t win the way we played in the first half.”
Of course the Irish are hard to figure out. More than 50 days into a season, they haven’t figured out themselves.
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Irish 2-minute drill
Getting offensive: Two of freshman Golden Tate’s three catches were huge — a 43-yarder to convert a fourth down and a 25-yard touchdown reception to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.
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On the defense: Defensive end Trevor Laws continued to be a rock, registering six tackles, three for a loss.
The number: 67. Percentage of fourth downs Notre Dame converted Saturday. The Irish hit on just 31 percent of third downs.
They’re still talking about: The Irish had a field goal and an extra point blocked, and a mishandled snap cost them another point-after kick.
Audible: Subtly surprising personnel swap? Sophomore Eric Maust taking over punting for preseason All-American Geoff Price, who has struggled.
Sick bay: Guard Dan Wenger (left leg), defensive end Justin Brown (ankle) and tackle Matt Romine (arm) did not make the trip. Receiver David Grimes left wore a protective boot on his right foot after an apparent first-half ankle injury. And QB Jimmy Clausen (hip) is a matter of concern.
Looking ahead: If the Irish don’t carry the second-half emotion to a victory at UCLA, they will match the longest losing streak in school history.
— Brian Hamilton
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