Holtz Gets First Win as Irish Coach, 41-9

Before the Subway Alumni get too carried away, Lou Holtz has a note of caution.

Notre Dame showed a flash of its old domination while overwhelming Purdue, 41-9, Saturday at South Bend, Ind., to give Holtz his first victory as coach of the Fighting Irish.

“We proved that if we eliminate our mistakes we can be pretty competitive,� Holtz said. “Keep in mind this is only one game. It’s still only one victory.�

Quarterback Steve Beuerlein completed 10 of 14 passes for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, but the Irish won this game on the ground.

The Irish used 11 running backs to pile up 276 of their 438 total yards, a statistic that pleased Holtz. Notre Dame got two touchdowns from freshman tailback Anthony Johnson, who carried 8 times for 34 yards.

“We knew that we had to be able to run inside,� Holtz said. “I did not think that we would run this well.�

Notre Dame (1-2), bouncing back from narrow defeats to Michigan and Michigan State, built a 27-0 lead at the 4:02 mark in the third quarter on a 49-yard field goal by John Carney.

Purdue Coach Leon Burtnett said the muggy, 84-degree weather did not help his defense.

“The heat played a big part in the game,� he said. “Our defense was on the field for most of the first quarter and, after that, we were beat. They (his players) didn’t play as well as they thought they could.�

The Boilermakers (1-2) finally scored, at the 6:20 mark in the third quarter, on a three-yard run by tailback Jerry Chaney.

Notre Dame scored on its first possession, with Pernell Taylor diving in from the two-yard line to cap a 74-yard, 12-play drive.

Carney kicked a 42-yard field goal to make it 10-0, and Johnson powered over from a yard out a few minutes later. The Irish went to halftime with a 24-0 lead after Beuerlein hit split end Milt Jackson on a 35-yard pass with 4:52 left in the second quarter.

Purdue freshman Jeff George completed 28 of 43 passes for 241 yards, and was intercepted once.