WATCH: Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan 62-yard touchdown pass
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan connected with receiver Avery Davis for an explosive touchdown pass early in the third quarter against Purdue. Coan floated a 62-yard pass into his receiver’s hands as Davis turned on the jets to outrun the only defender chasing him.
Coan missed deep in the first half, but redeemed himself facing 2nd-and-7 to come up with one of the biggest plays of the game. A Wisconsin transfer, he passed for 2,727 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019. He did not play in 2020.
The Irish are looking to improve to 3-0 after close calls against Florida State and Toledo in the first two weeks. The touchdown was Coan’s second of the game, as he also hit running back Kyren Williams for a 39-yard score in the second quarter.
Purdue quickly answered with a touchdown of its own to cut the Notre Dame lead to 17-13 with 7:08 to go in the third quarter.
Coan threw for four touchdowns against the Seminoles and two against the Rockets. However, he also threw an interception in each game.
The Irish are coming off of a 10-2 season that included a College Football Playoff appearance. Despite beginning the season at No. 9 in the AP poll, poor performances have caused them to drop to No. 12.
They still have a chance to make the Playoff this year, but will need to find ways to win by a wider margin. The schedule gets even tougher as four of their next five games come against ranked opponents. That includes next week against Coan’s former team. The No. 18 Badgers are the first ranked team the Irish have played all year.
If they hope to stay in the race, they will need more plays like that deep touchdown pass from Jack Coan on Saturday. The Irish are one of college football’s most prestigious teams, and we’ll have a much clearer idea of where they stand after the next few games.