Notre Dame-Purdue resumes football game after nearly 2-hour weather delay

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame and Purdue headed to their locker rooms in Notre Dame Stadium before the first half ended Saturday. The game was suspended for a weather delay with lightning in the South Bend area.

Notre Dame announced the delay over the stadium PA system with 1:31 remaining in the second quarter. It took fans close to 15 minutes to empty out of the seating area after the game was delayed at 5:06 p.m. EDT. The crowd was directed to seek shelter in the stadium concourse of nearby campus buildings.

The game resumed at 7 p.m. EDT after a weather delay of nearly two hours. Players retook the field for warmups 20 minutes prior to play resuming.

Notre Dame led 28-13 when the game paused. When game resumes, Purdue will have the ball at Notre Dame’s 19-yard for a second-and-10 play. The Irish took a timeout following a first-and-10 run by Purdue running back Devin Mockobee before the delay.

The weather delay served as halftime for the game. Rather than a typical halftime after the second quarter ended, the game proceeded with a break similar to those between the first and second quarters.

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman spoke to NBC Sports reporter Zora Stephenson during the delay. He told her Notre Dame was reviewing film on iPads with players to help correct mistakes from the first half.

“Trying to keep them fueled,” Freeman told Stephenson. “Some nutrition, some hydration. Tell them to relax. We’ll try to keep them updated as often as we can. But right now, it’s about let’s learn from the game, come up with the plan of adjustments and making sure you’re fueling properly.”

Both teams moved the ball at will for much of the first half. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first four drives of the game. But shortly before the delay, Purdue safety Myles Slusher stripped quarterback CJ Carr and defensive end CJ Nunnally IV recovered the fumble for the Boilermakers.

Carr completed three of his four passes for 94 yards and one touchdown before the break. Graduate senior wide receiver Malachi Fields caught a 66-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the game for the Irish. Running backs Jeremiyah Love, a junior, and Jadarian Price, a redshirt junior, combined for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne completed 11 of his 20 passes for 144 yards with one interception before the break. He also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mockobee in the first quarter. Purdue kicker Spencer Porath made field goals of 48 and 26 yards in the second quarter.

Highlights from the first half included a successful fake punt by Purdue to send the Boilermakers’ offense back on the field. Notre Dame junior cornerback Christian Gray intercepted a Browne pass in the second quarter after freshman linebacker Madden Faraimo deflected the pass.

Safety Tahj Ra-El led Purdue with four tackles before the break. Graduate senior safety Jalen Stroman led the Irish with six tackles.

Notre Dame played in a weather-delayed game last season in Notre Dame Stadium. The 49-7 victory over Stanford on Oct. 12 was delayed for an hour between the third and fourth quarters.

More comments from ND coach Marcus Freeman during weather delay

“We got to be better, defensively,” Freeman told Stephenson. “Too many explosive plays. Again, it’s a little bit of a continuation of last week.

“We come out, three-and-out and then the second series, one play — it’s a great execution by them. Goes for, I don’t know, 30 yards? Then, they get another big play on [cornerback] Mark [Zackery IV] on a double move.

“He’s got to make that play. Keep working it. He makes a great play in the end zone later, but those are things that come through experience. 

“Our front and our coverage have to work together. Like, when we bring pressure, we got to get pressure, so that our coverage, our DBs, don’t have to cover for so long. If we’re not bringing pressure, DBs and back seven, you got to cover longer, to give the front four time to get there.

“When the explosive plays happen, we’re not working together. We’re bringing pressure, not getting pressure. Now, you’re exposing your DBs or we’re dropping seven and we’re not getting enough coverage help so the D-line can get there. So, we have to improve that.”