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Representatives from 27 NFL teams were present Tuesday for Notre Dame's pro day. The Irish just released numbers and notes from the event. Here you go ...

• Robert Blanton (4.53/4.56) had the fastest 40-time among the five former Irish players who ran it. His 4.53 would have been fourth among safeties at February's combine in Indianapolis, and would have tied for 12th among cornerbacks.
• The other 40 times from Tuesday: Darius Fleming (4.58/4.54), Gary Gray (4.75/4.70), Trevor Robinson (5.24/5.22), and Taylor Dever (5.38/5.34).
• Robinson, who was not invited to the combine, would have been the only offensive lineman there to rank among the top 10 in vertical jump (30 inches; tied for 8th), broad jump (8 feet, 9 inches; tied for 6th), bench press (31; tied for 8th), and 40-yard dash (5.22; 8th).
• Jonas Gray improved his bench press number from 20 at the combine to 22 Tuesday.
• David Ruffer hit 13 of 15 field goals.
• Harrison Smith's 60-yard shuttle time (11.52) would have been the fastest time among safeties at the combine. That was the only timed drill Smith participated in Tuesday.
• Michael Floyd ran an 11.66 in the 60-yard shuttle. The 3-cone drill (7.13/7.11) and pro agility drill (4.23/4.37) were the only other timed drills he took part in Tuesday.

It's time to take one more look back at Notre Dame's regular-season ending 28-14 loss at Stanford.

The Good: Better late than never, right? Andrew Hendrix saw his first extended action since Oct. 22 against USC, playing the entire second half. The sophomore completed 11 of 24 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, and added 20 rushing yards and another touchdown on 12 carries.

The Bad: Whatever BCS-bowl hopes Notre Dame hung onto went up in flames with a convincing road loss against a likely BCS bowl team. The Irish were out-gained 287-75 in a first half that ended with them trailing 21-0.

The Ugly: In falling to 1-3 against ranked opponents this season, Notre Dame surrendered five sacks, missed a 20-yard field goal and committed 10 penalties for 68 yards. Not the recipe for beating a top-10 team on the road.

Turning point: After Darius Fleming picked off Andrew Luck in the second quarter and returned the ball -- with the help of a horse-collar penalty -- to the Stanford 11, David Ruffer missed a 20-yard field goal. Luck and the Cardinal then marched 80 yards in 10 plays, ending with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Coby Fleener that made it 14-0 and swung the momentum.

Call of the day: Hard to point to just one call, but Stanford did a tremendous job of taking advantage of its massive tight ends against the Irish's small cornerbacks. Luck hit 6-foot-8 Levine Toilolo for a three-yard touchdown pass on a first-quarter fade route when Toilolo was matched up against the 5-11 Gary Gray. For his second touchdown pass, Luck hit the 6-6, 244-pound Fleener near the 14-yard line when he was covered by the 6-1 Robert Blanton. Fleener essentially dragged Blanton the rest of the way into the end zone, resulting in a 28-yard touchdown pass and 14-0 Stanford lead in the second quarter.

Next up: Despite its 3-0 ACC record (4-0 if you include soon-to-be ACC school Pittsburgh), Notre Dame will not be playing in this Saturday's ACC title game. That contest will feature Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Irish might get Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl if the Tigers fall Saturday, but the Irish's bowl and opponent is, at the moment, not yet officially determined.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Quick thoughts from the first half of Stanford-Notre Dame.

Best player: Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas has been all over the field in the first 30 minutes. He has four tackles, including a sack and two tackles for a loss.

Best player, Take 2: Tough not to include Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (14-of-21, 155 yards) in the conversation — he has three first-half touchdowns to three different players.

Worst play: Normally we reserve this space for the “best play,” but worst play goes to the pooch punt by Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees. On fourth-and-4 at the Stanford 45 early in the second quarter, Rees lined up under center, then checked out into a deep shotgun, took the snap and tried a quick kick, but it was partially tipped by Ben Gardner. It wasn’t his first punt attempt of the season, but it was definitely his worst, going for all of 5 yards.

Turning point(s): A couple of them – all following the pooch punt. On the ensuing drive, Luck was drilled by Harrison Smith as he threw. Notre Dame’s Darius Fleming picked off the wayward throw and returned it 35 yards. It’s the fifth consecutive game that Luck has thrown an interception. Coby Fleener saved the touchdown by bringing down Fleming, but it was a horse-collar, adding 15 yards to the end of the play. The Irish couldn’t punch it in despite starting the drive at the Stanford 10. And then David Ruffer missed a 20-yard field goal.

What Stanford needs to do: Exactly what it has been doing in the first half – lean on running back Stepfan Taylor (75 yards, 8.3 per carry) and then utilize the mismatches with the tight ends. The Irish have no answers for Levine Toilolo or Fleener.

What Notre Dame needs to do: Buy Rees some more time. The Cardinal pass rush has been fierce. Thomas and Gardner both have sacks and even when Rees does get rid of the ball, he’s usually on the ground after the throw.

LANDOVER, Md. — Darius Fleming is tonight's game captain for the Irish, joining season captain Harrison Smith. Fleming, normally No. 45, is wearing No. 46 tonight in honor of teammate and fellow Chicago native Steve Filer, who is out for the year with an apparent ACL tear.

Maryland won the toss — flipped by Joe Theismann — and will receive the ball first.

Also worth noting is that senior end Ethan Johnson was lined up with the first-team defensive line in warmups. Johnson is expected to play tonight for the first time after spraining his right ankle on the first snap Oct. 1 at Purdue. He has dressed for the three previous games but did not see any action.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame will be without starting defensive end Ethan Johnson today, as the senior sprained his right ankle in last week's game at Purdue.

Johnson was wearing a big black boot on his right foot and was not in uniform when the Fighting Irish warmed up on the field. Freshman Aaron Lynch was taking first-team snaps and will likely start in his place.

Johnson was immobilized until Thursday of this week after suffering the injury, and Brian Kelly said then that he would be a game-time decision. Notre Dame has a bye week next Saturday, so that may have possibly played into a decision as well.

In other injury news, long-snapper Jordan Cowart, who broke his hand in a post-punt scuffle last week at Purdue, was in uniform but only watched as Braxston Cave short-snapped and Ryan Kavanagh long-snapped in warmups. Darius Fleming long-snapped a bit, too, and he will be Cave's backup if Cowart can't go, which looks like that may be the case.

The band is on the field and we're only minutes away from kickoff, so keep it right here for updates and analysis.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- With his defense needing one last stand at Pitt, Brian Kelly watched Aaron Lynch and Prince Shembo come up with huge sacks of Tino Sunseri to all but ice Notre Dame's second win of the year.

The Fighting Irish notched six sacks Saturday to improve to 23rd nationally with 11. They recorded four quarterback hurries to bring their season total to 15.

It's not just that Notre Dame is ahead of last year's pace, when it had eight sacks and 12 hurries through a 1-3 start. And to hear Kelly tell it, it's not just that freshmen ends Lynch and Stephon Tuitt have played such crucial roles in the pass rush so far, either.

"I wouldn't just put it on the young guys," Kelly said. "I would put it on a balance of, you know, utilizing all of the resources that we have. Moving forward, obviously you feel really good that those young guys are gonna be here for a few years. But I think in the present I think we've got a good balance of youth with some veteran players."

At least one player from each class recorded a sack Saturday, led by senior Darius Fleming's two. Lynch's sack came a week after he hurried Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins six times and forced him to fumble.

Lost in the box score was Tuitt, who was officially credited with just one tackle despite teaming with Lynch on the fellow rookie's fourth-quarter sack.

Tuitt showed his versatility Saturday by seeing action at noseguard, creating a devastating rushing tandem along the line with Lynch, Fleming and Shembo on passing downs late in the game.

"Stephon, first of all, he has a lot of speed for a guy that size," said Manti Te'o, who notched a sack Saturday as well. "And he has a lot of natural strength, because he's very strong. And you combine that with his frame, that makes a very dangerous player. Stephon, he does a good job in there, provides a lot of energy, a lot of hustle. He and Aaron always show just a desire to get to the ball. They're always going hard, and they always want to make a play. So that's him."

The early production of Lynch and Tuitt should be enough to get Kelly excited thinking of the possibilities for the rest of this season and beyond, but he's maintained a cautiously optimistic approach, citing the duo's inexperience and vulnerability to freshmen mistakes.

After all, neither played Week 2 against Denard Robinson and Michigan. And on Saturday, Kelly had to burn a timeout after a third-quarter Pitt completion because of their confusion with signals from the sideline.

"There's a give and take there along the way," Kelly said. "But they're big, physical kids that can go in there and mix it up, and Tuitt is a guy that really at the point of attack is a difficult guy to block."

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Two weeks ago, Brian Kelly said Darius Fleming's play had been good but not great.

A week later, Kelly called Fleming's Week 3 performance against Michigan State his best of the year, while offering a caveat.

"It's one time an accident," the second-year coach said, adding, "Twice, you know, now you're trending in the right way. Hopefully we'll see it again."

Fleming did what he could to make that great play a trend Saturday at Pitt, recording two sacks, three tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry.

Kelly simply re-set the bar again.

"Two sacks one weekend," Kelly recalled telling Fleming. "Are you a real player? You need two more next week."

Fleming, a senior from Chicago, has nine tackles in his past two games. Playing the "cat" linebacker spot in defensive coordinator Bob Diaco's 3-4 scheme, Fleming has had his work cut out for him both dropping into coverage and rushing the signal caller.

And he's had someone in his ears every step of the way.

"That's something that I like," Fleming said of the high bar set for him. "The coaches do a great job of that and they let me know depending on who I'm playing or what they're doing in the scheme they expect certain things out of me. And if I don't succeed in doing that then they'll give me crap for it and I'll be disappointed in myself."

His own toughest critic, Fleming heard praise from his mother Saturday following Notre Dame's win at Pitt.

"But then my uncle got on the phone," Fleming said.

His uncle, also named Darius, kept track of every play and told him his performance wasn't all that special.

"I always need that person that's gonna tell me to continue to get better," Fleming said. "It's not always good to have someone just saying, 'You did great, you did your job even though you lost, you did what you're …'

"That's not gonna make the team better and that's not gonna make you better, so you always kind of need that guy that's kind of gonna give you the negative at the same time."

Fleming has had no shortage of those with the Fighting Irish. He said Kelly was all over him during Saturday's game despite the big performance, and both Kelly and Diaco often tease him in practice with challenges or comments to light a fire under him.

So far, the strategy's been working.

"Those two sacks, that's what I expect every game," Fleming said. "And it's just a challenge for me every week to beat that. If I can get three then I expect four the next week. So it's just a challenge every week to just continue to get better and make those plays my team expects me to make."

PITTSBURGH — This wasn't a shellacking of the reigning Big Ten champs, but it was enough to move the Irish to .500. Here, we reward those who played big roles in the win.

Tyler Eifert: Game-highs of eight catches and 75 yards will get you credit, as will four catches on the go-ahead drive, including the touchdown and two-point conversion receptions. On a day Notre Dame's biggest threat couldn't get anything going, Eifert stepped up in a big way.

Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray: This wasn't the way the Irish drew it up, but it was successful nonetheless. Wood, the starter, was a force throughout, carrying it 23 times for 94 yards. Gray, who was supposed to wear defenses down, carried just three times for 84 yards, with his 79-yard touchdown proving huge in a close, low-scoring game.

Manti Te'o: Te'o once again paced the defense, recording a game-high 10 tackles, notching one of the Irish's five sacks and accounting for one of their four quarterback hurries. Tino Sunseri had to earn every yard he got in what turned into an old-fashioned brawl at Heinz Field.

Darius Fleming: Fleming had two of Notre Dame's five sacks and recorded three tackles for loss, pressuring Sunseri all afternoon. He had one quarterback hurry, too, and is elevating his status after Brian Kelly's "good not great" comment about his performance two short weeks ago.

Here are three predictions for Notre Dame in the 2011 season:

1. At least three quarterbacks will see significant action: In the past three seasons, including two at Cincinnati, Brian Kelly has had to juggle starting quarterbacks. This year, he has Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees battling it out for the starting job. Crist will start the season, but after suffering two straight season-ending knee problems, he's a major injury risk. Rees will start at least one game because Crist got hurt or was ineffective. And one of the two change-of-pace quarterbacks, Everett Golson and Andrew Hendrix, will get plenty of snaps. The guess here is Golson.

2. The defense puts up its best stats since the Holtz heydays: The strong finish by Bob Diaco's defense allowed Notre Dame to finish in the top 25 in both points allowed and pass efficiency defense last year. Those numbers will continue to improve with veterans like Harrison Smith, Darius Fleming, Ethan Johnson and Manti Te'o leading the way, with talented newcomers such as Aaron Lynch, Ishaq Williams and Stephon Tuitt providing not just depth but playmaking skills. It will be tough for the defense to rank in the top 10 nationally because of the schedule it plays, but this will be the strength of the team as it was down the stretch in 2010.

3. The Irish will finish 9-3 and play in the Champs Sports Bowl: A BCS game is within the realm of possibility, but the schedule offers few letups and will cause Notre Dame to lose at least three times. The team will still be in BCS contention heading out to Stanford for the season finale. That's when Andrew Luck and the Cardinal kill the Irish dreams. The Champs Sports Bowl, which can take Notre Dame once in the next three years, happily grabs its chance.

A flurry of college football award preseason watch lists have come out in the past month. Watch lists don't really mean a whole lot -- Cam Newton, Nick Fairley and Justin Blackmon weren't on any last year and took home a lot of hardware -- but they are an honor based on how the nominating committee feels about a player's ability.

With that in mind, here are the Notre Dame players who made preseason watch lists and who honored them:

Michael Floyd, WR: Biletnikoff, Walter Camp and Maxwell awards

Manti Te’o, LB: Rotary Lombardi, Bednarik, Nagurski and Butkus awards

Dayne Crist, QB: Davey O’Brien and Maxwell awards

Harrison Smith, S: Thorpe and Nagurski awards

Braxston Cave, C: Rimington Trophy

Cierre Wood, RB: Doak Walker Award

Darius Fleming, LB: Butkus Award

David Ruffer, K: Lou Groza Award

Tyler Eifert, TE: John Mackey Award

Zack Martin, OT: Outland Trophy

We're running some polls all over ESPN.com's college football page the next couple of days, including some Notre Dame-centric ones. Vote below, and we'll tally up the results and react to them in the coming days.

The first poll question is: Which Notre Dame player needs to step up in order for the Irish to take the next step? I'm looking at this as someone who needs to take his game to the next level, so no Manti Te'o or Michael Floyd on this list. Here are my top five nominees:

• Dayne Crist: He still seems like the most likely starter at quarterback, and Notre Dame will need better decision-making and accuracy -- not to mention health -- from him at the position.

• Cierre Wood: He showed his ability late last season when pressed into the starting running back spot. There's not much depth behind him this season, so the Irish need him to take it up a notch.

• Theo Riddick: We don't know if Floyd will miss games or how long he might be out from his suspension. Either way, the Irish need a strong No. 2 option at receiver, and Riddick might be the most gifted athlete there.

• Darius Fleming: Led the team with 11 tackles for loss last season and could do more this fall at the crucial outside linebacker spot.

• Kapron Lewis-Moore: Has been solid at defensive end but not a star. The defense could use more than the two sacks he delivered last season.

So there are your nominees. Now it's time for your voice to be heard.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brian Kelly's No. 1 task when taking the Notre Dame job was pretty simple. Even during the hiring process, Kelly said he was asked repeatedly, "How are you going to fix the defense?"

"Like a business, Notre Dame wasn't balancing the books," he said. "They were strong on offense but couldn't play defense."

So the most encouraging aspect of last year's 4-0 finish was how well the defense played down the stretch. Opposing teams couldn't run the ball on the Irish, and the defense yielded just one touchdown in the final three regular-season games -- and that only came after the Notre Dame offense turned the ball over at its own 2-yard line at USC.

Those questions about fixing the defense no longer hover over the program this spring. While the repair job is far from complete, the Irish have high optimism for that side of the ball and plenty of returning talent to mix with some promising newcomers.

"We're just looking to build off of what we did last year," defensive lineman Ethan Johnson said. "We're shooting for the stars. I think that coming back with the same coaches and the same defense is really going to help us get to the next level."

Johnson is one of seven defensive starters from the Sun Bowl win over Miami who are back this season, and several others saw major playing time in 2010. The defensive line, long a sore spot for the Irish, has developed into a strength. Louis Nix, who didn't play as a freshman, should provide a formidable presence at noseguard, and early enrollee Aaron Lynch will add depth at defensive end.

If there's a position that gets Kelly excited, though, it is the two outside linebacker spots in his 3-4 alignment. Kelly didn't begin to favor that formation until his final year at Cincinnati in 2009, when he had freshman Walter Stewart try to take on tackles at barely 200 pounds. Last year, he tried several players at the two outside spots, and it took Darius Fleming a while to play up to his potential.

This year, Kelly says Fleming is looking great at 245 pounds. Prince Shembo and Danny Spond are "230-, 240-pound guys with quick-twitch movements who can play out in space." Steve Filer is another athletic specimen backing up Fleming, and early enrollee Ishaq Williams is too talented and physically gifted not to help.

"We have a lot of depth," Kelly said. "Last year, there was a difference between the [players at] the boundary and the field positions. Offenses knew which way to fan protection. Now, it's pick your poison. Do you want to block Fleming with the back or block Shembo with the back?"

Notre Dame is thin at the cornerback spot, but Kelly believes starters Gary Gray and Robert Blanton are as good a pair as any in the country. Safety Harrison Smith has developed into a real leader after grabbing seven interceptions last year, fourth most in the nation.

"At first, I thought he worked hard but didn't have anything that stood out. He was just there," Kelly said. "But when you have success, everything changes. Your entire psyche changes. Now his presence is felt. He truly is a leader in the locker room and on the field."

The building job is not over. Kelly needs to continue adding depth and will focus on the defensive backfield in recruiting this year. But he is no longer being asked how he plans to fix the defense.

"I personally felt like we always have had a tough group here," Johnson. "I think we were just able to pull it all together with everybody working toward a common goal. For whatever reason, we're jelling really well now."

Two of college football's storied programs meet Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, but the only thing historic about these teams are their helmets. Two spread offenses and two coaches known for their offensive creativity match wits. Both Michigan and Notre Dame recorded critical wins in their season openers, and bloggers Brian Bennett and Adam Rittenberg take a closer look at this week's matchup.

Adam Rittenberg: So, Bennett, we meet again. Good starts for both the Irish and the Wolverines on Saturday, and it should be a great one in South Bend. Let's talk offense. What do you think Knute Rockne and Fielding Yost would say about these two systems matching up?

Brian Bennett: I think both coaches would have spit in a leather helmet in disgust. What's the over/under on total number of snaps under center on Saturday? Five?

Yet, for all the talk of the spread offense, Notre Dame stuck to an old staple to beat Purdue: the running game. Running backs Armando Allen and Cierre Wood together averaged better than six yards per carry, and the Irish were happy to hand off and stick to the short passing game as the Boilermakers defense played Cover 2 and protected against the deep ball. I don't think Michigan will attack Notre Dame the same way, and the bubble wrap will have to come off quarterback Dayne Crist in Week 2.

As for the Wolverines, Denard Robinson was incredible. But I didn't see a whole lot out of the backs and receivers, and now it looks like Roy Roundtree won't play. Is Michigan a one-man offense, and can it win on Saturday that way?

AR: Good point about the Irish run game, and I think the matchup between Michigan's defensive line and Notre Dame's offensive front could decide the game. Despite the loss of Brandon Graham, Michigan boasts good experience and talent up front with Mike Martin, Greg Banks, Ryan Van Bergan and dynamic sophomore Craig Roh. They'll try to take advantage of a young Notre Dame line that, despite all the talk about weight room progress, remains unproven in my eyes.

Robinson was ridiculous against Connecticut, and you can't expect him to duplicate the performance in South Bend. Then again, the guy only needs about a foot of daylight to break through the line, and then, good luck trying to bring him down. Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw both scored touchdowns in the opener, but they'll need to be more effective out of the backfield against the Irish. Roundtree would be a big loss, but wideouts Darryl Stonum and Kelvin Grady, and tight end Kevin Koger all are good targets for Robinson, who also hooked up with Terrence Robinson for a 43-yard gain.

In many ways, Michigan won the UConn game at the line of scrimmage. How do you see the two groups matching up on Saturday?

BB: The Irish played well in the trenches against Purdue, but Michigan presents a tougher challenge. With the way Brian Kelly runs the spread, the ball is out of the quarterback's hand quickly, so that neutralizes the pass rush to some degree. The key in my mind is whether the Notre Dame line can open running lanes when the Wolverines drop men into coverage.

Defensively, the front three for Notre Dame proved stout against Purdue, and surprisingly the backups gave them a solid rotation. Ian Williams looks like a perfect fit as nose tackle in a 3-4, and Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson can make plays off the edge. I think the pressure is on the Irish linebackers to make plays in this game. Manti Te'o should be a stud and the perfect antidote to Robinson, but he missed a lot of tackles in Week 1. Darius Fleming is their hybrid guy, and he was stuck on the sidelines with cramps for most of the Purdue game. Once Robinson gets through the first line of defense, can the Irish contain him in the open field?

How about the Michigan pass defense? Connecticut missed some opportunities there, but the Huskies don't have guys like Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph at their disposal.

AR: Totally agree about Connecticut missing some major opportunities to attack downfield, especially in the first two and a half quarters. Michigan is extremely young in the secondary and likely will be down another starter, as linebacker-safety Carvin Johnson sprained his knee in the opener. Michael Floyd absolutely shredded this defense a year ago, so you can bet Notre Dame will try to get him the ball a lot on Saturday. We'll likely see a lot of Floyd vs. Floyd, as Michigan's J.T. Floyd as emerged as the team's top cornerback and forced a big fumble against UConn. Cue the Pink Floyd music.

I'm interested to see how Michigan approaches Rudolph, a matchup problem for pretty much any team he faces. Linebackers Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh played well in the opener, but they'll certainly be tested by No. 9. Roh brought a ton of heat against UConn, but he might have to drop back more in this game.

OK, Bennett, you're on the spot. Your Michigan-UConn pick didn't work out so great, and some of my new friends in Ann Arbor were calling you nasty names Friday night. Who wins Saturday and what's the biggest key to the game?

BB: Well, I'm happy to play the villain in Ann Arbor as long as they still let me in the bars there. I have little doubt this will be a close game, possibly as exciting as last year's shootout. Notre Dame will have its hands full with Robinson, but I think the Irish have a more well-rounded offensive attack. And they will take advantage of that young secondary while making just enough plays of their own defensively. A special-teams play might be the difference. Brian Kelly gets his first big win as the Irish squeak by.

Now tell me why I'm wrong.

AR: You're always welcome in Ann Arbor. Just tell them you know me.

It'll definitely be a close game, and like last year, we should have a dramatic finish. Michigan's young secondary concerns me, and Crist will make plays downfield to both Floyd and Rudolph. But I also have my doubts about Notre Dame's line play and the overall toughness of that team. Robinson is certainly the X-factor here, and while Michigan can't run him 29 times again, he'll make some big plays. If special teams makes the difference, Michigan could be in trouble. Notre Dame jumps ahead, but D-Rob leads the Wolverines back in the fourth quarter for a narrow win and continues to grow his legend in Ann Arbor.

What we learned about Notre Dame in its 23-12 win over Purdue:

1. Runs, too, shall pass: So much attention was put on new coach Brian Kelly's pass-based offense. But the opener proved that the Irish can run the ball too. In fact, they ran it 10 more times than they passed it, with Armando Allen and Cierre Wood combining for 151 yards on 25 attempts (six yards per carry). Notre Dame will need to continue to run the ball effectively to beat the physical teams on its schedule.

2. The defense does have depth: One of Notre Dame's biggest concerns, and the coaches acknowledged it, was a lack of depth on defense. It didn't seem to be too much of a problem versus Purdue. Starting safety Jamoris Slaughter went out early with an injury, while linebacker Darius Fleming was sidelined often by cramping. But the defense simply filled in, and nose tackle Ian Williams said a solid rotation on the line kept him fresh. This is still a defense that can't afford too many injuries, but it may have more depth than originally thought.

3. Coaching matters: The Irish had only two penalties and one turnover. They were very solid on special teams and were well-conditioned when the fourth quarter hit. In other words, they looked like a solid all-around team for the first time in a long time. There is still much room for improvement, but the team appears on the right track under Brian Kelly.

What to watch from Notre Dame in Saturday's game against Purdue:

1. Air defense: The Irish were nearly defenseless against the pass, ranking 76th nationally in that category and getting burned deep routinely. Now they'll take on a Purdue team that averaged 255 passing yards a game last year and adds Miami transfer Robert Marve at quarterback. Notre Dame cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Gary Gray won't be left out on an island as much as they were last year, but they will still face a heavy test against the likes of receiver Keith Smith.

2. Dayne's debut: Coach Brian Kelly won't be the only high-profile debut for the Irish. Quarterback Dayne Crist makes his first-ever start and will try to follow the impressive season Jimmy Clausen produced last season. Crist is the key to this offense and should have opportunities to make big plays against an unseasoned Purdue secondary. He'll also have to withstand his first hit since tearing his ACL last season.

3. Linebacker lounge: The linebacking unit might be the most intriguing position on the field for Notre Dame in the return to the 3-4. Manti Te'o should begin to assert his superstar status in the middle and Darius Fleming is expected to be a playmaker at one of the outside positions. But there was heavy competition at the other spots, and Kelly promised to rotate a lot of players. Since the linebackers will be needed to help in pass coverage and to pressure Marve, they'll all have to play well.