Notre Dame Football: Expect a Slow Start vs. Purdue

On the heels of perhaps the most impressive performance of the Brian Kelly era, a 31-0 win over Michigan, Notre Dame makes the short trip to Indianapolis Saturday night to meet longtime rival Purdue.

The Boilermakers were embarrassed at home last week by Central Michigan, 38-17, falling to 2-12 in head coach Darrell Hazell's short tenure in West Lafayette.

All tangible signs point to an Irish rout in Lucas Oil Stadium. In the end, this will be a comfortable win for Notre Dame, but history suggests it won't happen without a slow start.

The Irish have struggled early in weeks after big wins. That's not just a Kelly problem, of course, as the confidence boost that comes after a well-played game can inherently leave a team vulnerable a week later.

But Notre Dame should be aware of its past heading into Saturday night, which includes a number of examples of crashes after highs. If the Michigan game was the sugar, Purdue could be the crash.

2010 vs. Army

The lead-up: 4-5 Notre Dame needed a win over No. 15 Utah to save a lost season, and the Irish turned in a dominant performance in routing the Utes, 28-3. It was Notre Dame's first win over a top-15 opponent since 2005.

The game: While Army was a bowl team in 2010 (its only bowl appearance since 1996), the Black Knights had been blown out by every quality team they faced. Notre Dame sleepwalked through the first quarter at Yankee Stadium, trailing 3-0 into the second quarter. The Irish rolled from then on in a 27-3 win following the flat start.

2011 at Pittsburgh

The lead-up: After two heartbreaking losses, Notre Dame got a much-needed home win over Michigan State. The Spartans, who would go on to win the Big Ten Legends Division title and finish 11-3, were no match for the Irish, falling 31-13.

The game: Notre Dame got a long touchdown run from Jonas Gray en route to a 7-6 lead, but an offense that played well a week earlier was lifeless for most of the day. The Irish escaped thanks to a late Tyler Eifert touchdown for a 15-12 win. The Panthers proved to be an average team at best, finishing 6-7 in Todd Graham's only season in the Steel City.

2012 vs. Purdue

The lead-up: Notre Dame had just returned from a game in Ireland, in which it dominated Navy, 50-10. A letdown against the Boilermakers was somewhat understandable given the quick turnaround, but the Irish struggles lasted longer than anticipated.

The game: Notre Dame led for much of the afternoon in South Bend, but a late fumble by Everett Golson allowed Purdue to tie the game at 17-17. With Golson injured on the play, Tommy Rees was tabbed as "the closer," leading a drive to set up the game-winning Kyle Brindza field goal with two seconds remaining. Boilermakers head coach Danny Hope would be fired after the season.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

2012 vs. BYU

The lead-up: The indelible image of Notre Dame (controversially) stopping Stanford's Stepfan Taylor on fourth down in overtime will be forever ingrained in Irish fans' minds. Notre Dame became a viable national title contender that day, but it needed to regroup before facing a pesky BYU team.

The game: Despite taking a 7-0 lead, Notre Dame struggled in the first half, trailing 14-7 after 30 minutes. The defense was lights out in the second half, and while the offense could only manage 10 points, it was just enough to escape with a 17-14 win.

2012 vs. Pittsburgh

The lead-up: Prior to Saturday night, perhaps Notre Dame's best performance under Kelly was the 30-13 win at Oklahoma in 2012. As double-digit underdogs, the Irish played with poise, tact and fire in Norman. After conquering the Sooners, 4-4 Pittsburgh seemed like a mismatch.

The game: Quarterback play and special teams miscues looked like it would doom the Irish, as the Panthers led 20-6 deep into the fourth quarter. But the 2012 Irish dug deep once again, rallying for two touchdowns to send the game into overtime. A missed field goal by Pittsburgh (and an unspotted penalty) helped the Irish escape in triple overtime, 29-26.

2013 vs. Oklahoma

The lead-up: Michigan State was one of the darlings of college football last season, going 13-1 and winning both the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl. But the Spartans couldn't survive South Bend, as Notre Dame handed Sparty its only loss of the season, 17-13. At 3-1, the Irish were back in the BCS bowl picture heading into a rematch with Oklahoma.

The game: It was 14-0 Oklahoma before you could bat an eye, as two early turnovers led to two Sooners touchdowns. Notre Dame's ground game amassed over 200 yards, but it was too much to overcome, as Oklahoma hung on for a 35-21 win at Notre Dame Stadium.

2013 vs. USC

The lead-up: Notre Dame was nearly a touchdown underdog against Arizona State at AT&T Stadium, but the Irish took command of the game in the second quarter and led for most of the game. A pick-six by Dan Fox late in the fourth quarter helped seal a 37-34 win for the Irish over the No. 22 Sun Devils.

The game: There was a week off before USC's visit, and the Irish displayed some rust. They were stopped on downs near the goal line on their first drive and allowed the Trojans to march right down the field to take a 7-0 lead. The Irish did rally to take a 14-10 lead just before halftime, which would hold for the entire second half in a game that set offensive football back nearly a century.

While Notre Dame fans should ultimately expect a routine victory Saturday night, a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter seems unlikely. That hasn't been the Irish way in these types of situations under Kelly.

Of course, shutting out Michigan had never once been the Irish way prior to last Saturday night.