KYLE McCARTHY DOES IT AGAIN

I've been in love before, but never in as much love as Mike Haywood is with the fade route.

Brandon Walker jut missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Right now Sarah Palin exudes more confidence.

It could be worse, Irish fans. After Purdue's Desmond Tardy somehow eluded three Irish defenders along the right sideline (special blame goes to David Bruton and Steve Quinn for being innocent bystanders), safety Kyle McCarthy raced across the field to make a shoestring tackle at the 10-yard line.

Last night at the rally du pep David Grimes had a great line about how there are three types of people in the world: "There are people that make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened."

On that play, it was Tardy and McCarthy who made something happen; Bruton and Quinn who watched it happen; and me up in the press box who, as I have too many times this season, was left to wonder what the heck is happening."

Without McCarthy's hustle, it's 14-0, Purdue. It still may be soon.

Golden Tate doesn't have a touch yet, even though Irish coaches have him identified, literally listed, as their top playmaker. Might wanna do something about that.

Notre Dame has failed to score in three of its four first quarters of this season. That's just wrong.

Duke beats Virginia 31-7 to go to 4-1 on the season. The Blue Devil first-year head coach is David Cutcliffe, who originally was Charlie's first offensive coordinator here in '05. Cutcliffe left before the season began for health issue.

Irish have just tied it up. True freshman cornerback Robert Blanton made a nice pick at about the Purdue 45 and then made an even prettier downfield run to score the touchdown. Honestly, that's the best run we've seen anyone in a gold helmet make since Zibby's called-back interception return in the first half against Stanford last season.

And, if you're snoring at home, that's Notre Dame's 10th touchdown of the season and the ninth that has been scored by a freshman or sophomore. Blanton, like classmate Michael Floyd, scores a TD the very first time he catches a ball in his collegiate career.