Notre Dame fans cheer as safety Gerome Sapp (20) returns a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With the West Coast offense looking as innovative as the option Notre Dame abandoned this season, the Irish defense and special teams led the way again.

        Gerome Sapp and Lionel Bolen scored on fumble returns 11 seconds apart, and Vontez Duff added a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown as No. 23 Notre Dame beat Purdue 24-17 on Saturday.

        The Irish, who got off to their worst-ever 0-3 start last season, are 2-0 without scoring an offensive touchdown.

        “A team with one element not performing as well as you'd like it to for a variety of reasons, another element has to step up. I think our football team did that,” Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham said.

        Purdue (1-1) has lost 13 straight at Notre Dame Stadium since winning in 1974.

        The Boilermakers lost three fumbles and an interception, leading to all three Notre Dame touchdowns.

        “Whenever I've been around a closely contested football game in all the years I've been a coach, it comes down to one thing, and that one thing is turnovers,” Purdue coach Joe Tiller said.

        Duff, whose 76-yard punt return against Maryland last week put the game away, made the decisive play again by picking off Kyle Orton's pass and returning it 33 yards for the score.

        “Once I get the ball in my hand, I'm going to score,” Duff said.

        Sapp was the first to score for the Irish defense, picking up a Motrell Lowe fumble and returning it 54 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Sapp broke through three tackles, spinning out of the arms of one Purdue player, then followed a convoy of seven Irish players into the end zone.

        On the ensuing kickoff, Deaunte Ferrell mishandled a squib kick and ran back to the 1-yard line to pick it up. He ran to his left, but Notre Dame's Justin Thomas drove Purdue's Drew Rucks back into Ferrell, and the ball popped free.

        Bolen caught the ball in the air at the 4-yard line and ran in for the touchdown to give the Irish a 14-0 lead.

        Notre Dame' best offensive scoring chance came on its next possession when it had first-and-goal on the 6-yard line. But Ryan Grant, who had 86 yards on 21 carries, was tackled for a 1-yard loss, and then he dropped a pass.

        Quarterback Carlyle Holiday ran up the middle for a 5-yard gain, but Willingham settled for the field goal on fourth-and-2.

        The Boilermakers overcame a 17-0 deficit to tie the game, scoring on a 76-yard punt return and a 3-yard run by Jerod Void. The Boilermakers appeared to have the momentum, since the Fighting Irish offense couldn't score a touchdown.

        “A couple of us on offense, we felt real embarrassed about not having scored in two games,” Holiday said. “We know as an offensive team that we have to make touchdowns. We have to work on some things to become a better ball club.”

        The Boilermakers turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter but still had a chance, driving to the Notre Dame 30 on their final possession. But they lost 6 yards on a reverse to Ray Williams, stalling the drive.

        On fourth-and-13, Orton was chased hard by Ryan Roberts and threw the ball away to avoid the sack.

        Purdue's defense surrendered three points, but Tiller didn't blame the offense.

        “If we score 17 points, then our defense needs to hold them to 16,” Tiller said. “If they score 24 points, then our offense has to score 25. This is a football team, this is not an offense or a defense.”

        Willingham was just pleased with another win to continue building the program.

        “We did some things well today and we did some things bad today,” he said. “To be 2-0 right now is a special thing. We will build on that.”

Sports Stories

Daugherty: The little team that almost could Heartbreaker in Oxford MLB Jones might miss game at LSU Buckeyes pummel Flashes Cardinals rebound from UK loss Kentucky 77, UTEP 17 Northeastern 31, Ohio 0 Wilmington cruises past Mount St. Joe 45-20 Hurricanes blow through Florida Luck O' the Irish beats Purdue Utah 40, Indiana 13 College Football Today How the Top 25 fared Top 25 roundup Daugherty: A tradition unlike any other? Gilder in position for Kroger win Lancaster leads Chalmers Largest first-round crowd on hand since 1991 McEnroe, Becker relive old times Serena beats Venus to win U.S. Open Serena Williams: The best ever? Old-Timers Day: Agassi faces Sampras in final Blount wins ARCA event at Chicagoland Gibbs: Witnesses saw nothing out of the ordinary Hornish wins pole for Delphi 300 Streak in jeopardy, Wallace fumes Jones retains undisputed title with win over Woods Lido Palace wins 2nd straight Woodward Next stop, hopefully Olympics NKU soccer has come a long way Spain 81, United States 75 Team USA missing that team part Yugoslavia 89, New Zealand 78 Coming up this week Enquirer Page Two power rankings

Expect another big-time slugfest
Once again, Bengals fail to sell out season opener
Jones: Life as a Rookie
Keys to the game
The Edge
By the numbers
Isolation booth: Frerotte vs. McNeil
NFL notebook
Curnutte picks the NFL
Curnutte's NFL power ratings
Brewers 9, Reds 6
Reds Box, Runs
When is a start not a start?
Fay: Reds Q&A
Reds chatter
Reds notebook
Cinergy Moments
Astros 6, Dodgers 1
Cardinals 6, Cubs 5, 13 innings
Pirates 4, Marlins 1
Yankees' Wells attacked by man at New York diner
Baseball insider
Baseball power rankings
Soft-spoken QB earns teammates' trust
Dixie Heights 28, CovCath 0
Meadowdale 47, Taft 0
NewCath 35, Scott 14
Purcell Marian 28, Amelia 0
Groeschen: Taft-Goshen cancellation regrettable
Schmidt: New alignment to affect local rivalries
Off the Court with Grace Kammerer
Down a player, Milford holds on for 1-1 tie
Boys cross country results
Boys golf results
Boys soccer results
Field hockey results
Girls cross country results
Girls soccer results
Girls tennis results
Volleyball results