Brady Quinn was 29 of 59 passing for 297 yards and one touchdown in his first start for Notre Dame, against Purdue Sept. 27. (Associated Press photo) | ZOOM |

With his offense struggling under Carlyle Holiday, Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham turned to freshman Brady Quinn against Purdue two weeks ago. The reviews were mixed. The Irish, who did not play last week, lost 23-10, but Quinn completed 29 of 59 passes for 297 yards and one touchdown. He also was intercepted four times.

His 29 completions were the most by an Irish quarterback since Ron Powlus completed 31 passes against Purdue in 1997. His 59 attempts were the second-most in school history behind Terry Hanratty's 63 vs. Purdue in 1966.

Quinn, a graduate of Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, near Columbus, will make his second start Saturday at Pittsburgh. He took time out to do the "2-Minute Drill" with Enquirer reporter Bill Koch.

Q. How did a Columbus boy resist the urge to play at Ohio State? Did you take any heat from friends or family or Ohio State fans?

Answer. My final three schools were Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan. Basically, I looked at the situation between Ohio State and Notre Dame and felt this was best for me. Both universities are great for football and academics, but I felt most comfortable here. My friends gave me a lot of support. They knew it was a tough decision.

Q. What were your first impressions of Notre Dame Stadium?

A. I actually saw it for the first time when I was younger, about 10 years old. It reminded me of (the movie) Rudy. It gave me a good feeling and made me want to play here. Growing up, my dad brought me up to be a Notre Dame fan. There was something about it he liked. I grew up liking them because of him.

Q. What does the Notre Dame tradition mean to you?

A. It's just like a diehard tradition of winning. We're the winningest program in the nation. You want to go where a team is going to be winning and every game is going to be nationally televised every week. It's a tradition you want to be part of.

Q. We know what it's like to play football at Notre Dame when the Irish are winning. What's it like when things aren't going so well?

A. It's a bigger down time than at other programs. We're used to winning. Right now, we're just focusing on stepping it back up and playing the way we know how.

Q. Describe your feelings the first time you ran onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium on game day.

A. It was just a rush. To run through the stadium, seeing the fans, everyone on their feet clapping for us, hearing the band. I was like, "Ah, wow, this is what Notre Dame is like on Saturdays."

Q. Tyrone Willingham seems extremely intense on television. Is he that way in person?

A. He asks for a lot of respect, and he deserves that. He's really a great person to follow, as far as how you conduct yourself off the field. He definitely knows how to make jokes and knows when it's time for business. And it's time for business on the football field.

Q. Do you still follow Ohio State?

A. Growing up in Columbus, Notre Dame and Ohio State were my two favorite teams. I think they're definitely a good program. That's where my roots are. I have a couple of friends on the team. It's a team I try to cheer for except for when we need them to lose.

Quinn at a glance

Position: Quarterback

Class: Freshman

High school: Coffman

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Height/Weight: 6 feet 4/

210 pounds

High school highlights:

During senior year, threw for 2,149 yards, 25 TDs and four

interceptions. Also rushed for six touchdowns.

Division I all-state as a senior.

As a junior, threw for 2,200 yards and 21 TDs and led Coffman to the Division I state semifinals.