Sept. 27--Notre Dame would rather forget the Massachusetts Minutemen and the horses they rode during the first half of the Irish's 62-27 victory Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
UMass entered the game averaging 96 rushing yards per game, 121st in the country, but left treadmarks on a tired-looking Notre Dame defense through the first two quarters by running for 121 yards -- and passing for 151 more -- to trail the four-touchdown favorite Irish just 35-20 after two quarters.
But the Irish quickly put Marquis Young's 84 first-half rushing yards and Jamal Wilson's 51 in their past late in the first half and early in the second half, when they scored three touchdowns during a 2-minute, 40-second span to swell the lead to 55-20.
C.J. Prosise ran for 149 yards, his fourth consecutive 100-yard game, and two touchdowns to lead an offense that ran for 457 and broke the 60-point mark for the first time since 1996, when the Irish put 62 on Rutgers.
Notre Dame gained 681 yards on offense, the most since it had 663 against Stanford in 2005.
Where there's a Will ... : Will Fuller had a touchdown catch in the second quarter, the 22nd of his career, good enough for a fourth-place tie in school history. It also was his sixth this season, and eighth catch this year of at least 26 yards.
C.J.'s day: Freshman C.J. Sanders' 50-yard dash to the end zone after a UMass punt in the second quarter was the Irish's first punt-return touchdown since Golden Tate returned one 87 yards against Pittsburgh in 2009. It also was Notre Dame's first at home since Tom Zbikowski's 52-yarder against North Carolina in 2006.
Brandon's debut: Freshman quarterback Brandon Wimbush ran 58 yards for a touchdown, his first in his first college game. His first completion, a 50-yarder to Will Fuller, was overturned after it was decided Fuller didn't have control. His first touchdown pass, a 43-yarder to fellow freshman Equanimeous St. Brown, was called back on an ineligible man downfield call early in the fourth.
Looking ahead: Notre Dame travels to South Carolina to face No. 11 Clemson at 7 p.m. Saturday.
