SOUTH BEND, Ind., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Vontez Duff took back an interception 33 yards for a touchdown with 4:09 left and 24th-ranked Notre Dame also returned two fumbles for scores Saturday in a 24-17 victory over Purdue.
Although the Fighting Irish have not scored an offensive touchdown this season, they have given new coach Tyrone Willingham a 2-0 record and made him a winner in his first home game.
Gerome Sapp and Lionel Bolen returned fumbles 11 seconds apart in the second quarter for Notre Dame (2-0), which squandered a 17-point lead before improving to 2-0 for the first time since 1996, Lou Holtz' last season as coach.
With the score tied at 17-17, Purdue's Kyle Orton threw a pass that was behind Seth Morales and deflected slightly off the receiver and into the hands of Duff, who raced down the sidelines and leaped into the end zone for the go-ahead score.
It was the third touchdown in as many games for Duff, a cornerback who returned a punt for a score in last week's 22-0 win over Maryland in the Kickoff Classic. Duff took back a kickoff for a score in the 2001 season finale against Purdue.
While Notre Dame was able to move the ball behind quarterback Carlyle Holiday last week, the Fighting Irish did its scoring on the return by Duff and five field goals by Nicholas Setta.
But Setta was shaky on Saturday, missing field goals of 42 and 38 yards in the final quarter that kept the game tied at 17-17.
Purdue moved to the Fighting Irish 30 in the final minutes before turning the ball over on downs and losing to Notre Dame for the 15th time in 17 meetings.
Willingham became the first Notre Dame coach to win his first two games since Dan Devine in 1975.
