SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame is finding ways to win close games it lost a season ago.

Their 24-21 victory over Purdue on Saturday, highlighted by Jimmy Clausen's 2-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds left, marked the latest the Irish have scored to win a game on the road since 1997, and the 72-yard drive was the longest by the Irish when they scored the game-winner in the last 25 seconds.

Coach Charlie Weis said the reason why the Irish could pull that game out was because the confidence they gained a week earlier when safety Kyle McCarthy had an interception at the 4 with 57 seconds left to seal Notre Dame's 33-30 victory over Michigan State.

"When Kyle made that play last week, the team said, 'Oh, something good can happen at the end of the game,'" Weis said Sunday night. "I think that really the composure the team showed at the end of the (Purdue) game was excellent. Because normally on the sideline you could feel the deflated team. You never felt that at all."

The two straight last-minute wins come after a week earlier Michigan's Tate Forcier threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to beat the Irish 38-34. So the Irish are 2-1 in games decided in the final minute.

Last season, the Irish had three games where they had a chance to win late and failed. Michael Floyd was tackled at the 7 against North Carolina in the final seconds and appeared to try to lateral the ball, but the Tar Heels recovered and held on for the 29-24 victory. Against Pittsburgh, the Irish led 17-3 at halftime and 24-17 with five minutes left but lost in four overtimes. The Irish blew a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 24-23 loss to Syracuse.

Weis said the Irish needed the tight victory against Michigan State.

"Unfortunately the only way you learn the lesson is going through it and something good happening. Last week, I thought, was a turning point," he said.

Against the Boilermakers, the Irish kept their composure despite being without their best receiver who is out for the season with a broken collarbone, despite their best tailback sitting out with an injured ankle and despite Clausen missing much of the second half with a turf toe injury.

The Irish have more confidence than they did last year, Rudolph said. He said the Irish believed they were going to win even after the Boilermakers took the lead with 3:41 left.

"There was no doubt. Who knows if last year we would have been able to go down in the fourth quarter down four points with two minutes left. But this time when the defense came off the field everyone was telling them, 'We got you guys. We're going to take care of it. You guys made a big play last week, it's our turn this week.' There was no one who doubted that we were going to do down the field and score."

Weis credited Clausen, saying he's so calm in the huddle that it helps other players remain confident.

"He knew in his mind he was going to throw a touchdown pass. He just didn't know to who," Weis said.

Clausen said he had a simple message for his teammates in the huddle. "I just said, 'Hey fellas, let's go. This is what we work hard for. Put the ball in our hands, let's take it down and score and win the game."

Clausen was 6 of 9 passing for 69 yards during the decisive drive. Weis said he can see Clausen has more confidence.

"He's always been a confident kid, but not with the air of confidence he has now. It's not just his confidence. It's everyone's confidence in him. So it's a combination of his confidence and the people who are playing with him," Weis said

Weis said Clausen's toe is healthier now than it was a week ago and he expects Clausen to play Saturday against Washington. He's not sure how much Clausen will practice this week. He'll give Clausen time off during the bye week after Washington.

Weis said tailback Armando Allen might have been able to play against Purude. He said he expects Allen to be ready to practice on Tuesday.