Marcus Freeman had plenty to unpack after Notre Dame’s 49-10 rout of Purdue, but the story of the afternoon in West Lafayette was already clear by halftime.
The third-ranked Fighting Irish stormed out to a 35-0 lead in the first half, then closed out the 90th Shillelagh Trophy matchup with 14 more points in the fourth quarter. It was Notre Dame’s fifth straight double-digit win over the Boilermakers, and the final margin reflected just how thoroughly the Irish controlled the game.
Freeman pointed first to the defense, especially the way Notre Dame kept getting heat on the quarterback.
"I knew we had to get pressure on the quarterback," Freeman explained. "However many guys we had to send in, we would do.
We got good four-man pressure. The one play which was huge is, I think Bryce [ Young ] sacks the quarterback, Boubacar [ Traore ] forces the fumble and Drayk [ Bowen ] scoops and scores.
That was a huge moment for us. I think it put us up by 28.
But it was that pressure. It was the four-man pressure that we were able to get on the quarterback that really helped this defense."
He also made clear that he liked the way his team responded when Purdue tried to hit back physically, including the reaction from CJ Carr.
"I hope that's the response of every person on our team," Freeman shared. "Somebody pushes you and, I'm not saying he's wrong CJ [ Carr ] maybe should have been ready for it, but I want all of our guys to be like that.
He is a a dang competitor; he is competitive dude and I'm sure he wanted to run the same play again. The the thing I love about him is he channels that competitive spirit in the right direction, and that's what real competitors got to do.
You can't be out of control, right? You can't lose control of self.
You've got to channel that competitive spirit where it needs to be channeled, and that's what I love about him most."
Freeman also addressed the rise of junior wide receiver Micah Gilbert, saying the production was built long before game day.
"I think the trust has been earned over time," Freeman stated about the junior wide receiver. "It's through the summer, it's through fall camp.
The trust is earned between him and CJ. Then, the gameplan has called for it in the past couple weeks and will continue to call for it.
And they capitalize off it because there's repetition over and over in practice. I don't want it to be a reflection of just one big play.
This takes time and the game determined that the opportunity would come and he took advantage of it."
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Is Taking Heat While Notre Dame Gets More Good News
While USC coach Lincoln Riley was drawing criticism for his remarks after linebacker Desman Stephens II was ejected for targeting against Oregon, Notre Dame had a different kind of Sunday mood around its program. The Irish also picked up a pair of encouraging notes from their own side, with Jeremiyah Love and Joey OBrien both turning in performances that added to the positive buzz around the team.
Rileys explanation for keeping Stephens on the sideline after the ejection, and his claim that he did not see the celebrations, only added to the noise around USCs loss and the way it was handled. Notre Dame, meanwhile, kept its focus on the field and on a stretch of good news that extended beyond its own roster, with Purdue coach Barry Odom also weighing in after the Irish game. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Lost A Transfer WR In The Most Frustrating Way
Quincy Porters time at Notre Dame has hit an especially cruel snag before it ever had a chance to get started. Marcus Freeman said the transfer wide receiver will undergo season-ending patella surgery later this week, officially shutting down a 2026 campaign in which Porter never got to take a single snap for the Irish after coming over from Ohio State.
Porter had already been battling injury issues that kept pushing back his return, and the timing makes the setback sting even more. Under recent NCAA eligibility rule changes, he also cannot redshirt this season, which means 2025 is effectively gone from a roster-building standpoint and leaves Notre Dame waiting to see what comes next for a player who was supposed to add depth to the receiver room. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Got The Early Break Purdue Couldnt Recover From
Barry Odom had plenty to sort through after Purdues 49-10 loss to Notre Dame, but the Boilermakers defense drew the sharpest criticism. The first-year head coach pointed to several calls he believed hurt his team early, and the Irish took advantage as the game quickly slipped out of hand. Purdue also put itself in a difficult spot with a fake punt attempt that came close to working before turning into another swing moment for Notre Dame.
For a team trying to steady itself against FBS competition, the concern is less about one bad night than the trend it now sits in. Purdue has lost three straight games to FBS opponents, and the margins have grown each time, which only adds to the pressure to clean up the defense and avoid giving away momentum so early. [Read more 🡒]