Purdue heads into Saturday afternoon already backed into a corner, and the task doesn’t get any friendlier with No. 3 Notre Dame coming to town for a 2 p.m.
ET kickoff. The Boilermakers are 1-2 after losses to UCLA and Wake Forest, and now they draw an Irish team that looks built for a run at a national championship in 2026.
That’s the backdrop, but the bigger issue for Purdue is how clean Notre Dame has played through three games. The Irish have not turned the ball over this season and sit at plus-eight in turnover margin.
They’ve also stayed out of trouble with the officials, giving up around 30 penalty yards per game. Purdue, meanwhile, comes in minus-three in turnover differential from last week and has been tagged for 60 penalty yards per game.
Against a team that rarely beats itself, the Boilermakers will need sharp execution just to keep the game within reach.
Notre Dame’s ceiling is what makes this matchup feel so dangerous. After losing in the National Championship Game two years ago and missing the CFP in 2025, Marcus Freeman’s group has every reason to be locked in early.
It’s still too soon to stack this Irish team against other Notre Dame teams, but there’s no denying the national-championship buzz around it. That kind of opponent is exactly what Purdue does not want while trying to stabilize a defense that has had trouble all season.
One encouraging wrinkle for Purdue is that Notre Dame’s quarterback, C.J. Carr, is not much of a threat on the ground.
He has carried the ball just five times for three yards through three games, which matters because Purdue has had a hard time keeping quarterbacks contained over the last three weeks. Carr can hurt a defense in plenty of other ways, but the Boilermakers at least won’t be staring down the same quarterback-run problem they’ve been chasing lately.
The Irish are also dealing with some injury trouble in the secondary. Starting safety Luke Talich is out, a notable loss because he is fourth on the team in tackles and has been a turnover threat.
Fellow starting safety Bruntae Johnson will miss his third straight game after leaving the opener against Wisconsin. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne could find some opportunities there, even with standout corner Leonard Moore back in the lineup this time after not playing against Purdue last year.
And then there’s the ground game, where Notre Dame has plenty of options again. Purdue saw what a top-tier Irish backfield can do last season, when Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price - both first-round draft picks - averaged more than 8.0 yards per carry and piled up 231 rushing yards against the Boilermakers.
This year, Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams have taken over that role. They split the workload almost evenly so far, with James carrying 39 times for 169 yards and Williams 38 times for 144 yards.
They haven’t matched last year’s production yet, but they still give Notre Dame the kind of one-two punch that can grind a defense down over four quarters.
In Other News...
Purdue Fans Are Stuck Asking The Same Defense Question Again
Purdues defense has put Kevin Kane back at the center of the conversation, and not for the right reasons. With the unit struggling again, the staff discussion around the Boilermakers has turned to the same old split in blame: is this mostly a coaching issue, a player-execution problem, or some frustrating mix of both?
The recent numbers are ugly enough to fuel the debate, especially when they are stacked against what Purdue has looked like in past seasons. And because the opinions around Kane vary so widely, the bigger question for Boilermaker fans is whether the problems are fixable within the current scheme or whether the defense needs a much deeper reset. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Faces A Brutal Test Against Notre Dames Most Dangerous Strength
Notre Dame comes into its meeting with Purdue at 3-0, and the early signs point to a team that has been winning in multiple ways. The Irish already own victories over Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State, and the bigger storyline for Purdue is how difficult they have been to move against. Notre Dame has shown up near the top of national defensive rankings, with linebacker Drayk Bowen and safeties Adon Shuler and Luke Talich helping set the tone.
For Purdue, the challenge is not just slowing one area of the Irish attack, but trying to keep the whole operation from controlling the game. CJ Carr directs an offense built around running backs Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams and receivers Micah Gilbert and Jordan Faison, while former Boilermakers kicker Spencer Porath adds another familiar name to the mix. It is the kind of all-around test that can expose every weak spot, and one Purdue will have to be ready for from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]