Notre Dame Football Primer: No. 3 Irish vs. Purdue for the Shillelagh Trophy

Notre Dame controlled the matchup last weekend as Pat Fitzgerald’s Michigan State Spartans “threw the kitchen sink” at the Irish. It was a great physical test, and Marcus Freeman’s group prevailed by 17 points in a rivalry game. Mike Denbrock’s rushing attack saw signs of improvement, while wide receiver Micah Gilbert racked up 170 receiving yards. This Saturday, Coach Freeman and the Irish travel to West Lafayette to take on their longtime rival Purdue. The Boilermakers will certainly be upset-minded, but Notre Dame’s biggest competition will be themselves. Can the Irish offense put together its best game of the season? Fans will find out this Saturday afternoon!

Essential Game Info

• Game Time: Saturday, September 26th at 2:00 PM ET on Peacock
• Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Matchup History: Notre Dame Football is 61-26-2 all-time against Purdue (Last Meeting 2025: Irish won 56 to 30)
• Rivalry Trophy: Shillelagh Trophy
• Odds: Notre Dame -27.5

Purdue Details

• Conference: Big Ten
• Head Coach: Barry Odom
• 2025 Record: 1-2 (0-1)
• 2024 Record: 2-10 (0-9)

Weather Forecast:

At the time this article was written, the current forecast calls for an 8% chance of rain, with a high of 73 degrees and a low of 49.

What Purdue Brings In

The Boilermakers have been great on offense and horrible on defense. Barry Odom’s team beat Indiana State 44 to 19 (glorified high school team), lost to Wake Forest in double overtime 38 to 36, and lost at UCLA 52 to 38. Certainly, offense has not been the issue this football season. Last year, Purdue put up 30 points on the Fighting Irish in South Bend (Chris Ash’s defense started the first half of the season out rough).

Unfortunately for Purdue, they will be facing one of the best defenses in the country, and certainly the best on their remaining schedule (even better than the last team they face). If the Boilers believe they are going to put up 30+ points again this weekend, they are mistaken.

The Purdue offense is led by quarterback Ryan Browne. This year, the Boilermakers’ quarterback is 74 for 101 (73%) with 1,024 passing yards, 7 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, and 6 sacks taken. On the ground, Browne has 14 attempts for -7 yards (sacks included) and 0 rushing scores.

This fall, the rare successes offenses have had against the Irish were by dual-threat quarterbacks using their legs. Ryan Browne relies almost solely on his arm to move the football, which could lead to a higher turnover probability against Notre Dame’s secondary.

Where Notre Dame Stands

The Irish rushing attack is progressing, not regressing. Undoubtedly, the offensive line and running backs are not where they need to be for the Irish to win a national championship. But look at the past two national champions and the ups and downs they faced during the regular season.

Nolan James Jr. looked like running back #1 on Saturday night. The Irish tailback had 26 carries for 121 yards (4.7 yards per carry), 1 rushing score, and 2 receptions for 7 yards. Beyond the statistics, he was able to “make something out of nothing,” and he is really utilizing the “spin move” to get extra yardage.

When the Irish needed to run the clock out, he took over on the final drive of the game. Now, Mike Denbrock’s offense needs Aneyas Williams to figure it out or Jonaz Walton to contribute to the attack, because this is the area that could prevent the Irish from going deep in the playoffs.

Notre Dame’s defense dominated the Spartans. Chris Ash’s group held Alessio Milivojevic to 9 for 17 passing, with 123 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. On the ground, the Spartans’ quarterback had 8 attempts for -20 yards, with 4 sacks taken. Pat Fitzgerald, “King of dragging games out,” made this game look closer than it was on paper. But I will say, Michigan State will be a tough road test in 2027.

Head-to-Head Matchups

Notre Dame Offense vs. Purdue Defense: The Fighting Irish offense is averaging 408 yards per matchup, while the Purdue defense is allowing 447 yards per game.

Notre Dame’s offense has found two receiving targets for CJ Carr in Jordan Faison and Micah Gilbert. The Irish finally had a 100-yard rusher in Nolan James Jr. Last weekend, the Boilermakers surrendered 369 rushing yards to UCLA.

I believe the Irish will light it up through the air and finally have a breakout game in the rushing attack.

Purdue is going to have a hard time keeping the Irish under 50 points.

Advantage: Notre Dame

Purdue Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense: The Boilermakers’ offense is averaging 489 yards per contest, while the Notre Dame defense allows 193 yards per game.

Barry Odom’s offense has been good this fall; they are not the reason Purdue is 1-2. Quarterback Ryan Browne is having a good season, and they might be able to muster a few scores against the Irish if they can run a few trick plays or “pull out all the stops” like Michigan State tried to.

But I do not see them putting up more than two total touchdowns, even being upset-minded at home.

Notre Dame still has the clear advantage in this category.

Advantage: Notre Dame

Special Teams: Spencer Porath is 5 for 6 this fall, with his longest make at 52 yards. Conversely, Jacobo Echeverria Lozano of Purdue is 7 for 8 with his longest conversion at 39 yards.

There is no distinct advantage on special teams.

Advantage: Tie

Prediction

Last week, I predicted Notre Dame would have a running back go over 100 yards. While I thought it would be Aneyas Williams, I am content that Nolan James Jr. had a breakout performance. However, the Irish are still missing out on “chunk plays” on the ground, and I expect that to change in West Lafayette.

Purdue’s offense is solid, but their defense has been horrendous. I expect there to be 30 to 40% Notre Dame fans at the game (myself included), and it will be a midday matchup. Mike Denbrock and this Irish offense cannot be content with putting up 27 points on Michigan State last week, and they should be highly motivated to improve this Saturday. Fans should expect to see a high-scoring game by the Irish, like the last time Notre Dame Football visited Purdue in 2024 and put up 66 points.

The Irish defense dominated the Spartans last weekend. Notre Dame’s secondary did surrender a deep pass that led to an MSU touchdown, but besides that play, it was total domination. Facing the Boilermakers, I anticipate much of the same, with Purdue only mustering 10 points until a late touchdown in garbage time makes the game look closer.

I have the Fighting Irish beating Purdue by 39 points and making it 11 straight wins in the series.

Prediction: Notre Dame 56 Purdue 17