Matchups: Shillelagh Trophy at Stake for Notre Dame Football
Notre Dame carries a 3-0 start and a heavy betting line into West Lafayette, but Purdue’s passing game and the spot on the schedule give this one a few angles worth watching.
This weekend’s win over Michigan State improved Notre Dame to 3-0 on the season, and it has Irish head coach Marcus Freeman on pace to record his first undefeated month of September as head coach at Notre Dame. Not only that, but the 27-10 victory crowned Freeman as the first head coach in Notre Dame history to win 13 consecutive games by double digits. Oddsmakers are projecting the Irish to make it 14 straight, with Notre Dame listed as 28-point favorites heading into its game at Purdue this weekend.
Browne Tests the Irish Secondary
Ryan Browne – Purdue vs. Notre Dame – Pass Defense
The Boilermakers will feature the toughest passing offense the Irish have faced so far this season. Leading the way for Purdue’s offense is quarterback Ryan Browne, who is currently ranked third in the country in passing yards per game with 366.7. After just three games, Browne has already accumulated 1,024 passing yards, including seven touchdowns and one interception. Last year against Notre Dame, Browne completed 21 of 34 attempts for 250 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
On Saturday, Browne will be facing an Irish defense that’s ranked third in pass defense, allowing 134.7 yards per game, including a game against a Rice team that completed eight passes on 12 attempts. He will also be facing All-American defensive back Leonard Moore, who has been targeted just six times this season. Those six targets resulted in two catches for 16 yards.
Although the Irish pass defense has been stingy on the season, it has been susceptible to explosive plays, and it’ll be facing a quarterback who has seen them once before. Furthermore, it hasn’t faced an offense that will fire as many balls downfield as the Boilermakers will on Saturday. The volume could also be problematic for Notre Dame’s secondary due to the absence of safety Brauntae Johnson and possibly safety Luke Talich as well. Edge: Ryan Browne – Purdue
Rsh Defense Favors Notre Dame
Fame Ijeboi – Purdue vs. Notre Dame Rushing Defense
While Purdue isn’t known for running the ball, that doesn’t mean it won’t try. The Boilermakers’ 112th-ranked running back room is led by Fame Ijeboi, who has carried the ball 55 times for 248 yards (4.5 YPC) and six touchdowns on the season. Two weeks ago, against Wake Forest, Ijeboi carried the ball 27 times for 114 yards and three scores.
It’s safe to assume he’ll be facing much tougher competition on Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame. The Irish will enter West Lafayette with the sixth-ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing 58.3 yards per game. Notre Dame’s defense is also fifth in opponents’ yards per rush attempt, with 1.9 YPC. Last weekend, Notre Dame limited Michigan State running back Cam Edwards to 38 yards on 12 carries. Edge: Notre Dame
CJ Carr Has the Matchup Advantage
Purdue Passing Defense vs. CJ Carr – Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s offense is making a name for itself by taking what the defense gives it, and through three games the Boilermakers’ defense is known for allowing chunk plays through the air. Purdue is currently ranked 106th in opponents’ yards per pass attempt, allowing 8.5 yards per completion.
Unfortunately for the Purdue secondary, it’ll be facing Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, who is 16th in the nation with 9.9 yards per pass thrown. Carr is also 14th in QB rating, placing him among the best in the country. Edge: CJ Carr – Notre Dame
Pressure and the Potential Trap Spot
Purdue Pass Protection vs. Notre Dame Defense
The more times a quarterback drops back to pass, the more chances he has to be sacked. After three games, Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne has been sacked six times, which has the Boilermakers’ offensive line ranked 102nd in the nation in sacks allowed. Purdue will be matched up against a defensive front that has yet to play a true drop-back passing quarterback. This has limited Notre Dame’s edge rushers’ opportunities to pin their ears back and rush the passer.
Regardless, Notre Dame has still found success in getting to the quarterback. The Irish are 36th in the country with seven sacks on the season. Defensive lineman Bryce Young is 16th in tackles for loss with three. Edge: Notre Dame
Lookahead Game vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame began preparing for Week 1 when the 2026 offseason began. With the way last season ended, combined with the ambience of Lambeau Field, there was no way the Irish were overlooking their game against Wisconsin. The following week also featured added motivation for Notre Dame, as the cloud of not having another Northern Illinois-type showing during Week 2 hung over the team, so the Irish made certain not to allow that to happen against Rice. Week 3 featured not only Notre Dame’s first home night game against rival Michigan State, which it had played almost twice as many times as Michigan, but it also came against former Irish linebackers coach Max Bullogh. Then there’s next week’s game at North Carolina. The team and staff will certainly be motivated to face multi-Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick.
That leaves us with this week’s game against a Purdue team Notre Dame spanked last season, 56-30. It is a game in a possible look-ahead spot. Sure, the Shillelagh Trophy is on the line again this year, but judging by the 28-point betting line, it is all but Notre Dame’s for the taking. The Peacock network even made kickoff for this game an odd 2 p.m. EST timeslot. It also takes place in September, which is a month that’s caused coach Marcus Freeman nightmares. Edge: Purdue
Daniel Mingea III (pronounced Ming-E as the name gets butchered a lot) began following Notre Dame football in 1993 at the age of 13. He later served as a sports writer for The Vermilion newspaper while at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and parlayed that into a recruiting analyst role for LSU football with Tiger Rag magazine and TigerSportsDigest. Shortly after graduation, he put down the pen and the pad for a gun and a badge to become a probation officer in New Orleans. Three major surgeries set Mingea back forcing him to step away from the field of law enforcement. Now he is focused on getting back to a few of his passions, Notre Dame football and writing.
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