Notre Dame vs Purdue: What the Irish Need to Do to Win
- Luciano Antonini
- Sep 20
- 6 min read
Notre Dame faces a steep hill ahead of itself, and it starts with a supposedly less stressful team in Purdue. Our staff gives their hard-hitting analysis, thoughts, and predictions for the Notre Dame vs Purdue matchup that Notre Dame hopes to mark as its first win of the season. Let's begin.
The Analysis
Starting with Liam Gaudet, Senior Editor at The Irish Tribune:
This is a get-right game, not dissimilar to when the Irish faced Purdue last season. In a lot of ways, this game could determine the trajectory of the rest of the season, and with plenty of recruits in attendance, Notre Dame needs to put its best foot forward.
The Irish offense will continue to hum along nicely, and I expect the playbook to be wide open this week. CJ Carr will likely set a career high in passing yards, as Mike Denbrock will continue to try and build the young signal caller's confidence. I expect the offensive line to take another big step forward after an improved game last weekend. We should also see some more looks for players like Jaden Greathouse and Will Pauling, who have been quiet to start the year. Jeremiyah Love dominated the Boilermakers last year, and he'll be eager to reintroduce himself to their defense. Expect to see him hit on a few home runs for the first time this season.
The defense doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Leonard Moore injured his ankle last week, and honestly, he's the only player in this secondary who's pulled their weight this season. Chris Ash will attempt to simplify things, but this defense won't magically begin to play at a championship level after 7 days. There's going to be plays given up, but ultimately, the Irish talent will be too great for Purdue to keep things close. Still, expect some more frustration. The pass rush, which has been extremely disappointing, will need to start playing with some tenacity in order to keep things in check. There are roles that need to be filled on defense. Look for some players to step up and stake their claim this week.
Liam Gaudet's Prediction: 48-20 Notre Dame wins.
From the mind of Brenden Duffy, Associate Editor, Senior Staff Writer:
Today marks just the second unranked opponent Notre Dame will have faced since November 16, and it could not come at a better time.
New Purdue HC Barry Odom has his program heading in the right direction early in his tenure, but they still lack the talent to compete with the likes of Notre Dame.
Some predictions for the game include the Irish pass rush showing up with at least five sacks and the offense combining for over 500 yards with a strong passing performance from Carr and a complementary run game with Love & Price.
As hinted at above, I expect Carr to have a field day against Purdue safeties who have struggled in coverage. Let Carr loose in the first half and then finish the Boilermakers with the run later.
Last year, Love and Price combined for 195 yards and 2 TDs on just 18 carries. With increased volume today, it will be fun to see the duo work against an improved, but still not great, defensive front from Purdue.
Purdue QB Ryan Browne has had his share of mistakes this year, and it does not help when his OL is consistently overmatched. Last week, USC got to the QB 5 times. While the Irish pass rush has certainly struggled against good O-lines, they should be able to at least replicate what the Trojans' defense did. Getting pressure and forcing errors will be key for the ND defense.
One of Purdue’s leaders is their RB Devin Mockobee. The Irish held the starting RB last year to just 2.1 yards per carry on 9 attempts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mockobee have a solid game, but it should not be enough to give the Boilermakers a win.
Brenden's Prediction: 48-14 Notre Dame will win.
The Predictions & More
Hear from Max Uretsky, Analyst for The Irish Tribune:
It won't be perfect, but this game will give Notre Dame football a pulse again. Although Purdue is improved, it's unlikely they will be able to find enough offense against a hungry Notre Dame defense to really make this a scare. The nickel spot is still a glaring issue, but the Irish pass rush should be able to help the secondary out and find some footing against a less-than-stellar Purdue offensive line. Offensively, Notre Dame got back to what they needed to do last week in the ground game, and I looked for that to continue this week.
Max's Prediction: 45-17 Notre Dame wins victoriously.
From Liam Farrell, Associate Editor, Senior Football Writer:
The defense and Chris Ash sputter again for most of the first half, with the secondary continuing to be torn apart. CJ Carr and Mike Denbrock keep the Irish in the game with another strong offensive performance that complements both the run and the pass beautifully.
The return of Adon Shuler in the 2nd half will be the key to the defense in this one, as the Irish hold the Boilermakers to only 3 second-half points. Jeremiyah Love has his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, and Malachi Fields will haul in 2 TDs as well.
Liam's Prediction: 38-24 Notre Dame wins.
Via Insider Bruce Straughan:
Coming off two heartbreaking losses against Miami and Texas A&M, Notre Dame has put itself in a 0-2 hole to start the season. They have to now be perfect from here on out and run the table if they even want to be considered for the playoffs at this point. Even with a 10-2 record, they're not guaranteed anything. I believe we see a team this week on a mission and playing with a purpose. Marcus Freeman's teams are great at playing the underdog role and playing through adversity.
I don't expect the defense to magically come out dominant, and I see Purdue taking advantage early and getting two TDs on this defense. I believe they settle in as the game goes on and then put the clamps on the Purdue offense. The Irish offense under Carr has been good but not exceptionally great, but they seem to be improving each week, and I expect to see more of that during this game. I think the Irish offense rolls and puts up a lot of points against this Purdue defense.
Bruce's Prediction: 42-14 Notre Dame wins big.
Lastly, from Noah Wehby, Writer at The Irish Tribune:
After falling to 0-2 to start the year, I fully expect Notre Dame to play with some urgency against Purdue.
Once again, the offense will look good. Purdue simply doesn't have the level of athletes to keep up with the Irish. Like their matchup last year, Love and Price are going to have big games, as they are just too fast and strong. Notre Dame's O-Line will give them all the necessary lanes they need to consistently move the ball.
On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame will look good at times. Like I said before, Notre Dame's athletes should be able to overwhelm Purdue's offense. Hopefully for the defense, this game can work as a way to gain some confidence on that side of the ball. With that being said, I do think there will still be plays and drives where the defense still looks lost.
Noab's Prediction: 45-24 Notre Dame wins.
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