When Notre Dame shocked the world last September by losing to Northern Illinois, Purdue provided the antidote they needed. This season, the Fighting Irish desperately need to dig out of an 0-2 hole and win a football game. The Boilermakers again seem like the perfect candidate to accommodate that objective. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Purdue is improved in 2025 and nothing is certain in South Bend these days. The Irish lead the all-time series 60-26-2, including the last nine straight. Saturday’s game will be nationally televised on NBC beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern time.
Purdue Coach Barry Odom is in his first season in West Lafayette. He resurrected a moribund program at UNLV and became a viable solution for the Boilers. Odom’s overall record is 46-34, including a 2-1 mark this year. He won 19 games in two years with the Rebels, who had won only 20 in their previous five seasons.
Meanwhile, Marcus Freeman and the Irish brain trust are working feverishly to fix a broken defense. The primary issues are coverage breakdowns and the complete absence of a pass rush. We can also add poor tackling, scarce turnovers, and precious few havoc plays to the equation.
Notre Dame will be without kicker Noah Burnette this week, although nickel back DeVonta Smith should return. Guard Charles Jagusah remains out indefinitely as does tight end Cooper Flanagan. Purdue reported a few injuries to backups but their starters are healthy. The only significant contributor listed questionable for the game is backup safety Crew Wakley.
Notre Dame’s Offense vs. Purdue’s Defense
Purdue’s defensive numbers to date look impressive because two of its games were against inferior competition. USC rolled up 460 yards against them last week although the Boilers kept the game within reach throughout. Three interceptions by quarterback Ryan Browne were a major factor in their 33-17 loss.
Three transfers populate Purdue’s very young front four and nine of the overall defensive positions. Only tackle Jamarrion Harkless and cornerback Hudauri Hines are homegrown Boilermakers. Odoms brought in Purdue’s best current defenders, linebackers Charles Correa and Mani Powell, from UNLV. Former Colorado Buffalo safety Myles Slusher leads the secondary. His group has surrendered only one touchdown pass in three games.
This unit is well coached despite substantial personnel turnover and the patchwork lineup in 2025. They have been solid on third down and have managed nine sacks to date. Notre Dame has better talent and will challenge them with a diverse offense. It will be interesting to compare USC’s results against the Boilers with those of the Irish.
Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock successfully integrated Jeremiah Love into the offense last week. More of the same is expected as well as additional work for Jadarian Price. The wide receiver situation is still muddled. Jordan Faison and Micah Gilbert played well in Miami but were nearly invisible against Texas A&M. Jaden Greathouse and Will Pauling were shut out in Miami but had two receptions each last week. The constants have been wideout Malachi Fields and tight end Eli Raridon. This is because the passing game has been conservative rather than vertical. It is now time to expand the attack.
Purdue’s Offense vs. Notre Dame’s Defense
Browne has been efficient for the most part, although his three interceptions were catastrophic last week. Otherwise, he has been a 64% passer and the team’s second leading rusher. Browne’s long scoring run against USC off a botched flea flicker was high comedy but it showcased his athleticism.
Veteran tailback Devin Mockobee is a workhorse who picks up tough yardage but rarely breaks into the open. His hefty offensive line is led by left tackle Joey Tanona, a former Irish player. Right guard Ethan Trent is the only original Boilermaker among the five starters. Overall, Purdue’s ground game has been anemic this season despite the lower level of competition in two of their games.
We can expect Browne to throw more than 30 passes in this game. That number may approach 40 if the Boilers trail throughout the afternoon. Purdue has a quartet of talented wideouts in Michael Jackson III, EJ Horton, Ahrmad Branch, and Nitro Tuggle. Only Branch started his college career at the school. He appears to be the best of the group although Jackson III has more receptions to date. If Browne can avoid turnovers, he and his receivers have the ability to cause problems for Notre Dame.
Last Saturday was disappointing for the Irish not only because they lost but they also failed to pressure the quarterback. Purdue’s offensive line is clearly inferior to their first two opponents, so there are no excuses this week. Chris Ash’s defensive schemes have also been inadequate in terms of disguising rush strategies and coverages. Notre Dame continues to appear reactive and a step slow. To add insult to injury, Irish safety Adon Shuler must sit out the first half of this week’s game. That horrific targeting call against Texas A&M continues to extract a heavy price.
Special Teams
Burnette’s hip injury means that kickoff specialist Marcello Diomede or freshman Erik Schmidt could be called upon. Either solution may be fine but neither player has experience in this role. Irish fans would prefer that this game is not decided by a field goal or extra point.
Purdue punter Jack McCallister sports a 52-yard average. Despite his booming punts, opponents have a grand total of one return yard against the Boilers. Notre Dame should look to pressure him to see if that has an impact on his distance. Kicker Spencer Porath has made all four of his field goal attempts this season. His longest is 43 yards. Jackson III is the primary return man on both punts and kickoffs. Results to date have been average with no long gains or misplays.
Summary
Notre Dame must continue to improve in all phases order to walk away with a comfortable win. A defensive performance similar to last week could keep Purdue in the game until the fourth quarter. Anyone expecting a repeat of last season’s 66-7 romp is delusional. The first order of business is to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. A few sacks and turnovers on defense will energize that unit. Offensively, long runs by Love and Price combined with a few deep shots through the air would be welcome. Such plays would make the game fun again for the players and fans alike. That element has been missing so far in 2025.
Finally, turnovers will be a critical factor in this contest. Notre Dame must be the aggressor and win this battle. This includes fourth down attempts that are essentially turnovers for the team that fails to convert. Ideally, the Irish will showcase a balanced offense and force the Boilermakers into a one-dimensional aerial attack. Realistically, we may only see parts of this equation as the team struggles to excel in all three phases.
Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:
- Will Notre Dame force multiple turnovers?
- Can the Irish defensive front collapse the pocket?
- Which team will run the ball most efficiently?
- Will the Irish kicking game be adequate without Burnette?
- Can Notre Dame’s secondary contain Browne’s talented receivers?
- Will Carr be able to complete more intermediate and long passes?
- Can Notre Dame win the middle eight minutes for the first time this season?
- Will the Irish players exude more energy and joy than in the prior two games?
Prediction
Notre Dame fans are hoping for a performance that says everything is going to be okay going forward. This year’s Purdue team is a patchwork group of transfers but the talent and coaching are legitimate. Although I expect a victory by a double-digit margin, there will probably be a few uncomfortable moments. This Irish team does not yet appear ready to explode. A complete turnaround seems unlikely in one week regardless of the opponent. This means the improvements they make will be incremental rather than substantial.
NOTRE DAME 34 PURDUE 17
This is a reprint of John’s original preview article lost in a site technical issue