Notre Dame Seeks September Sweep Against Familiar Foe

On paper, Notre Dame's matchup with Purdue on Saturday in West Lafayette doesn't seem like much of a needle mover, with the Boilermakers already having two losses on their ledger and the Irish being expected to notch a convincing win.

But upon deeper review, a win for the Irish in this moment would accomplish an important first for Marcus Freeman in his now fifth year at the helm in South Bend.

A win over Purdue would mark the first season that Notre Dame has made it through the first month of the season undefeated. This is the first big box Notre Dame needs to check in terms of overall goals for the season, and would demonstrate important program maturity and growth.

The Notre Dame defense squares off against the third-best passing attack in the country

While Notre Dame is expected to win this contest by a comfortable margin, and Purdue's win-loss record impresses nobody, the Purdue passing offense has been elite so far this year.

The Boilermakers have compiled the third-most passing yards in the country and are averaging over 365 yards per contest.

While the Purdue running game isn't great and the offensive line is suspect at times, this passing attack will by far be the best one the Irish will have faced so far in 2026.

Generally speaking, the Irish secondary is to be trusted and respected as one of the better ones in the country, but there is an injury concern to monitor that could come into play with Luke Talich suffering an injury against Michigan State.

Should he not be able to play, Notre Dame would be down two safeties, and young Joey O'Brien would be thrust into the spotlight in a key role. This is something to monitor.

The key for the Irish defensively against Purdue is simple. Stop the run on early downs, then pressure Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne before he has time to comfortably deliver passes to his playmakers. Pressure is the key in this matchup. If the Irish can speed Browne's clock up, Notre Dame will be able to slow down Purdue's attack.

A dominant duo 🤝#GoIrish☘️ | @13Cjcarr | @Gilbert316Micah pic.twitter.com/ATwFDm3rUS
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 23, 2026

The Notre Dame offense needs to have a big day on the ground

While the Purdue offense is capable of providing a challenge for the Irish, the Boilermaker defense should not be able to. This defense is bad. And it is specifically terrible in the one area Notre Dame hopes to improve on the run game.

How bad is Purdue against the run? Last week, the Boilermakers allowed UCLA to gain 369 yards on the ground. Yes, you read that right: 369 yards running the ball.

So far this year, Notre Dame's run game has left much to be desired. Both the offensive line and backs have struggled to gain consistency and confidence week to week, and the Irish are one of only a couple of teams in America to not yet have a run gain of 20 yards or more.

This all needs to end in West Lafayette. I expect this to be the week Notre Dame gains some much-needed confidence in this area and takes a big step forward running the rock. If the Irish can't run the ball against this defense, the run game issues are a much more serious problem than previously thought.

Purdue will present the Irish with a unique challenge this week, but I'm confident Notre Dame will prevail fairly comfortably and move to 4-0.

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