5 Things to Know About Purdue's Week 4 Opponent — Notre Dame

Purdue looks to avoid a 1-3 start against its toughest test yet, Notre Dame. Here are five things to know about the Irish heading into Saturday.

Sep 12, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman along with linebacker Jaylen Sneed (3) and quarterback CJ Carr (13) sing the alma mater after beating the Rice Owls at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue has gotten itself into an early-season hole, starting 1-2 with losses to UCLA and Wake Forest. Things don’t get much easier on Saturday against No. 3 Notre Dame, a team looking to win a national championship in 2026. Can Purdue’s defense show any signs of improvement?

Here are the key things to know about Notre Dame heading into Saturday’s 2 p.m. ET kickoff.

Hungry: National championship or bust

Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman arrives before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are some funny similarities between this Notre Dame team and Purdue basketball from last season. It’s championship or bust for the Irish, and they may never have been hungrier under head coach Marcus Freeman. After losing in the National Championship Game two years ago and being left out of the CFP in 2025, an early-season loss would be detrimental to Notre Dame's chances.

It’s too early to say how good this Notre Dame team is compared to other Irish squads, but they’re firmly a national championship contender. Many would tell you the Irish are their favorite heading into the heart of the season, and I’d put myself in that camp. That makes me nervous heading into Saturday’s matchup against a struggling Purdue defense.

Clean Football

Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler (8) celebrates after getting an interception during a NCAA football game against Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the areas that makes Notre Dame such a good football team is how consistently it plays clean football. This season, the Irish have yet to turn the ball over and sit at plus-eight in turnover margin.

Penalties haven’t been much of an issue either, with Notre Dame giving up around 30 yards per game. Purdue is going to have to execute extremely well to hang around with the Irish because the odds are Notre Dame will do the same. The Boilermakers were minus-three in turnover differential last week and have given up 60 penalty yards per game.

Key secondary injuries

Notre Dame safety Luke Talich (28) leaves the game early during a NCAA football game against Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A lot of the reasons Purdue was able to score 30 points against Notre Dame last season stemmed from injuries in the secondary. Purdue didn’t have to face standout corner Leonard Moore last year, and he’ll be in action this Saturday, but there is still some important missing personnel within the secondary.

Starting safety Luke Talich will be out for the Irish, which will be a significant blow considering he’s fourth on the team in tackles and has been a turnover threat. Fellow starting safety Bruntae Johnson will also miss his third straight game after exiting the opener against Wisconsin. Facing a quarterback like Ryan Browne, these injuries could come back to hurt Notre Dame in the passing game.

Lacking QB run

Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) looks to pass against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are plenty of areas on Purdue’s defense you could be concerned about right now, but the quarterback run may reign supreme. The Boilers have struggled over the last three weeks to keep quarterbacks in the pocket. This week against C.J. Carr, that may not consume as much of the game plan.

Carr is an excellent quarterback who could very well make his way to the Heisman stage this year, but he’s not much of a threat to run the ball. He’s carried it just five times through three games for three yards. He can beat you in plenty of other ways, but at least the Boilers won’t run into their Achilles’ heel in this one.

1-2 Punch

Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Aneyas Williams (22) runs against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue faced off against a heck of a 1-2 punch out of the backfield last year with two first-round draft picks in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Those two ran wild on the Boilers, averaging over 8.0 yards per carry and combining for 231 rushing yards. This year, the Irish have yet another duo they hope can be just as deadly.

Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams combined for just eight carries last year against Purdue, but they’ll look to continue Notre Dame’s running back legacy. So far this season, the carry share has been very even, with James taking 39 carries for 169 yards and Williams getting 38 carries for 144 yards. They haven’t been as productive as their predecessors quite yet, but they can still wear down a defense.

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