How to Watch Purdue vs. No. 3 Notre Dame With TV, Radio, Forecast, Stats & Preview
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After suffering a few tough losses in back-to-back weeks, Purdue returns to Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend for its toughest test yet. The Boilers host No. 3 Notre Dame to conclude its non-conference schedule. It's a team Purdue hasn't defeated in nearly two decades.
The Fighting Irish have rolled to a 3-0 start, defeating Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are hoping to bounce back and snap an ugly losing streak. Do they have any?
Here's everything you need to know for Saturday's rivalry game in West Lafayette between Purdue and Notre Dame.
How to follow along
- What: No. 3 Notre Dame (3-0) vs. Purdue (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
- When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
- Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
- Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET
- TV/Stream: Peacock
- TV announcers: Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Caroline Pineda (sideline)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette) |100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne) |1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis) | 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute) |1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Ch. 180
- Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sideline), Rob Blackmon (producer)
- Live stats: StatBroadcast
Forecast
Football weather has arrived in West Lafayette. Folks headed to Ross-Ade Stadium should be treated to a gorgeous afternoon, with chilly 50-degree temperatures in the morning and rising to a perfect 72 degrees for kickoff. The sun will be shining as the Boilers and the Irish go head to head on the gridiron (via weather.com).
- High temp: 72
- Low temp: 51
- Kickoff temp: 70
- Skies: Partly cloudy
- Rain chances: 0% (0% at kickoff)
- Wind: 4-7 mph (E)
- Humidity: 57% at kickoff, 67% average
Scouting Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman, head coach
- 5th season as head coach at Notre Dame
- 46-12 overall record
- 10-2 record in 2025
- Three postseason appearances
- 14-2 record in 2024
- Reached National Championship Game following 2024 season
- Won 9 or more games every season
- 10 or more wins each of last three seasons
- Worked at Purdue as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator (2013-16)
Key players
- CJ Carr, QB — One of the top quarterbacks in the country, Carr has thrown for over 230 yards in each of Notre Dame's first three games. He has tossed six touchdown passes without an interception and is completing passes at a 72.6% clip. He has made a significant impact through the air, despite throwing fewer than 25 passes per game.
- Nolan James Jr., RB — James is coming off his best performance of the season, totaling 121 yards on 26 carries against Michigan State. He also showed off his ability to catch passes out of the backfield in the opener, hauling in four receptions for 67 yards against Wisconsin. James has 242 offensive yards and four total touchdowns this season.
- Micah Gilbert, WR — A big target on Saturday against Michigan State, Gilbert hauled in eight passes for a whopping 170 yards in Notre Dame's victory. He leads the Fighting Irish with 251 receiving yards on 13 catches through the first three contests.
- Boubacar Traore, DL — Picking up where he left off last year, Traore only has five tackles, but three have been tackles for loss. He's also accounted for three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble returned for a touchdown. He's a tough player to block for opposing offensive lines.
- Adon Shuler, DB — Shuler is a playmaker at safety, already accounting for a forced fumble and an interception through the first three games. He's also been credited with eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, showing his range on the field.
- Drayk Bowen, LB — It's hard to prevent Bowen from making tackles. He currently leads the Fighting Irish with 19 stops this year. He's a skilled linebacker who covers a lot of ground and can cause disruptions in the opposing backfield from time to time.
Boilers to watch
- Ryan Browne, QB — Browne has been Purdue's offensive leader through three games. He leads the Big Ten in passing, averaging 341.3 yards per game with seven touchdowns and only one interception. He's also shown major improvement in his accuracy, completing 73.3% of his throws.
- Asaad Waseem, WR — Arguably Purdue's most reliable target in the passing attack, Waseem has continually made plays for the Boilermakers through three games. Has caught 20 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown, and already has two 100-yard performances this season.
- George Burhenn, TE — Burhenn has only caught five passes this season, but he could be a major weapon on Saturday. He's come up with some big, timely catches through the first three games. We could see him used more frequently against Notre Dame on Saturday.
- Charles Correa, LB — The leader of the defense, Correa has racked up 21 tackles, four pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry. He was consistently getting pressure on UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, even though Purdue's defense struggled. He's a do-it-all linebacker and the Boilers' top defensive player.
- Jeremy Lewis, DE — Lewis is Purdue's top pass rusher right now, though he has only recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss through three games. The Boilers have struggled to consistently generate a pass rush, but when it's dialed up, Lewis is usually involved.
- Don Saunders, DB — Saunders is still responsible for Purdue's lone turnover of the season, a pick-six against Indiana State. He has shown the ability to make plays, but the Boilers need more consistency from the veteran in the secondary.
Key stats
Offense
Stats (per game) | #3 Notre Dame | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 40.0 | 39.3 |
Rushing yards | 130.0 | 122.0 |
Yards per carry | 3.64 | 3.39 |
Passing yards | 277.7 | 366.7 |
Completion % | 72.1% | 73.8% |
Total yards | 407.7 | 488.7 |
Yards per play | 6.34 | 6.82 |
3rd down % | 42.42% | 47.06% |
Red zone % | 93.33% | 94.44% |
Turnovers (total) | 0 | 3 |
Defense
Stats (per game) | #3 Notre Dame | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
Points allowed | 7.7 | 36.3 |
Run defense | 58.3 | 207.0 |
Yards per carry | 1.9 | 5.5 |
Pass defense | 134.7 | 239.7 |
Total defense | 193.0 | 446.7 |
Yards per play | 3.81 | 6.91 |
Sacks (total) | 7 | 6 |
Opp. 3rd down % | 30.56% | 54.05% |
Opp. red zone % | 80% | 100% |
Takeaways (total) | 8 | 1 |
Penalties (yards) | 3.0 (30.3) | 7.7 (60.0) |
Fast facts
10 straight for the Irish
This "rivalry" has been awfully lopsided recently. Notre Dame has won 10 straight in the head-to-head series, with Purdue's last victory coming in 2007, a 33-19 win at Ross-Ade Stadium. Not only have the Fighting Irish won 10 straight, but they've won fairly easily.
Only three of the last 10 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. Notre Dame's average margin of victory in that span is 18.4 points per game.
Purdue's prolific passing attack
Although Purdue has struggled to get wins early in the season, it has shown promise offensively. The Boilermakers have been able to move the ball through the air, thanks to the play of Browne and his wide receivers.
Purdue is averaging 366.7 yards per game through the air this season, leading the Big Ten and ranking third nationally. The 73.8% completion rate is ninth in the country. The Boilermakers have also had seven touchdown passes with just one interception.
Defensive gap
To put it bluntly, Notre Dame's defense is really good, and Purdue's is not. The Irish are allowing just 7.7 points per game through the first three games, which ranks fourth nationally. The Boilers are surrendering 36.3 points per contest, an average that ranks 128th and is the worst mark among Power Four teams.
Notre Dame is holding teams to under 60 yards rushing, while Purdue's opponents are averaging over 200 yards on the ground. The Irish have forced eight turnovers, the Boilers have one. These are two teams playing two completely different brands of defense.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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