Purdue Coach Barry Odom Gives First Impression of Notre Dame
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Records can be deceiving. That's the mindset Barry Odom is taking into this week, as Purdue prepares for a rivalry clash with No. 24 Notre Dame this weekend in South Bend. He's not focused at all on the 0-2 start for the Fighting Irish.
“I know what their record is, I know who they’ve played. I look at not only what they have schematically, but skill set-wise," Odom told reporters on Monday. "They’re a talented football team. We have to do a great job preparing, and then we have to go execute.”
Notre Dame may have suffered back-to-back losses to begin the 2025 season, but both of those defeats came at the hands of ranked opponents. The Irish dropped their season opener to (now) No. 4 Miami 27-24 at Hard Rock Stadium. This past weekend, they lost a 41-40 decision to No. 10 Texas A&M.
It's not as if Marcus Freeman's team has lost to a pair of bottom-dwelling college football teams to begin the season. Still, it's a disappointing start for a team that played in last year's National Championship Game.
Both teams will enter Saturday's game with a chip on their shoulders. Notre Dame is still searching for its first win of the season, while Purdue is hoping to bounce back after suffering its first setback of the year, falling 33-17 to USC.
What Odom sees from Notre Dame
After watching the film on Notre Dame, Odom has been impressed with how the Fighting Irish play from a fundamental standpoint. He's also been impressed with the skill position players, particularly at running back and wide receiver.
“They execute on special teams, they understand situational football, they block well, they do the fundamentals well," Odom said. "They have two exceptional (running backs), and they’re talented on the outside at receiver. Defensively, they create problems.”
Both running backs, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, have rushed for more than 100 yards this season, combining for three touchdowns on the ground. They provide a nice one-two punch out of the backfield.
The Irish also have a pair of 100-yard options in the passing game, led by tight end Eli Raridon with 182 yards on nine catches. Malachi Fields has 125 yards on eight receptions.
Defensively, Notre Dame has struggled up front, recording just one sack and four tackles for loss in the first two games. It has also only forced one turnover.
Although things have been a little ugly defensively early, Odom still knows Notre Dame is capable of causing problems for the Boilermakers.
"I have a lot of respect for their head coach. I’ve known him for a long time," he said. "They do things the right way.”
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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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