Purdue Defense Preparing for Notre Dame Running Backs Who Can 'Do It All'
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There's a lot more to Notre Dame's run game than just Jeremiyah Love carrying the football. When Purdue defensive coordinator Mike Scherer was asked about the talented Fighting Irish ball carrier, he was quick to point out that there are multiple weapons who can cause problems for the Boilermakers this weekend.
Love is one of the most skilled running backs in college football, piling up 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns for Notre Dame during a run to the National Championship Game last year. Through two games this season, he's accounted for 127 rushing yards, 79 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
“He’s a very talented back. They’ve got two of them, and I think they can both play really well," Scherer told reporters on Monday. "They run really hard, can jump over you, run around you, or run past you. We’re going to have to do a lot to keep that run game in check."
That other back that Scherer referenced is Jadarian Price, who has 113 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns through two games. It provides the Irish with a lethal one-two punch out of the backfield.
Notre Dame was particularly effective on the ground last week, with Love and Price combining for 162 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Love also caught four passes for 53 yards and a score. It didn't result in a victory, as the Irish fell to 0-2 after suffering a 41-40 loss.
Even in a loss, Scherer has seen what Notre Dame's backs are capable of doing on the ground. It means that the Boilermakers are going to have to be prepared for everything this Saturday in South Bend.
“They can also catch passes out of the backfield. They did a really nice job last week of getting the backs involved in a lot of different ways. We’re going to have to be ready for a lot of different (things). Wildcat, throw it to them, split them out in empty — they did it all last week.”
Scherer also impressed by CJ Carr
The running back room isn't the only thing that has caught Scherer's attention in strategizing for this weekend's game against the Irish. He's also been impressed with the play of freshman quarterback CJ Carr.
Carr, who played in just one game last season — ironically it was Notre Dame's 66-7 win over Purdue — won the starting job in South Bend to begin the 2025 season. It's been a bit of a roller coaster start, as he's thrown for 514 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
What has stood out most to Scherer is Carr's ability to put the ball in the hands of Notre Dame's playmakers.
“You watch him the first few games, he’s very talented. You have to account for him through the air and on his feet," Scherer said. "And then they have a couple of receivers that are really talented, as well. He does a good job of spreading the ball around to the playmakers. They’re able to score points and move the ball.”
Carr did a good job of moving the ball last week against Texas A&M, completing 20-of-32 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown. But those little mistakes have proven costly in a 0-2 start for the Fighting Irish.
Still, Purdue's defense must be ready for a Notre Dame offense that has proven it can move the football through the air and on the ground.
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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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