(Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon/Sportswire)
Everything you need to know about the Boilermakers before No. 3 Notre Dame heads to West Lafayette Saturday.
Don’t let Purdue’s 1-2 record fool you. The Boilermakers can move the football. Stopping somebody has been a considerably bigger problem, and that’s the Purdue team No. 3 Notre Dame will see Saturday afternoon when the Irish make the short trip to West Lafayette.
This isn’t an entirely unfamiliar Purdue team. Notre Dame beat the Boilermakers 56-30 last September in South Bend, but quarterback Ryan Browne threw for 250 yards and helped Purdue score 23 first-half points before the Irish finally took control.
A year later, Browne is back — and considerably more dangerous. He has opened the season with three consecutive 300-yard passing games, including a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns against UCLA last weekend.
Purdue finished that game with 488 yards of offense. Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, UCLA finished with 645.
That pretty well explains Purdue through three games: Barry Odom’s team has enough offense to make Notre Dame pay attention. The defense has made winning considerably more difficult.
Purdue at a Glance
Record: 1-2
Head Coach: Barry Odom
Conference: Big Ten
Last Game: Lost at UCLA, 52-38
2026 Results: Indiana State (W, 44-19); Wake Forest (L, 38-36, 2OT); at UCLA (L, 52-38)
Quarterback: Ryan Browne
2025 vs. Notre Dame: Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30
Series: Notre Dame leads 61-26-2
Current Streak: Notre Dame has won 10 straight
Last Meeting at Purdue: Notre Dame 66, Purdue 7 (2024)
Trophy: Shillelagh Trophy
Kickoff: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET
Site: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette
TV: Peacock
Start With Ryan Browne
If you want to understand why Purdue is dangerous despite the 1-2 record, start with Ryan Browne. Notre Dame saw enough of him last season to know what he can do, but now he looks like a considerably more experienced quarterback. Browne has topped 300 passing yards in each of Purdue’s first three games and threw for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns against UCLA.
He’s also playing differently. Purdue isn’t relying on his legs nearly as much. Browne has been more patient in the pocket, taking care of the football and finding multiple targets — something Marcus Freeman has noticed.
“He is being really patient in the pocket,” Freeman said. “He’s not using his legs as much as we saw on film last year… He’s just making good decisions.”
Notre Dame’s defense has been downright nasty through three games. Purdue should provide its most significant test yet through the air.
A Banged-Up Irish Secondary
There is another reason Purdue’s passing game deserves attention: Notre Dame’s safety room is banged up. Brauntae Johnson remains out with the foot injury he suffered against Wisconsin, while Luke Talich injured his hand against Michigan State and is questionable for Saturday. Freeman said Talich could potentially play with the hand taped or casted, but he could also miss the game.
If Talich can’t go, true freshman Joey O’Brien will make his first career start. And O’Brien isn’t your typical freshman being thrown into the fire. The five-star prospect is 6-foot-5, can run, cover and hit, and Freeman says the coaching staff’s trust in him has grown considerably.
“He’s one of those freaky athletes,” Freeman said. “He can run and can cover and can hit.”
There’s plenty to like about O’Brien, but a true freshman making his first start on the road against a quarterback who has opened the season with three straight 300-yard passing games certainly adds another dimension to this matchup. Purdue wants to throw the football, and Notre Dame may be asking a freshman safety to help stop it.
More Than a Quarterback
Browne has some help. Running back Fame Ijeboi gives Purdue a physical presence in the backfield and is also a factor in the passing game. Freeman specifically pointed to his combination of size, speed and toughness — and to Purdue’s willingness to isolate him against linebackers.
Receivers Xavier Townsend and Asaad Waseem give Browne additional options from the slot and are part of an offense capable of spreading a defense out and creating favorable matchups.
Now About That Purdue Defense…
Here’s where Notre Dame fans should start smiling.
UCLA didn’t merely move the football against Purdue. The Bruins piled up 645 yards, including 369 rushing, and averaged 7.7 yards per carry. You don’t need to be Mike Denbrock to figure out where Notre Dame should be looking.
The Irish still haven’t produced a rushing play of 20 yards this season. Nolan James Jr. carried 26 times for 121 yards against Michigan State and looked increasingly comfortable as the game went along. Aneyas Williams hasn’t looked particularly explosive through three games, but we’ve seen that ability from him in the past. And Jonaz Walton remains an intriguing option. If Notre Dame’s running game is going to break loose, Ross-Ade looks like a pretty inviting place to do it.
Purdue has a new defensive coordinator and considerable personnel turnover, and Freeman acknowledged that the Boilermakers are still trying to establish their defensive identity. Notre Dame would be perfectly happy to let them keep searching for another week.
Purdue Injury Update
There is a little more uncertainty than usual surrounding Purdue’s injury situation this week. Because Notre Dame is a nonconference opponent, the Boilermakers are not required to issue the Big Ten availability reports they submitted before last week’s conference game against UCLA. Under the Big Ten’s new 2026 policy, those reports are required only for games against conference opponents.
So here’s what we know as of Wednesday evening. Starting left tackle Joey Tanona has yet to play this season because of an ankle injury and missed the UCLA game. Defensive back Mister Clark also missed UCLA, as did defensive end Elo Modozie. Tight end Kylan Fox and defensive back Raderrion Daniels are expected to miss the season with knee injuries.
One other name to watch is running back Fame Ijeboi. Odom acknowledged that Ijeboi was a little banged up entering the UCLA game. He still played, carrying 17 times and scoring two touchdowns, and there has been no indication that he will miss Saturday’s game against Notre Dame.
Without a mandatory Big Ten availability report this week, the status of Tanona, Clark and Modozie may not become clear until much closer to kickoff.
A Familiar Rivalry
Saturday will be the 90th meeting between Notre Dame and Purdue in a series that dates to 1896. For 68 consecutive seasons, from 1946 through 2014, this game was simply part of the Notre Dame football calendar. There are some pretty good names attached to this rivalry, too: Ara Parseghian and Jack Mollenkopf, Joe Montana, and Purdue’s remarkable line of quarterbacks — Bob Griese, Mike Phipps, Mark Herrmann and Drew Brees.
Notre Dame has won the last 10 meetings, including a 66-7 demolition at Ross-Ade Stadium in 2024 and last year’s 56-30 victory in South Bend. Saturday, the Shillelagh Trophy will once again be on the line.
What to Watch
Purdue’s 1-2 record isn’t particularly impressive. Its passing game is. Browne gives the Boilermakers a legitimate chance to challenge a Notre Dame defense that has been suffocating opponents through three games — although the injuries at safety add an interesting wrinkle.
On the other side, Notre Dame couldn’t ask for a much better opportunity to get its running game going. UCLA just ran for 369 yards against this Purdue defense.
So there are really two questions worth watching Saturday: Can Purdue throw the football against Notre Dame’s defense? And can Notre Dame finally break one on the ground?
FIP Prediction
Vegas Line: Notre Dame -27.5
Over/Under: 58
This looks like the week Notre Dame’s running game finally breaks loose. Purdue will make some plays through the air, but the Boilermakers have shown very little ability to stop people, and eventually Notre Dame’s size, depth and defense take over.
The Irish cover the 27½, and the FIP prediction lands comfortably over the total.
FIP Prediction: Notre Dame 54, Purdue 14