One week after their 2024 home debut, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take to the road again. In this case, the travel only requires a 120-mile trip to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on the Purdue Boilermakers, with the Irish’s last visit to Ross-Ade Stadium coming in 2013. Notre Dame has won the last eight meetings between the two schools and should be a healthy favorite in this clash, holding a 59-26-2 advantage in this in-state battle.
Ryan Walters is in his second season as head coach of the Boilermakers, struggling through a 4-8 rebuilding campaign last year. Like Marcus Freeman, his background is on the defensive side of the ball, with those efforts still a work in progress. Last season, Purdue allowed just over 30 points per game, a number that was worse than the year before.
Purdue Offense: Receiving Questions Need to be Answered
Hudson Card should be behind center for another year after throwing for 15 touchdowns and nearly 2,400 yards last season. He needs to continue developing consistency in connecting with receivers, which can be aided immeasurably with stronger pass protection. If Card stumbles, incoming freshman Marcos Davila could be in line to replace him.
Devin Mockobee is a central part of the Boilermaker running game after leading the team with 811 yards and scoring six touchdowns. He’s also an option on outlet passes after grabbing 19 tosses last year. He’ll get some help from Illinois transfer Reggie Love, who gained 567 yards in 2023, averaging nearly five yards on each carry.
There are plenty of holes to fill among the receiving corps, though Purdue picked up C.J. Smith from Georgia through the transfer portal. He was rarely used by the Bulldogs in two seasons but at six-foot-three, he offers a big target. He’s expected to be joined by Jahmal Edrine and Andrew Sowinski, while tight end duties will be handled by Max Klare.
On the line, center Gus Hartwig will again serve as the leader of this unit. He’ll need to establish some quick chemistry with transfers D.J. Wingfield at guard and Corey Stewart at tackle. Wingfield will be joined by left guard Mahamane Moussa, while Stewart’s partner Marcus Mbow will be at right tackle.
Purdue Defense: Limiting Air Traffic is a Necessity
One of the reasons why the Boilermakers coughed up so many points was their inability to stop the pass, a situation made worse in the offseason when the program sustained a big loss on the line. Nic Scourton bolted for Texas A&M after a breakout year in which he led the team with 10 sacks. However, Cole Brevard returns at nose tackle and has the size to clog up the middle. The hope is that another Georgia transfer, C.J. Madden, can make an immediate impact. Other likely starters up front include Will Heldt at left end and Joe Anderson at tackle.
Middle linebacker Kydran Jenkins is back after a season that saw him take part in 16 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He’s a hard hitter who recovered two fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. He’ll be joined by another solid performer on the weakside, Yanni Karlaftis, who had 55 stops in 2023.
If the Boilermakers can deliver more pressure, the secondary may be able to tamp down opposition yardage through the air.. Bolstering the talent from last year meant tapping into the transfer portal, where cornerback Nyland Green was yet another Georgia transfer and nickel back Kyndych Breedlove arrived from Colorado. Markevious Brown will team with Green at the other corner, with free safety Dillon Thieneman coming off a big year in which he led the team with five interceptions.
Purdue Special Teams: Kicking Game is Key
Any team struggling in the red zone, needs an effective kicking game, something that Purdue sorely lacked last season. Missing eight of 17 field goal attempts only magnified the problem. Incoming freshman Spencer Porath is expected to fill that void, showing a strong leg at the high school level. Returning kickoffs will likely be two of the new arrivals in Smith and Love. Punting duties will be handled by Keelan Crimmins, with the return unit in that are handled by Sowinski and Thieneman.
The Last Time Notre Dame Faced Purdue
In its third game of the 2021 season, Notre Dame got off to a slow start at home but eventually came away with a 27-14 victory over Purdue. The Boilermakers were leading 3-0 in the second quarter when Kyren Williams converted a fourth-and-three pass from Jack Coach into six points. The Irish added a field goal before the half but Purdue matched that on its first drive after the break. Each team scored a touchdown before the end of the third period, but Notre Dame scored all 10 points in the final quarter, the clincher coming on Williams’ 51-yard scoring dash.
