Notre Dame – Purdue Football Rivalry History

Notre Dame first played instate rival Purdue in 1896, and played the Boilermakers annually from 1946 to the Shamrock Series game in Indianapolis in 2014. There was one gap in the series from ’23 to ’32, when Fielding Yost was arm-twisting Big Ten (Western Conference) members from scheduling Notre Dame.

SHILLELAGH TROPHY

Since 1957 the teams have played for the Shillelagh trophy, donated by Joe McLaughlin who brought it back from Ireland.

PURDUE’S FINEST HOUR

Frank Leahy coached Notre Dame to the greatest dynasty ever in college football, going unbeaten and winning three national championships from 1946-1949.

Then Purdue came to South Bend on October 7, 1950. Dale Samuels, a pupil of Purdue quarterback guru Bob Demoss, in just his second game, led the Boilermakers, christened that day as the Spoilermakers, to a 28-14 upset over the Irish. Heads hung low, eyes held back tears, as the Irish tasted defeat for the first time since 1945. Leahy was mortal!

THE CRADLE OF QUARTERBACKS

Purdue became known for spawning outstanding Big Ten Quarterbacks, many of whom had a serious impact in the NFL. The list includes Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps (who beat Ara and the Irish in ’67, ’68 and ’69) Gary Danielson, Mark Herrmann, Jim Everett, Drew Brees, Kyle Orton.

Dawson, with Kansas City, Griese, with the Miami Dolphins, and Brees, on behalf of the Saints all quarterbacked Super Bowl Champions. With three Super Bowl Champion quarterbacks, Purdue is at the top of the list, tied with Alabama (Starr, Namath and Stabler).

These quarterbacks fueled Purdue’s best run in the series, from 1950-1969, when the Boilers posted a solid 12-8 record against the Irish.

Ara’s Struggle with Purdue

Purdue was at its strongest during Ara’s reign. Its last Rose Bowl, with Griese, was in ’66, when the Irish won the National Championship.

But Griese beat Ara in ’65 in West Lafayette. And Mike Phipps quarterbacked the Boilers to pretty convincing victories in ’67, 28-21, ’68, 37-22 and ’69 28-14. Then, in one of Ara’s strangest losses, a 4-6-1 Purdue team upset the Irish in 1974 in South Bend 31-20.

Purdue would try to own home state Inidiana, but it recruited heavily in the region (Hammond Gary, a football-rich region) and in the Chicago Catholic and Public Leagues. As that level of football has slowly declined, so has Purdue. It has gravitated to the lower levels of the Big Ten.

A Dominant Stretch from Notre Dame

From 1986 to 2014, Notre Dame football asserted near-total dominance over Purdue, winning 23 of the 28 matchups during that stretch. The Fighting Irish consistently outclassed the Boilermakers in a rivalry marked by several lopsided victories and dramatic finishes that kept Purdue on the losing end.

One of the most notable examples came in 1988, when Notre Dame, under Lou Holtz, crushed Purdue 52-7 on their way to a national championship. That game was a microcosm of the era, showcasing the Irish’s superior talent and relentless defense. Notre Dame’s ability to overwhelm Purdue was also evident in 1992, when they posted a commanding 48-0 shutout, further cementing their supremacy.

The 2000s saw more of the same, with Notre Dame taking 10 of 12 matchups during that decade. One of the more memorable games came in 2006, when quarterback Brady Quinn led the Irish to a 35-21 victory, racking up 316 passing yards against a hapless Purdue defense. Even when games were closer, like in 2012 when the Irish squeaked out a 20-17 win, it often felt like Purdue was chasing a perennial powerhouse they simply couldn’t catch.

From 1986 to 2014, the rivalry was one in name only—Notre Dame’s dominance was undeniable.

After playing for 68 consecutive years, the series stopped being an annual occurrence with Notre Dame’s partnership with the ACC. The series was set to resume in 2020 but was canceled as part of the conference-only schedules that occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two met in 2021 with the Irish winning 27-13 in a game that felt closer than the final result.

All-Time Notre Dame vs Purdue Results

Record: 59-26-2

No	W/L	Date	PF	Location	PA	Notes
1	L	11-14-1896	22	South Bend, IN	28
2	T	11-18-1899	10	West Lafayette, IN	10
3	W	11-09-1901	12	South Bend, IN	6
4	T	11-27-1902	6	West Lafayette, IN	6
5	L	11-24-1904	0	West Lafayette, IN	36
6	L	11-24-1905	0	West Lafayette, IN	32
7	W	11-03-1906	2	West Lafayette, IN	0
8	W	11-23-1907	17	West Lafayette, IN	0
9	W	11-23-1918	26	West Lafayette, IN	6
10	W	11-22-1919	33	West Lafayette, IN	13
11	W	11-06-1920	28	South Bend, IN	0
12	W	10-15-1921	33	West Lafayette, IN	0
13	W	10-14-1922	20	West Lafayette, IN	0
14	W	11-03-1923	34	South Bend, IN	7
15	L	11-11-1933	0	South Bend, IN	19
16	W	10-13-1934	18	South Bend, IN	7
17	W	09-30-1939	3	South Bend, IN	0
18	W	10-12-1946	49	South Bend, IN	6
19	W	10-11-1947	22	West Lafayette, IN	7
20	W	09-25-1948	28	South Bend, IN	27
21	W	10-08-1949	35	West Lafayette, IN	12
22	L	10-07-1950	14	South Bend, IN	28
23	W	10-27-1951	30	South Bend, IN	9
24	W	10-18-1952	26	West Lafayette, IN	14
25	W	10-03-1953	37	West Lafayette, IN	7
26	L	10-02-1954	14	South Bend, IN	27
27	W	10-22-1955	22	West Lafayette, IN	7
28	L	10-13-1956	14	South Bend, IN	28
29	W	09-28-1957	12	West Lafayette, IN	0
30	L	10-25-1958	22	South Bend, IN	29
31	L	10-03-1959	7	West Lafayette, IN	28
32	L	10-01-1960	19	South Bend, IN	51
33	W	10-07-1961	22	West Lafayette, IN	20
34	L	10-06-1962	6	South Bend, IN	24
35	L	10-05-1963	6	West Lafayette, IN	7
36	W	10-03-1964	34	South Bend, IN	15
37	L	09-25-1965	21	West Lafayette, IN	25
38	W	09-24-1966	26	South Bend, IN	14
39	L	09-30-1967	21	West Lafayette, IN	28
40	L	09-28-1968	22	South Bend, IN	37
41	L	09-27-1969	14	West Lafayette, IN	28
42	W	09-26-1970	48	South Bend, IN	0
43	W	09-25-1971	8	West Lafayette, IN	7
44	W	09-30-1972	35	South Bend, IN	14
45	W	09-29-1973	20	West Lafayette, IN	7
46	L	09-28-1974	20	South Bend, IN	31
47	W	09-20-1975	17	West Lafayette, IN	0
48	W	09-18-1976	23	South Bend, IN	0
49	W	09-24-1977	31	West Lafayette, IN	24
50	W	09-30-1978	10	South Bend, IN	6
51	L	09-22-1979	22	West Lafayette, IN	28
52	W	09-06-1980	31	South Bend, IN	10
53	L	09-26-1981	14	West Lafayette, IN	15
54	W	09-25-1982	28	South Bend, IN	14
55	W	09-10-1983	52	West Lafayette, IN	6
56	L	09-08-1984	21	Indianapolis, IN	23
57	L	09-28-1985	17	West Lafayette, IN	35
58	W	09-27-1986	41	South Bend, IN	9
59	W	09-26-1987	44	West Lafayette, IN	20
60	W	09-24-1988	52	South Bend, IN	7
61	W	09-30-1989	40	West Lafayette, IN	7
62	W	09-29-1990	37	South Bend, IN	11
63	W	09-28-1991	45	West Lafayette, IN	20
64	W	09-26-1992	48	South Bend, IN	0
65	W	09-25-1993	17	West Lafayette, IN	0
66	W	09-24-1994	39	South Bend, IN	21
67	W	09-09-1995	35	West Lafayette, IN	28
68	W	09-14-1996	35	South Bend, IN	0
69	L	09-13-1997	17	West Lafayette, IN	28
70	W	09-26-1998	31	South Bend, IN	30
71	L	09-11-1999	23	West Lafayette, IN	28
72	W	09-16-2000	23	South Bend, IN	21
73	W	12-01-2001	24	West Lafayette, IN	18
74	W	09-07-2002	24	South Bend, IN	17
75	L	09-27-2003	10	West Lafayette, IN	23
76	L	10-02-2004	16	South Bend, IN	41
77	W	10-01-2005	49	West Lafayette, IN	28
78	W	09-30-2006	35	South Bend, IN	21
79	L	09-29-2007	19	West Lafayette, IN	33
80	W	09-27-2008	38	South Bend, IN	21
81	W	09-26-2009	24	West Lafayette, IN	21
82	W	09-04-2010	23	South Bend, IN	12
83	W	10-01-2011	38	West Lafayette, IN	10
84	W	09-08-2012	20	South Bend, IN	17
85	W	09-14-2013	31	West Lafayette, IN	24
86	W	09-13-2014	30	Indianapolis, IN	14
87	W	09-18-2021	27	Notre Dame, IN	13