Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 SEPT. 20, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: PURDUE turn game in Jadarian Price and Jordan Faison, so a slight special teams edge is going the home team's way. Advantage: Notre Dame COACHING Barry Odom isn't Ryan Walters, so Notre Dame shouldn't be able to walk all over Purdue in the coaching department this year. But Marcus Free- man has done something Odom, several years his senior, never did at Missouri or UNLV as those teams' head coach. That's make it to the national championship game, of course. Odom should be respected for winning nine and 10 games in his two seasons in Las Vegas. That's a UNLV program that won five games the year before he got there and just two the year before that. He can coach, and this isn't his first rodeo. But Freeman can coach, and he's been to more and more rodeos as the years have gone by as well. He's got experienced coordinators by his side and some of the best assistants in the country on his staff. So many times now when sizing up Notre Dame's coaching versus that of the opponent, it's an "in Freeman we trust" type of thing. Advantage: Notre Dame INTANGIBLES It's no secret Notre Dame Stadium will be a bit sleepier this week than it was last week. Texas A&M coming to town just does something for the juices that Purdue does not. The Boilermakers are an in-state rival, though, so there is at least some pride on the line. That probably pertains to the Purdue side more than the Notre Dame side, though; it always feels good to beat big brother, doesn't it? It's been since 2007 when that happened. Notre Dame has beaten Purdue eight times since then. Still, there have been some close battles in that span. It's not like Notre Dame walks all over the Boilermakers every time the Irish go against them. But can Purdue really get one over on the Irish in South Bend for the first time since 2004? Not likely. As long as the Irish aren't looking ahead to their first ever trip to Arkansas to face the Razorbacks or still reeling in the emotions of a major primetime game against the Aggies from the game before, they shouldn't have much trouble taking care of the Boilermakers — especially since Purdue will have had all it could handle emotionally playing the Southern Cal Trojans the week before having to go against big, bad Notre Dame. Advantage: Notre Dame Staff Predictions Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 45, Purdue 3 First-year Purdue skipper Barry Odom deserves some credit for winning his first two games this sea- son, considering his team returned no defensive starters and only one offensive starter after a mass exodus following a coaching change. Senior running back Devin Mockobee is the lone returning starter on either side of the ball, and he's a good one, rushing for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns during Purdue's wins over Ball State and Southern Illinois. That said, there's no formula for the Boilers to avoid a blowout loss in this one. Steve Downey: Notre Dame 42, Purdue 13 The Boilermakers underwent a major facelift after a 1-11 campaign that saw them lose their last 11 games by an average margin of 31 points per contest. It remains to be seen just how much they have actually improved. On3 ranked the Boilermakers 70th out of 70 Power Four schools in its transfer portal rankings after they brought in the most transfers (54) but also lost the most (58). The Irish still have superior talent up and down their roster. It may not be quite the train wreck last year's 66-7 debacle was, but Notre Dame will win this one going away. Eric Hansen: Notre Dame 47, Purdue 6 Chapter 2 of this five-game renewal of what once was a longtime annual rivalry has lost the at least intermittent competitiveness of its former incarnation. At least first-year coach Barry Odom has a track record of winning with rosters comprising massive amounts of transfers, including an FBS-high of 54 with this Boilermaker team. Earlier this season, Odom became the first Purdue head football coach since Cleo O'Donnell in 1916 to win his first two games. But O'Donnell went a combined 3-8-1 over the balance of that season and the 1917 campaign, and quickly returned to high school coaching. Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 49, Purdue 7 The last time Purdue came to South Bend, the Boilermakers gave the Irish a scare. Notre Dame even- tually won by two touchdowns, but it was a one-score game until midway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Boilers, Jeff Brohm isn't walking through that visiting tunnel. Barry Odom should have his side more competitive than Purdue was in a 66-7 beatdown in West Lafayette last year, but how much better can a team that went 1-11 truly be in just a year's time? Notre Dame should be able to put another smackdown on its in-state rival, even with a new quarterback and new defensive coordinator who are figuring things out in the early going. Irish roll. Tyler James: Notre Dame 52, Purdue 10 The Boilermakers will be a breath of fresh air for Notre Dame after opening the season with two tough opponents. Purdue doesn't have the quality of defensive personnel that Notre Dame had to deal with against Miami and Texas A&M. That should give the Irish offense a chance to show playmaking abilities early and often against Purdue. It might not be as ugly as last year's 66-7 drubbing, but Purdue won't have very long to believe it can win in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. It's too early in the rebuilding process for head coach Barry Odom. Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 41, Purdue 6 It's been 21 years since the Boilermakers last beat Notre Dame in South Bend. That Purdue team — ranked No. 15 in the country at the time — is much different than the one the Irish will see Sept. 20. After facing Miami and Texas A&M the first two weeks of the season, the Irish are battle tested. So, I like Notre Dame to beat Purdue a second time, though this win will look different than last year's. Jack Soble: Notre Dame 52, Purdue 7 The Boilermakers should be more competitive than they were last year, at least early in the game. Notre Dame's talent advantage, though, is overwhelming. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman will make sure his players take this game seriously on the heels of their early-season gauntlet. Kenny Minchey should get the second half. Senior defensive back Tahj Ra-El — a transfer from Memphis — made a team-high 7 tackles in each of the first two games, and his 14 tackles (all solo) led the Boilermakers. PHOTO COURTESY PURDUE ATHLETICS