Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546639
36 SEPT. 26, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: PURDUE got to find creative ways to get them the football, and we've got a number of guys that really can line up at different spots and maybe create mismatches in certain situations." In an effort to maximize his effective- ness, Browne calls his offensive coordi- nator when they're not in the training facility together. He's always searching for ways to improve. Purdue needs ev- erything it can get out of Browne and the offense right now. "I like the questions and the conver- sation," Henson said. "Usually, he just wants clarification on how he's read- ing something or how he should think about something versus a certain cov- erage. What that tells me is that when I get a phone call at 9:20 at night, he's studying. "He's looking at the menu for the next day, going through play after play, and just confirming things in his mind as he builds his knowledge and grows his mental bank of football. That part is ex- citing to me. That's what you want your starting quarterback to be doing." ✦ Three Things To Know About Purdue 1. The Boilermakers Are Still Alive And Kicking On Special Teams Kicker Spencer Porath committed to Notre Dame in January despite never formally entering the transfer portal, which angered Boilermaker coach Barry Odom. Jacobo Echeverria Lozano has helped Odom get over it. The Colombian-born freshman, who played his high school football in the Pittsburgh area, signed with Purdue in the late signing period last February and then won the kicking job in fall camp. His mental toughness helped give him the edge in an open competition for the job. Echeverria Lozano's family moved to Pennsylvania when he was 4. He headed off to kindergarten at age 5 knowing almost no English and had to repeat the grade. He didn't master English until third grade. But by the time he was a senior at Upper St. Clair High, Echeverria Lozano had a 4.5 GPA as an honors student with a weighted curriculum. Heading into the road game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl Sept. 19, Echeverria Lozano was 6 of 7 on field goals with a long of 39 yards. His only miss — a 49-yarder — came against Wake Forest on Sept. 12. 2. Drew Brees Is Helping Ryan Browne Deliver The last time Purdue and Notre Dame met, Ryan Browne was perhaps best known as the quarterback who had transferred out after the 2024 season, spent the spring of 2025 at North Carolina and then returned to Purdue. Since then, he's been a productive starter. And this summer the 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior got some help from Purdue's rich quarterback tradition. Recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former Purdue standout Drew Brees visited with Browne in August at the start of training camp. Browne also communicated during the summer with Brees and former Purdue star Kyle Orton. In last September's 56-30 Irish victory over Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium, Browne threw for 250 yards and a TD, with 224 yards coming in the first half. 3. Not Roster Churn, But Rather A Roster Tsunami Since the Irish last visited Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024, and annihilated the home team 66-7, Purdue has changed coaching staffs and virtually its entire roster. In Barry Odom's two offseasons as head coach of the Boilermakers, he has brought in a total of 136 newcomers (not including walk-ons) — including some one-and-done transfers. That breaks down to 86 players from the transfer portal and 50 freshmen. This past offseason brought 54 newcomers — 32 transfers and 22 freshmen. Sixteen of Purdue's 22 starters in its 44-19 season- opening win over Indiana State on Sept. 4 were making their first start in a Boilermaker uniform. — Eric Hansen 2026 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 6 vs. Wisconsin* W, 41-13 Sept. 12 Rice W, 52-0 Sept. 19 Michigan State W, 27-10 Sept. 26 at Purdue (Peacock) 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at North Carolina TBA Oct. 10 Stanford (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at BYU TBA Oct. 31 vs. Navy^ (ABC/ESPN) 12 p.m. Nov. 7 Miami (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 Boston College (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 21 SMU (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at Syracuse TBA * at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. ^ at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. 2026 PURDUE SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 4 Indiana State W, 44-19 Sept. 12 Wake Forest L, 38-36 (2OT) Sept. 19 at UCLA L, 52-38 Sept. 26 Notre Dame (Peacock) 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at Illinois TBA Oct. 10 Minnesota TBA Oct. 16 Washington (FOX) 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at Penn State TBA Nov. 7 Maryland TBA Nov. 14 at Iowa TBA Nov. 21 Wisconsin TBA Nov. 28 at Indiana TBA Freshman kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano converted 6 of 7 field goals in his first two games with the Boilermakers. PHOTO COURTESY PURDUE ATHLETICS