Notre Dame at Purdue

As we start the week, 10 items of interest as the Boilermakers (2-1 overall; 0-1 Big Ten) travel to No. 24 Notre Dame (0-2) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC):

1 – Purdue and Notre Dame played each season from 1946-2014. Since then, the schools have met twice. The Irish thumped the Boilermakers in West Lafayette last season, 66-7. And Purdue fell in South Bend, 27-13, in 2021. The 66-7 defeat was the worst in Purdue history until it lost 66-0 at Indiana to close the 2024 season. Purdue is a four-TD underdog this season.

2 – Purdue’s last win under the Golden Dome came in 2004, when the Boilermakers took a 41-16 decision. ND has won nine straight since with the last Boiler victory being in 2007. Before the 2004 win under the Golden Dome, Purdue had not won at Notre Dame since 1974.

3 – Purdue is the only team in the Big Ten without a takeaway.

4 – Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was on the Purdue staff from 2013-16, serving as linebackers coach from 2013-15 and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in 2016 under Darrell Hazell.

5 – The schools are set to meet in 2026 (at Purdue), 2027 (at Notre Dame) and 2028 (at Purdue). After that?

6 – Purdue athletics director Mike Bobinski is a 1979 Notre Dame graduate and a four-year member of the Fighting Irish baseball team.

7 – Purdue offensive lineman Joey Tanona began his career at Notre Dame, where he enrolled early in January 2022. He suffered injuries in a car crash that winter that were thought to be career-ending. But Tanona got cleared and transferred to Purdue prior to the 2024 season. He now starts at left offensive tackle.

8 – Purdue’s last non-conference road win was at Virginia Tech in 2023, when the Boilermakers took a 24-17 decision in a game delayed six hours by weather.

9 – Purdue and ND battle for The Shillelagh Trophy. The trophy was first presented in 1957, donated by Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and a Fighting Irish supporter who brought it from Ireland.

10 – Notre Dame is struggling on defense, making some wonder if Freeman will take play-calling away from first-year DC Chris Ash after a 41-40 home loss to Texas A&M last Saturday dropped the Irish to 0-2.

“No,” said Freeman. “No. It’s not the call. It’s the execution. … I’ve been a play-caller. At times, it can be overrated as much as it’s the execution of that play call. And so that’s what we’ve got to evaluate.”

Last Saturday vs. the Aggies was the first time the Irish allowed at least 40 points in regulation since 2019, three years before Freeman took over as head coach in December 2021.

Despite being 0-2, the Irish rank No. 24 in the AP poll, the first team in 37 years to start a season 0-2 and remain ranked. Notre Dame opened the season falling 27-24 at Miami (Fla.).

It is the second 0-2 start in Freeman’s four seasons in South Bend.