First Look: Notre Dame
Here’s an early look at Purdue’s fourth opponent of the 2025 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
Date/Time: Saturday, September 20, 3:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Notre Dame Stadium
Surface: Field Turf
Capacity: 80,795 (sold out)
Weather: The early forecast shows a high of 78 degrees with morning rain showers
2025 schedules/rosters: Purdue schedule | Purdue roster | Notre Dame schedule | Notre Dame roster
Series notes: The battle for the Shillelagh trophy returns on Saturday as Purdue and Notre Dame meet for the 87th time. The two met annually from 1946 to 2014, but the series temporarily ended following seven consecutive Fighting Irish victories from 2008 to 2014. A six-game resumption of the rivalry began in 2021, and Notre Dame took both of the contests in the current series. Notre Dame defeated Purdue 27-13 in 2021 beneath the Golden Dome before handing Purdue a 66-7 defeat inside Ross-Ade Stadium last September. Purdue last downed the Fighting Irish in 2007, a 33-19 win over Charlie Weis’ team. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 58-26-2.
TV: NBC
Early line: Notre Dame -28
STORYLINES TO WATCH
0-2 Irish
After a pair of close losses to ranked foes, the Fighting Irish enter with an 0-2 record. Despite Marcus Freeman’s largely successful tenure to this point, he’s now the first coach to ever begin multiple seasons with a 0-2 record in South Bend.
Notre Dame fell 27-24 in its season-opener against No. 4 Miami. Following a week two bye, a fourth down touchdown in the closing seconds lifted No. 10 Texas A&M to a 41-40 victory beneath the Golden Dome. The pressure mounts for Notre Dame, who likely needs to close the season with 10 straight wins to reach the College Football Playoff.
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Major underdog
Purdue enters Saturday’s matchup as a 28-point underdog. It’s the second week in a row where Purdue enters as a 20-plus-point underdog after USC closed as a 20.5-point favorite. The Boilermakers beat the spread, falling 33-17.
Last season, Notre Dame opened as a 17-point favorite before a massive line shift resulted in the spread closing at just 7.5. Oddsmakers got the last laugh, as Notre Dame ran roughshod over the Boilermakers in a 66-7 blowout. At the time, it was the largest margin of defeat in Purdue program history. The Fighting Irish enter on a nine-game win streak in the series, and Notre Dame covered the spread in both of the meetings since the resumption of the rivalry in 2021.
Building on positives
While Purdue fell short, losing 33-17 to USC, several positives emerged in the defeat. Purdue continued to rally despite costly turnovers. The defense forced the Trojans to attempt five field goals, as Southern Cal only reached the end zone twice on offense.
At times, Purdue’s offense moved the ball effectively despite frequently being overwhelmed on the line of scrimmage. Ryan Browne cleared the 300-yard mark passing, and Purdue put pressure on the Trojans. Now, the next step for Purdue is to convert in the red zone and maximize scoring opportunities. As an underdog, squandered chances tend to serve as a death blow.
Odom on the Fighting Irish
An update will be provided following Odom’s Monday press conference.
