No. 18 Notre Dame faces another tough test as it travels to face a hungry Purdue team on Saturday. The Fighting Irish suffered one of the worst losses in program history in Week 2 as Northern Illinois kicked a game-winning field goal with just 31 seconds left on the clock. The loss to the Huskies gave Notre Dame the dubious distinction of being the first-ever AP top-five team to lose to a MAC opponent.
Purdue has only played one game, a 49-0 win over Indiana State, but the Boilermakers looked locked in. Quarterback Hudson Card completed 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns to tie the FBS record for highest completion percentage on at least 20 attempts.
Notre Dame and Purdue used to play annually from 1946-2014 but have played only once since then. The Fighting Irish hold a dominant 57-26-2 advantage, including six straight wins. The last matchup in in 2021 saw Irish wide out Avery Davis put up 120 yards receiving and a touchdown to tie then-coach Brian Kelly with Knute Rockne for most all time wins.
Check out LIVE updates from Notre Dame vs. Purdue
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Purdue live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 14 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium -- West Lafayette, Indiana
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Notre Dame vs. Purdue: Need to know
Historic loss: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is a respectable 8-4 against ranked opponents during his time with the Irish, and gave even Ohio State a scare last season. Unfortunately, his teams have also been marked by letdowns. Last week, Notre Dame lost against Northern Illinois as a 28-point favorite. To make matters worse, the Irish have lost three home games as 14-point favorites, the most by any program in college football since Freeman was hired in 2022. Notre Dame is gettable.
Big time secondary: Purdue coach Ryan Walters is a defensive backs coach by trade and his signature unit has quietly started stacking talent. Safety Dylan Thieneman was perhaps the best freshman in college football last season and earned All-America honors with six interceptions, eight passes defended and 106 tackles. Star freshman Tarrion Grant teams up with Ole Miss transfer Markevious Brown to man the corner positions. Georgia transfer Nyland Green was not listed on the depth chart due to an injury, but could also give another key piece to defend Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard. The unit is still growing, but it oozes with potential.
Card vs. Watts: Purdue quarterback Hudson Card set an FBS record for completion percentage against Indiana State and is a potential breakout player in his second year. However, Notre Dame's secondary, headlined by All-American safety Xavier Watts, will have something to say about it. In their 23-13 win over Texas A&M, the Irish held Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman to a horrific 12-of-30 for 100 yards and two interceptions. Card will present a tougher challenge, but the secondary can make his life difficult.
Notre Dame vs. Purdue prediction, picks
Many successful coaching tenures at Purdue were highlighted with historic wins over Notre Dame, and this certainly appears to be a fallible version. If the Boilermakers can protect quarterback Hudson Card, he represents one of the best quarterbacks the Fighting Irish will defend this season. Notre Dame will pull away for a victory, but Purdue will give the Irish their best shot. Pick: Purdue +10.5
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 3? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit since its inception -- and find out.
