The Shillelagh Trophy will be contested when Notre Dame visits Purdue for their final non-conference football game before an eight-game Big Ten schedule begins. Purdue is aiming to find its rhythm, but facing the third-ranked Irish, who have won the last 10 meetings and outscored Purdue by 122 points over the past two seasons, presents a daunting challenge.
Notre Dame’s offense revolves around quarterback CJ Carr, a Heisman Trophy candidate in his second year as a starter who has yet to throw an interception in three games. The Irish average 40 points per game while allowing just 23 points across victories against Wisconsin, Rice, and Michigan State. Their defense has been especially effective against the run, surrendering only 1.9 yards per carry, which could trouble Purdue’s ground game after a struggling performance last week.
Carr’s passing stats reflect his efficiency: 53 completions on 73 attempts for 726 yards and six touchdowns. The Irish running backs Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams have combined for 85 carries, 315 yards, and six touchdowns. On the receiving end, Micah Gilbert and Jordan Faison lead the corps with 13 receptions each, totaling 424 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Drayk Bowen leads tackles with 19, while Bryce Young and Boubacar Traore have made significant plays behind the line of scrimmage, accumulating 3.5 and 3 tackles for loss respectively. Traore also has two sacks. The Irish secondary has recorded interceptions through DJ McKinney, Adon Shuler, and Luke Talich. Spencer Porath has contributed five field goals, including a long of 52 yards, and is perfect on 15 PATs.
Purdue’s recent 52-38 loss at UCLA was marked by defensive struggles, but defensive end Breeon Ishmail stood out despite the overall performance. Whether he will earn more playing time against Notre Dame remains to be seen. Tight end George Burhenn caught his first touchdown pass since last season’s finale, returning from a season-ending injury sustained against Notre Dame last year. Offensive coordinator Josh Henson confirmed a desire to involve tight ends more in the passing game, responding simply “Yes” when asked about it.
Quarterback Ryan Browne leads Purdue’s offense with 1,024 yards passing on 74 completions from 101 attempts, seven touchdowns, and one interception. Running back Fame Ijeboi has carried the ball 55 times for 248 yards and six touchdowns. The receiving corps features Asaad Waseem with 20 catches for 321 yards and one touchdown, and Xavier Townsend with 19 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, John Slaughter, Charles Correa, and Don Saunders have tallied 21, 20, and 20 tackles respectively. Jeremy Lewis has recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Placekicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano is 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 39 yards and has converted all 13 PAT attempts.
Purdue will wear all-black uniforms for the game, including black helmets, jerseys, and pants. The Boilermakers will have Raheem Mostert as their honorary captain. Mostert, who played at Purdue from 2011 to 2015, returned to West Lafayette for the occasion. Mostert’s NFL career spanned 11 seasons with teams including the Dolphins, Ravens, Browns, Bears, 49ers, and Raiders. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2023 and holds the NFC Championship game record for rushing yards with 220, achieved in a 2020 win over the Packers.
Injury-wise, Purdue’s head coach Barry Odom expressed hope that left tackle Joey Tanona, sidelined since mid-camp with an ankle injury, would return to practice this week. Defensive end Elo Modozie missed the UCLA game, and defensive back Mister Clark has been absent for the last two games.
Purdue’s offense is averaging 39 points per game, but the defense’s inability to contain UCLA’s offense raises questions ahead of facing Notre Dame’s more talented quarterback and balanced attack. The Boilermakers will need to show significant improvement on both sides to challenge the Irish, who remain a favorite to claim the Shillelagh Trophy once again.
According to Yahoo Sports.
