No. 18 Notre Dame tries to rebound when it renews longtime in-state rivalry at Purdue

No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Notre Dame by 11 1/2.

Series record: Notre Dame leads 26-59-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Notre Dame already has one inexplicable loss. Another would likely eliminate the Fighting Irish from playoff contention because of a softer-than-usual schedule. That means this week, like every remaining game this season, becomes a must-win for the Irish. Purdue is coming off a bye week after a season-opening rout of Indiana State. A win Saturday would give the Boilermakers a huge boost with just the second 2-0 start since 2007.

KEY MATCHUP

Notre Dame offensive line vs. Purdue pass rush. The defensive roots of Purdue coach Ryan Walters have been on full display over the last 13 games, with the Boilermakers recording 38 sacks and using the pass rush to force opponents into mistakes. If they can replicate that against Notre Dame’s young offensive line, which has struggled during the first two weeks, the result could exceed expectations.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Notre Dame: QB Riley Leonard. After a solid debut at Texas A&M, the former Duke star struggled in his home opener — going 20 of 32 with 163 yards and two interceptions and a rating of 25.8. When they needed him most, in the final minute, all Leonard could do was get the Irish to the cusp of field goal range. He needs to play much better.

Purdue: S Dillon Thieneman. The All-American defender had only two tackles in limited action in Week 1, but he’s likely to be much busier this weekend. For many college football fans, this may be their first real chance to see the play-making safety who flies around the field. It won’t be their last chance, with more ranked games on the schedule.

FACTS & FIGURES

The long-time in-state rivals first started playing in 1896 but haven’t squared off since 2021. The last contest at Ross-Ade Stadium was in 2013. ... The Irish have won eight straight in this series with Purdue’s last win coming in 2007. ... Purdue QB Hudson Card was 24 of 25 with 273 yards and four TDs in the opener after spending the offseason focused on improving his accuracy. His 96% completion rate set an FBS single-game record for players who threw at least 20 passes. ... Notre Dame is one of five FBS schools without a TD pass through Week 2. The others are Air Force, Miami (Ohio), Northwestern and Western Michigan. Miami (Ohio) visits Notre Dame in Week 4. ... The Shillelagh Trophy is one of three trophy games the Boilermakers have on their schedule this year. They play Illinois on Oct. 12 for the Cannon Trophy and close the season at Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket. ... Marcus Freeman lost his first two games as the Irish coach in 2022 and hasn’t lost two straight since.

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