Notre Dame vs. Purdue: What you need to know
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The Boilers and the Irish haven't battled since 2021. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images
For the first time in three years, the Purdue Boilermakers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will go head to head on the gridiron this weekend.
Why it matters: Saturday's game in West Lafayette is a clash between Indiana's favorite college football programs of the 2024 season.
Plus: Major stakes are on the line in the Axios Indianapolis newsroom.
- If Purdue wins, Arika will have to drink a full pint of Sun King's State Fair Pickle Beer that she was (not) a huge fan of.
- If Notre Dame wins, Justin will have to wear a leprechaun outfit in the public place of Arika's choosing.
The big picture: No. 18 Notre Dame heads into Saturday's matchup under the shadow of a shocking 14-16 loss to Northern Illinois. They now have a 1-1 record.
- Purdue (1-0) opened their season on Aug. 31 by routing Indiana State 49-0.
💠Arika's thought bubble: I was feeling supremely confident when we made this bet a few weeks ago. After the Northern Illinois debacle … I'm concerned. I really, really did not like that pickle beer.
💠Justin's thought bubble: Notre Dame wants to bounce back from last weekend's upset. But they have to come into our house to do it, and I expect a sold out Ross-Ade Stadium to create an environment that works in the home team's favor.
What they're saying: "As much as you can, you've got to try to tune out the noise. It's easy to listen to the good things (and) nobody wants to hear the bad things people say, but neither of them should matter," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said.
- "There is an element of proving it or earning respect … I would be lying to you if I didn't say this game was circled on my calendar," Purdue coach Ryan Walters said.
Flashback: The last time Purdue and Notre Dame played, the Fighting Irish won 27-13 at home.
- The official all-time record between the two teams is 57-26-2 in favor of Notre Dame.
- Notre Dame wins over Purdue in 2012 and 2013 were vacated due to misconduct.
- Purdue last won on Sept. 29, 2007.
If you go: Kickoff is at 3:30pm Saturday.
- Tickets start at $134 on Ticketmaster, $102 on SeatGeek and $92 on StubHub.
How to watch: CBS, Paramount+ and Fubo.
Go deeper: Notre Dame football on full display in new Peacock docuseries