Lafayette, IN- It’s College Football Saturday—tailgates, roaring fans, and the quest for trophies or bragging rights! Today, the storied Shillelagh Trophy is on the line as Purdue faces Notre Dame for their
88th meeting. This intrastate rivalry, dating back to 1896, didn’t see the birth of the trophy until 1957 when a passionate Notre Dame supporter, Joe McLaughlin, donated a shillelagh from Ireland. Coming off a dominant win over Indiana State and enjoying a bye week, Purdue looks to continue their momentum.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame, stung by a surprising loss to Northern Illinois, is fired up to avoid back-to-back defeats in front of a sold-out Ross-Ade Stadium crowd.
The first Shillelagh Trophy game in 1957 saw Notre Dame claim the inaugural victory, but the history between the two teams is more balanced than it seems. While Notre Dame holds the overall winning record, Purdue had strong stretches early on, particularly between 1954 and 1969 when they won 11 of 16 matchups. Despite their struggles in the rivalry, Purdue’s most recent victory came in 2007, though their 2004 win notably snapped a 30-game losing streak.
Since then, Notre Dame has dominated, maintaining their hold on the Shillelagh Trophy.
Fans leaving before halftime is often a telltale sign of a blowout in the making, and unfortunately, Purdue found themselves on the losing end today. Despite the explosive offense that Purdue showcased opening week vs Indiana State, the bye week seemed to have put them in a slump, with the team managing barely 70 yards of total offense in the first half. Their defense struggled mightily, while Notre Dame made a powerful statement, determined not to suffer back-to-back losses.
Notre Dame’s offense, led by quarterback Riley Leonard and running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, dominated the field. Leonard was a dual threat, rushing for 100 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries, while also passing for 112 yards. The offense accumulated nearly 400 total yards in the first half alone. Adding to the misery for Purdue, Notre Dame’s defense also got in on the action, with Boubacar Traore intercepting a pass from Hudson Card and returning it for a pick-six. Shortly thereafter, Jadarian Price delivered a 70-yard touchdown run, weaving through Purdue’s defense and pushing the score to 42-0 by halftime.
In Indiana, resilience and grit are key, and Purdue attempted to channel both as they started the second half with the ball. The drive showed some promise, with Hudson Card connecting on a few passes to his receivers, but ultimately, they were forced to go three-and-out, handing possession back to Notre Dame. With starter Riley Leonard’s day done after a stellar first half, Notre Dame turned to backup quarterback Steve Angeli, who quickly found Cooper Flanagan for a 28-yard touchdown pass, continuing their offensive dominance on just the second play of the half.
Purdue’s struggles persisted as they went three-and-out again, immediately giving the ball back to Notre Dame’s high-powered offense. The Fighting Irish wasted no time adding to their lead, scoring another quick touchdown to extend their advantage.
Despite the overwhelming deficit, Purdue finally showed some life on offense, crafting their best drive of the day late in the game.
Hudson Card found a small spark, connecting with De’Nylon Morrissette for a 5-yard touchdown pass to put Purdue on the board. While it was too little, too late, the drive at least gave the remaining fans something to cheer for after a long afternoon of watching Notre Dame dominate both sides of the ball.
After Purdue’s lone touchdown, the team seemed to lose focus, with multiple drives ending in three-and-outs, turnovers, and missed tackles. The lack of execution was glaring, and as head coach Ryan Walters noted, it was a breakdown on all fronts. “It was a lack of physicality, undisciplined eyes, undisciplined technique, missed tackles — you name it, every mistake we made, they capitalized on it,” Walters admitted after the game. Allowing 362 rushing yards and six touchdowns to Notre Dame is not a recipe for winning football.
The Boilermakers never found their rhythm and struggled to stop Notre Dame’s relentless attack. As the game dragged on, Purdue’s issues on both offense and defense became more pronounced, leaving little room for any hope of a comeback. Despite the setback, Coach Walters and his staff will need to regroup quickly as the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here.
Purdue hits the road next week to face a tough Oregon State team before returning home on September 28th to face an improved Nebraska squad in what will be a key Big Ten matchup. While this loss was a tough pill to swallow, there’s no doubt Walters will have his team prepared for the challenges ahead.
