Game To Watch: Purdue vs #12 Notre Dame: September 18, 2021

Purdue will visit South Bend to take on Notre Dame this Saturday at 2:30 EST. Notre Dame is 2 – 0, but survived a scare in both games as Florida State took them to overtime and Toledo had a lead late in the fourth quarter. Purdue is also 2 – 0, with wins over Oregon State and Connecticut. The goal is to rack up as many wins as you can and both teams will look to stay undefeated on Saturday.

Recent History

Notre Dame has gone 56 – 26 – 2 against Purdue all time, winning the last seven in a row against Purdue. The last meeting between the teams was in 2014, a game the Fighting Irish won 30 – 14. The Boilermakers’ last win in the series came in 2007, a 33 – 19 win at home. Only two of the last nine games between the two teams have been won by more than two scores.

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What To Watch For…

Can Notre Dame’s Defense Contain David Bell and Slow Down Purdue?

Notre Dame’s defense has struggled at times this year. They have allowed an average of 33.5 points per game against Florida State and Toledo. They struggled to stop the run against the Seminoles, allowing 264 yards on 5.5 yards per carry followed by a difficult time containing Toledo’s stars, as Bryant Koback ran for 114 yards at 5.7 yards per carry and Devin Maddox caught 9 passes for 135 yards. On Saturday they will face the best offensive player they have faced this season, Purdue receiver David Bell. Bell is one of the best receivers in college football and is off to a good start in 2021, with 14 catches for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bell is both a big play threat and a consistent pass catcher who moves the chains. He is the centerpiece of Purdue’s offense and opens up the field for the rest of the offense to thrive. Notre Dame has to keep Bell contained on Saturday, otherwise they will be in for another tough outing defensively.

Will Notre Dame Find Their Running Game?

Notre Dame’s running game was supposed to be a strength for the team. The Fighting Irish returned Kyren Williams, who was one of the best backs in the country in 2020. There was turnover on the offensive line, but with Cain Madden transferring in and Notre Dame’s ability to prepare their lineman, the prevailing thought was that the running attack would not struggle. So far in 2021, the Fighting Irish have struggled to find productivity in the running game. Williams has only rushed for 120 yards total in the first two games and is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. The team is averaging under 100 yards per game and only 2.7 yards per carry. Purdue has done a good job stopping the run so far this season, limiting their opponents to 3.3 yards per carry. This continues a trend from 2020, when the Boilermakers only allowed 3.4 yards per carry. Notre Dame needs to establish their running game to control the flow of the game and allow the offense to help the defense.

Who Will Protect Their Quarterback?

Sacks have been a regular sighting during Notre Dame games this year. In two games the Fighting Irish have allowed ten sacks but also recorded ten sacks of their own. The pass rush has been excellent, Isaiah Foskey and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa lead the way with three and two sacks respectively. The problem is their offensive line has given up as many sacks as they have gotten. With left tackle Blake Fisher out because of injury, Notre Dame will need their line to play better as a unit and make up for his absence. Purdue has only recorded one sack this year, but with George Karlaftis back after missing much of 2020, they have a player that can single-handedly create a pass rush. On the other side of the ball, Purdue has given up four sacks, but has not played a defensive front as talented as Notre Dame will put on the field Saturday. Purdue has to protect their quarterback for their offense to be successful and will need their pass rush to get home if they want to stop Notre Dame.

Prediction

This is a big game for Purdue, they haven’t played Notre Dame since 2014 and will be amped up for the game. Jeff Brohm has shown the ability to game-plan for a big game and will have some tricks up his sleeve to get the offense going. Notre Dame will need to adjust to what Purdue is throwing at them, but should be able to stay in the game and wear down Purdue in the second half. Notre Dame has more talent and will pull out the win, but this won’t be a comfortable win. Notre Dame 34 Purdue 28.

University of Notre Dame Stadium.jpg Image taken by Cdnd is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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