The Fighting Irish hit the road this week for a renewal of an in-state rivalry with the Purdue Boilermakers. The Shillelagh Trophy will be on the line for the first time since 2021, when Jack Coan and the Irish handled the Boilermakers 27-13 in South Bend. Notre Dame enters Saturday’s matchup owning a six game winning streak over Purdue.
Played every year between 1946-2014, this Indiana state rivalry has finally been renewed for an annual matchup scheduled through 2028, at the least. Since we will be getting to know these Boilermakers closely over the next four years, let’s look at how they might look this Saturday:
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Offense
Purdue enters this Saturday afternoon matchup 1-0 and coming off a bye week. The Boilermakers dominated Indiana State 49-0 in week one to open Head Coach Ryan Walters’ second season at the helm. Walters’ offensive coordinator is former Heisman finalist Graham Harrell, who accepted the position after one year as West Virginia’s coordinator.
Harrell will have his work cut out for him this year. Purdue lost their top four receivers this offseason, and there appears to be question marks about where the production will come from. To make matters even more tricky for this receiving core, C.J. Smith, former four-star receiver and Georgia transfer, has missed the beginning of the season and could potentially miss this week’s matchup. Tight end Max Klare, expectedly, picked up the slack in week one, when he totaled five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore tight end finished last season with 22 receptions for 196 yards in just five game appearances, but appears set for a breakout campaign this year.
The man getting the ball to Klare is 6th-year senior Hudson Card. The former Texas quarterback struggled during his time in Austin, but it appears he has found home in West Lafayette after a career-best season. Card missed one game last season and finished 4-7 as the starter. In his 11 starts, he totaled 2,387 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. Card did have his struggles with accuracy, completing just 58.9% of his passes in addition to throwing 8 interceptions. Notably, Purdue went 0-5 last year when Card completed under 60% of his throws. This should bode well for the Irish, as the secondary has played well up to this point, allowing under 300 total passing yards through two weeks. Card had a field day against the weak Indiana State defense in week one, finishing 24/25 for 273 yards and four touchdowns. This is an outing that can provide Card with a good confidence boost going into a matchup with the ranked Irish defense.
Arguably, Purdue’s greatest strength this season will be their offensive line. The Boilermakers added two transfers in addition to three returning starters, including star center Gus Hartwig. An injury to keep an eye on this week is that of starting tackle, Corey Stewart. The Ball State transfer is currently listed as questionable to play Saturday, but signs are pointing to the former First Team All-MAC selection to suit up.
Purdue was heavily reliant on their offense last season and the stats prove it. The Boilermakers were 0-7 when totaling under 405 total yards and 0-5 when committing multiple turnovers. In other words, do not let this offense get rolling or it could spell trouble for the Irish.
Defense
As mentioned above, Purdue relied on their offense last season for team success. The Boilermaker defense allowed over 30 points per game and was rated as the worst Big Ten pass defense last season. Despite losing Big Ten sack leader Nic Scourton to Texas A&M, who the Irish know well, Purdue did a good job reloading via the transfer portal.
The first big addition through the portal was Georgia edge rusher CJ Madden. Despite seeing limited playing time as a freshman at Georgia, the 6’4 263-pounder has big potential as a former four-star recruit. Madden recorded two tackles in his Boilermaker debut week one.
Another lineman seeking a breakout year is defensive tackle Cole Brevard. At 6’3 and 333 pounds, Brevard is a ‘force’ in every sense of the word. Despite starting every game last season, he really lacked the production needed for a Big Ten tackle. Like Madden, Brevard also recorded two tackles in week one to open his year.
Purdue’s best linebacker is 5th year senior, Kydran Jenkins. The inside backer is coming off a career best season in which he led the Boilermakers in tackles for loss (15.5) even with the dominant Scourton on the roster. After starting all 12 games last season, Jenkins finished with 57 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, and a forced fumble which he returned 55 yards for his only career touchdown. Jenkins was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by coaches and media following this campaign. He picked up right where he left off in week one, totaling four tackles, two for a loss, and a sack against Indiana State.
The most improved position group on this squad is likely the secondary. Besides Scourton, safety Dillon Thieneman was arguably the best player on this defense a year ago. He returns this season along with incoming Ole Miss and Colorado transfer Kyndrich Breedlove. This safety combination has serious potential to be dangerous. Thieneman was by far the best defensive back for Purdue last season, after leading the team in tackles (106) and being named Second Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All-American. Thieneman, a sophomore, had a tremendous freshman year. As a true freshman, he started all 12 games and recorded six interceptions in addition to two forced fumbles. The 247 Sports True Freshman of the Year led all newcomers in tackles, interceptions, and forced fumbles last season. In addition to leading all freshmen, his six picks were the third-most nationally last year. Thieneman had a quiet week one, as Indiana State only threw the ball 10 times, but he did record two tackles to start his sophomore campaign. Thieneman appears to have some help this season as transfer Kyndrich Breedlove looks set to have a breakout year. In limited playing time at Colorado, he recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble last season. Breedlove made his impact felt on week one as he recorded three tackles to open his year.
It is hard to judge an opponent based on a game with an FCS opponent, but Purdue did look upgraded from last season’s 4-8 squad. Their defense, especially against the pass, should be improved. The biggest question mark, again, is where the offensive production will come from for the Boilermakers. Despite having a strong line, there are no true threats in the backfield and, as mentioned before, replacing the top four receivers will be no easy task as they embark on their 2024 season.
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