Notre Dame football will have its next chance to get into to the win column in 2025, as it hosts the 2-1 Purdue Boilermakers.
They played well in their first two non-conference games, but it all fell apart when facing USC last weekend, losing 33-17. That doesn’t mean that Purdue is a bad team, they’re much improved from when the Irish saw them last fall, a 66-7 Notre Dame victory.
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The Boilermakers will present multiple challenges to Notre Dame, and if they can’t get over these three reasons, the Irish could be looking at a lost season.
Notre Dame’s teams mentality
Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman looks on during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
It’s hard to say how Notre Dame will come out after dropping its first two games, and while it does seem like the players have shaken it off, it might not be the case. It most likely has been pretty somber walking around the GUG (Guglielmino Athletics Complex), knowing that it’s going to be an uphill battle to make the College Football Playoff. It’s not uncommon for a team ranked highly in the pre-season to completely fall out of the rankings, Florida State did it last year. The Irish need to look at this game as its opportunity to correct the issues we’ve seen over the last two games, and if that happens, they should get in the win column. If it doesn’t, this season could spiral out of control.
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The secondary
Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore (15) reacts after a play against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The Irish are facing one of the best passing quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and while Ryan Browne isn’t at the same level as the two previous opponents, he’s still a quality player. On the season, he’s completing 61.3% of his attempts with 786 yards passing. Browne didn’t play well against USC, which could be a precursor to what he sees against Notre Dame, but the secondary has struggled mightily this fall. Star corner Leonard Moore could miss this game with an ankle injury, and that would be a huge loss. The Boilermakers will throw the ball around, and if they have some success, it could be a long afternoon for the Irish.
Purdue head coach Barry Odom
Aug 30, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom walks on the sidelines during the second half against the Ball State Cardinals at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Through three games, Purdue has already matched its full-season win total from last year, as Odom has already made a positive mark on the program. His calling card is the defense, which he has turned around at multiple programs. Like Marcus Freeman, Odom became a head coach at a young age, and at his last stop at UNLV, he went 19-8 and last year ended the season inside the top-25. You have to think they’ll try and confuse quarterback CJ Carr, and while he’s seen plenty over the first two games, he hasn’t seen it all. I don’t think that Odom is the better coach between the two, but he could coach his team up to really give Notre Dame issues on Saturday afternoon.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Three reasons why Notre Dame football loses to the Purdue Boilermakers