The 18th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1) look to rebound after a loss when they face the Purdue Boilermakers (1-0) on Saturday, September 14 at 3:30 PM ET at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Fighting Irish are favored to win with a point spread at -10.0 (-110).
The previously fifth-ranked Fighting Irish just had an embarrassing 16-14 loss to the unranked Northern Illinois Huskies. They were down 13-7 at the half, and then, at the final minute of the game, the Huskies had a field goal to clinch it.
Riley Leonard completed 20 of 32 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Jeremiyah Love did a great job rushing with 11 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. Their offense had great moments, but they appeared to collapse defensively.
The Fighting Irish allowed the Huskies to have a balanced passing and rushing attack for a total of 388 yards. They also had two turnovers, while the Huskies did not make a mistake.
So far, they are averaging 18.5 points per game and allowing 14.5. This is a tight spread, and they are definitely not worth a top-10 ranking anytime soon.
The Boilermakers had no problem dismantling the Indiana State Sycamores 49-0. They were up 28-0 at the half and had every offensive effort to go their way with ease.
Hudson Card only missed one pass out of his 25 attempts and had 273 yards with four touchdowns. Max Klare also had a great day with five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. While both had outstanding performances, they will play against more formidable defenses.
The Boilermakers scored 583 yards with 26 first downs but also had a turnover. They allowed the Sycamores 154 yards with 11 first downs. They did have a turnover against the Sycamores, so they must clean that up to prevent the Fighting Irish from gaining momentum.
The defense was able to stop a majority of the passing game from the Sycamores. However, they will need that same aggressive attack to prevent Leonard from getting comfortable in the pocket.
The college football betting odds for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers battle are brought to you by MyBookie, revealing the Fighting Irish as 10-point favorites.
This is a redemption game for the Fighting Irish, as they should not have lost to the Huskies. Their style of play is to grind it out and not make too many flashy passes. They should be able to cover the spread and steadily gain the lead.
