Purdue (2-1) at No. 24 Notre Dame (0-2)
Notre Dame Stadium| 3:30 PM ET | NBC | Line: Notre Dame -26.5 | Total: 51.5
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Five Players To Watch
Notre Dame S Tae Johnson
Johnson will be getting his first career start with Adon Shuler out for the first half. Notre Dame is desperate for some playmaking and the hope is that Johnson provides it after being one of the few bright spots on defense against Texas A&M. He's a potential breakout player for the Irish and he'll get some opportunities to shine against a Purdue offense that wants to throw the ball a lot.
Purdue LB Charles Correa
The UNLV transfer has been Purdue's best player on defense so far this season. He leads the team in tackles and tackles for loss. Expect to see him playing downhill against Notre Dame's run game and trying to disrupt things in the backfield as a blitzer.
Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon
Raridon has put up big numbers in the first two games and that should continue against a defense that is 126th in EPA per dropback. They gave up 20 yards per reception to USC TE Lake McRee last week and Raridon should have another big day.
Purdue WR Arhmad Branch
Purdue has some issues up front, but they have some talented options to throw to. Branch has averaged 23.9 yards per reception and has been their top deep threat. His average depth of target of 22 yards is third highest in the FBS and with Notre Dame's issues defending the pass in their first two games, Purdue won't be shy about taking some shots down the field.
Notre Dame DE Bryce Young
Notre Dame's pass rush desperately needs to produce for them going forward and they'll need more than just one player to step up. Young leads the team in pressures, but he and the rest of the defensive line has to produce some havoc. Whether it's sacks, tackles for loss, or getting enough pressure force turnovers, the Irish defense needs a spark up front.
Quotes of the Week
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
“I think more importantly, as a head coach, as a leader, it's important to wear the hat that's necessary in that moment, no matter if it's offense, defense, special teams, recruiting, anything, right? It's being able to put on the hat that's necessary at this moment.
“I spend a lot of time with our defense. That's obviously where my background is, and I'll continuously do it. Will I spend more time? Maybe, if that's what's necessary, I will. I'll spend more time there. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that we improve and we have a performance that we believe is the standard of Notre Dame football.”
Notre Dame QB Coach Gino Guidugli:
“My job as a coach is to build confidence in my players. That's through preparation, getting them confident in what they're seeing, what our game plan is, what their reads are, but also that you are the player to go lead this offense. You are the player who can take us where we want to go at the end of the day. You are the guy who needs to lead this team. A lot of times that comes with success. The more success you have out there doing your job, winning games, that helps you come along as a leader.
“But CJ's got that natural ability in him. It's innate, that he's a leader and he's got a chance to be really good.”
Notre Dame S Adon Shuler:
“We just gotta play together. I feel like we just gotta play together more and do it for the brother next to you. Like Coach says all the time, clarity equals velocity. You just gotta be clear on our jobs and just play fast and be violent when we do it.”
Notre Dame LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa:
“To get where we want to be, there has to be a quick fix. We can’t go out there and play the same way we played on Saturday. We have to fix what we can fix and improve on everything we can.”
For Your Nerves
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