Purdue Football at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

For the second straight week, Purdue’s football Saturday was put on pause by the weather. Lightning streaked across the northern Indiana sky just as the Boilermakers were settling into a rhythm against No. 21 Notre Dame, forcing a nearly two-hour delay that drained the early momentum and reset the tone of the game. 

Purdue’s start was promising, especially after the frustration of its weather-delayed loss to USC a week earlier. The Boilermakers matched the Irish score for score in the opening quarter, including a bit of trickery. Running back Devin Mockobee took a toss sweep to the right, stopped, and lofted a 14-yard touchdown pass back to quarterback Ryan Browne who snuck out of the backfield and was streaking down the sideline. It tied the game 7-7 and provided some hope for the Boiler faithful.

Notre Dame’s running game became the difference. Sophomore tailback Jeremiyah Love tore through Purdue’s front seven for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a 46-yard sprint that broke open the third quarter. His partner, Jadarian Price, matched him in efficiency, adding 74 rushing yards and three touchdowns of his own. The play that turned the night, however, came on special teams — just seconds before halftime. After Purdue cut the deficit to a manageable margin, Price fielded a kickoff deep in the end zone and sliced through a seam for a 100-yard return. There was a flag thrown on the kickoff, presumably for holding or an illegal block, however it was waved off after discussion between the referees. This baffled Purdue and left the sideline stunned.

There were stretches of the game that hinted at progress. Browne’s command in the pocket continues to develop, and Purdue converted 50 percent of its third downs. For the second week in a row, the Boilermakers proved they could move the ball against a ranked opponent — only to watch turnovers, special-teams lapses, and troubling defense undo that effort. After the game, Odom struck a measured but disappointed tone. “Our offense gave us chances to win,” he said. “That kickoff return really hurt us. You can’t give a good team free points like that, and we did it at the worst possible time.” He also pointed to the unusual rhythm of two straight weather delays as a factor — not as an excuse, but as an obstacle his team must learn to manage. “It’s frustrating to go through that two weeks in a row,” Odom said. “But the weather didn’t beat us. We didn’t execute well enough when it mattered.”

With the loss, Purdue fell to 2-2 overall. More importantly, the team faces the challenge of converting these flashes of competitiveness into full-game execution before returning to Big Ten play. Two weather delays in consecutive weeks have disrupted rhythm and routine, yet the film will show that Purdue’s issues weren’t from lightning but from missed tackles, blown coverages, and turnovers that erased scoring opportunities. Odom’s message to his players afterward was simple: “Control what we can control — and finish.”

The Boilers head into a much needed bye week before hosting Illinois at home.