Right off the bat - Yeah, I know Purdue playing Oregon State and UConn while Notre Dame playing FSU and Toledo are not nearly big enough sample sizes, or even quality samples to go off of, so comparing these national rankings are going to be iffy in some places. But generally I think it paints the right picture: Purdue is poor in the run game, spectacular at passing the ball, has been safe with the football, etc. So let's look at how Purdue and Notre Dame line up statistically.
I actually did this before the Ohio State game in 2018 to see if we had any chance at all, and actually noticed that Ohio State was very susceptible to big plays which Purdue was very good at creating. And spoiler alert, I think there are more areas where Purdue can exploit Notre Dame than Notre Dame can exploit Purdue.
Scoring
Notre Dame Avg Score: 36.5-33.5
Purdue Avg Score: 39.5-10.5
Not putting any stock into Purdue's avg after the 49-0 rout of UConn. It is worth noting that Notre Dame's 33.5 points allowed per game is really bad, ranking 111th in the country. And it's not like they played Bama and Clemson. 46.27% of Notre Dame's points allowed come in the 4th quarter, might be worth noting.
When Purdue is Passing the Ball
Pass Yards/Game: 10th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Game Allowed: 62nd
Pass TDs/Game: 4th - Notre Dame Pass TDs/Game Allowed: 37th
Completion Percentage: 4th - Notre Dame Completion Percentage Allowed: 52nd
Pass Yards/Attempt: 38th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 73rd
INTs Thrown/Game: 35th - Notre Dame INTs/Game: 17th
Sacks/Game Allowed: 64th - Notre Dame Sacks/Game: 4th
Overall Purdue should be able to be successful throwing against Notre Dame. Purdue has a strong pass offense while Notre Dame is average at most pass defense stats. They do have two big strengths: They already have ten sacks on the season so they've been getting to the QB, and they're 17th in the country in interceptions. Purdue's offensive line has played... mixed, let's say. But Snack has done a pretty good job at escaping pressure, and has yet to throw an interception this year.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
When Purdue is Running the Ball
Rush Yards/Game: 92nd - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Game Allowed: 107th
Rush TDs/Game: 92nd - Notre Dame Rush TDs/Game Allowed: 102nd
Rush Yards/Attempt: 94th - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 107th
We all know that running the ball is not Purdue's strength, but it turns out Notre Dame is actually worse at defending the run than Purdue has been running the ball this season. Notre Dame allows 5.01 yards per carr, and has allowed 198.0 yards per game which is almost as much passing yards they've allowed, and it's not like they're noteworthy at defending the pass. Losing Horvath for this game really stinks, but perhaps Purdue can design some plays with King Doerue and find at least a complement to its passing.
Florida State ran for 264 yards, 5.5 yards/carry, and 3 TDs against Notre Dame. Toledo ran for 132 yards, 4.26 yards/carry, and 2 TDs against Notre Dame.
When Notre Dame is Passing the Ball
Pass Yards/Game: 11th - Purdue Pass Yards/Game Allowed: 56th
Pass TDs/Game: 5th - Purdue Pass TDs/Game Allowed: 1st
Completion Percentage: 16th - Purdue Completion Percentage Allowed: 40th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 19th - Purdue Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 47th
INTs Thrown/Game: 69th - Purdue INTs/Game: 41st
Sacks/Game Allowed: 125th - Purdue Sacks/Game: 117th
Notre Dame similarly has a powerful passing offense as Purdue, but with an extreme weakness that has been talked about a lot since the season has started: They allow a ton of sacks. 10 so far this season in 2 games. Purdue actually ranks last in the country with only 1 sack on defense, however, what doesn't show up on the stat sheet is, well, George Karlaftis. I don't have access to QB Pressures as a stat, but George has got to be damn near leading the country if not actually 1st. Hopefully this is a water-finds-its-level scenario and Karlaftis is able to take advantage of a struggling offensive line, one that is missing its starting LT. It'd also be nice to see Mitchell be a factor again.
Purdue has yet to allow a passing TD this season, a streak I expect to end this Saturday. I think Purdue's pass defense stats are probably the most inflated of the stats from playing UConn. I expect Notre Dame to be at least decently successful at throwing the ball against us, which is where we need individuals like George Karlaftis, Jalen Graham, or Cam Allen to make plays.
When Notre Dame is Running the Ball
Rush Yards/Game: 111th - Purdue Rush Yards/Game Allowed: 36th
Rush TDs/Game: 92nd - Purdue Rush TDs/Game Allowed: 75th
Rush Yards/Attempt: 120th - Purdue Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 46th
Notre Dame is massively struggling to run the ball this season, and again, it's not like they've played Bama and Clemson. It's also not for a lack of trying, they rank 67th (almost exactly the middle) in rush attempts per game. Meanwhile Purdue has done a pretty good job at stopping the run this season. UConn is UConn, but Purdue also held Oregon State to 3.08 yards/carry. The only TDs Purdue has allowed this season were all runs, but all short yardage near the goal line and were all set up from long passing plays if I'm remembering correctly. Knock on wood, but I expect Purdue to be able to keep Notre Dame one-dimensional on Saturday.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
Special Teams
Not much to note here. Notre Dame is 3/4 on field goals, only missing a 55-yarder. Purdue is 3/3 with a long of 48.
Notre Dame is averaging 42.67 yards/punt, while Purdue 36.78. That does not take into account shorter punts downed near the end zone, so I don't know how worthwhile sheer distance is as a stat.
Both Notre Dame and Purdue have attempted one kickoff return this season, both for 19 yards. Notre Dame has a attempted one punt return for 4 yards, Purdue attempting 3 returns for and average of 6 yards per attempt.
Gameday Scenarios
Notable Players
Purdue:
The Five Keys to Winning
I found an article a long time ago about the five most important stats that decide football games. I don't know if I can find it, but I've always noted what those five key stats are:
1. Yards per Play
Purdue
Yards/Play: 47th - Notre Dame Yards/Play Allowed: 90th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 38th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 73rd
Rush Yards/Attempt: 94th - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 107th
Notre Dame
Yards/Play: 56th - Purdue Yards/Play Allowed: 57th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 19th - Purdue Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 47th
Rush Yards/Attempt: 120th - Purdue Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 64th
Yards/Play is the most important stat in a football game, so it's huge that Purdue has a notable advantage here while Notre Dame does not. Both offenses both achieve just above 6 yards per play, but Purdue's defense allows a full yard less per play than Notre Dame's. There is some definite UConn factor in there, so I'm not expecting that gap to play a huge factor on Saturday, but I'm not at all expecting Notre Dame to dominate Purdue here either.
A quick look at how each team does with big plays, which was the key stat in Purdue's upset of Ohio State in 2018:
Purdue 20+ Yard Plays/Game: 58th - Notre Dame 20+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 90th
Purdue 40+ Yard Plays/Game: 33rd - Notre Dame 40+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 111th
Notre Dame 20+ Yard Plays/Game: 23rd - Purdue 20+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 46th
Notre Dame 40+ Yard Plays/Game: 16th - Purdue 40+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 89th
Uh oh.... Notre Dame is really susceptible to big plays. This isn't like 2018 when Purdue was like 4th in the country going into the Ohio State game at 40+ yard plays, but this is something Purdue could be really successful at on Saturday, and it really only takes a couple big plays to swing a game. That being said, Notre Dame is really good at making big plays themselves, while Purdue has given up a few too many 40+ yard plays for comfort.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
2. 3rd Down Conversions
Purdue Offense 3rd Down %: 16th - Notre Dame Defense 3rd Down %: 90th
Notre Dame Offense 3rd Down %: 47th - Purdue Defense 3rd Down %: 64th
This is another stat (like our pass defense stats) that I think UConn influences too much. We were 8/12 on 3rd down against UConn, but a more pedestrian 7/16 against Oregon State. I'd expect against Notre Dame to be a lot closer to that Oregon State number than UConn. Notre Dame similarly had very different stories in their two games, only converting 6/17 against Florida State but 8/14 against Toledo.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
3. Average Starting Field Position
I don't have access to this stat either, but I did a quick calculation of Purdue's and Notre Dame's 2 games to see if there is a big difference between the two. There isn't.
Purdue vs Oregon State: Own 33.23
Purdue vs UConn: Own 27.64
Purdue Total Average: Own 30.67
Notre Dame vs Florida State: Own 34.29
Notre Dame vs Toledo: Own 24.79
Notre Dame Total Average: Own 29.54
I'm calling this one a draw.
4. Red Zone Scoring
Purdue Offense Red Zone Scoring %: 50th - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone Scoring %: 77th
Purdue Offense Red Zone TD %: 31st - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone TD %: 40th
Purdue Red Zone Attempts/Game: 34th - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game: 92nd
Notre Dame Offense Red Zone Scoring %: 1st - Purdue Defense Red Zone Scoring %: 42nd
Notre Dame Offense Red Zone TD %: 1st - Purdue Defense Red Zone TD %: 92nd
Notre Dame Red Zone Attempts/Game: 121st - Purdue Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game: 16th
Notre Dame's stats here are wild. They've scored a TD every single time they've entered the red zone this season, but they've only reached the red zone 4 times in 2 games. I was curious and Notre Dame has scored 9 TDs, so a majority of their touchdowns (5) have come from beyond the 20 yard line. Purdue needs to limit those big plays. We've done a good job at keeping opponents out of the red zone, UConn getting shut out of the red zone entirely and Oregon State reaching there a typical-ish number of 4 times.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
5. Turnovers
Purdue Turnover Margin/Game: 38th
Notre Dame Turnover Margin/Game: 60th
But let's break it down a bit more:
Purdue Fumbles Gained/Game: 91st - Notre Dame Fumbles Lost/Game: 88th
Purdue INTs Gained/Game: 41st - Notre Dame INTs Lost/Game - 69th
Purdue Turnovers Gained/Game: 76th - Notre Dame Turnovers Lost/Game - 88th
Notre Dame Fumbles Gained/Game: 41st - Purdue Fumbles Lost/Game - 1st
Notre Dame INTs Gained/Game: 17th - Purdue INTs Lost/Game - 34th
Notre Dame Turnovers Gained/Game: 24th - Purdue Turnovers Lost/Game - 10th
Two very different teams: Purdue has not taken away many turnovers but doesn't turn the ball over much themselves. Notre Dame commits a lot of turnovers, but also forces a lot of them too. The end result has been that both teams are at or very near a +0.00 turnover margin. I don't see an inherent advantage for either team going into Saturday.
Gameday Scenarios:
Notable Purdue Advantages:
Notable Notre Dame Advantages:
I'm not saying Purdue will win on Saturday, but I think Notre Dame should for sure be on upset alert. Purdue happens to match up well to a lot of Notre Dame's strengths, while also having a lot of strengths at many of Notre Dame's weaknesses. Purdue's statistical weaknesses do not appear to be as exploitable from Notre Dame.
I think the key will be for Snack to avoid sacks, for our defense to prevent big plays, and for George Karlaftis to go crazy against what has so far been a lackluster Notre Dame offensive line. Do that and have our offense maintain a rhythm throughout the game and Purdue can win.
I actually did this before the Ohio State game in 2018 to see if we had any chance at all, and actually noticed that Ohio State was very susceptible to big plays which Purdue was very good at creating. And spoiler alert, I think there are more areas where Purdue can exploit Notre Dame than Notre Dame can exploit Purdue.
Scoring
Notre Dame Avg Score: 36.5-33.5
Purdue Avg Score: 39.5-10.5
Not putting any stock into Purdue's avg after the 49-0 rout of UConn. It is worth noting that Notre Dame's 33.5 points allowed per game is really bad, ranking 111th in the country. And it's not like they played Bama and Clemson. 46.27% of Notre Dame's points allowed come in the 4th quarter, might be worth noting.
When Purdue is Passing the Ball
Pass Yards/Game: 10th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Game Allowed: 62nd
Pass TDs/Game: 4th - Notre Dame Pass TDs/Game Allowed: 37th
Completion Percentage: 4th - Notre Dame Completion Percentage Allowed: 52nd
Pass Yards/Attempt: 38th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 73rd
INTs Thrown/Game: 35th - Notre Dame INTs/Game: 17th
Sacks/Game Allowed: 64th - Notre Dame Sacks/Game: 4th
Overall Purdue should be able to be successful throwing against Notre Dame. Purdue has a strong pass offense while Notre Dame is average at most pass defense stats. They do have two big strengths: They already have ten sacks on the season so they've been getting to the QB, and they're 17th in the country in interceptions. Purdue's offensive line has played... mixed, let's say. But Snack has done a pretty good job at escaping pressure, and has yet to throw an interception this year.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
- Passing Yards Per Game
- Sacks Per Game
When Purdue is Running the Ball
Rush Yards/Game: 92nd - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Game Allowed: 107th
Rush TDs/Game: 92nd - Notre Dame Rush TDs/Game Allowed: 102nd
Rush Yards/Attempt: 94th - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 107th
We all know that running the ball is not Purdue's strength, but it turns out Notre Dame is actually worse at defending the run than Purdue has been running the ball this season. Notre Dame allows 5.01 yards per carr, and has allowed 198.0 yards per game which is almost as much passing yards they've allowed, and it's not like they're noteworthy at defending the pass. Losing Horvath for this game really stinks, but perhaps Purdue can design some plays with King Doerue and find at least a complement to its passing.
Florida State ran for 264 yards, 5.5 yards/carry, and 3 TDs against Notre Dame. Toledo ran for 132 yards, 4.26 yards/carry, and 2 TDs against Notre Dame.
When Notre Dame is Passing the Ball
Pass Yards/Game: 11th - Purdue Pass Yards/Game Allowed: 56th
Pass TDs/Game: 5th - Purdue Pass TDs/Game Allowed: 1st
Completion Percentage: 16th - Purdue Completion Percentage Allowed: 40th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 19th - Purdue Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 47th
INTs Thrown/Game: 69th - Purdue INTs/Game: 41st
Sacks/Game Allowed: 125th - Purdue Sacks/Game: 117th
Notre Dame similarly has a powerful passing offense as Purdue, but with an extreme weakness that has been talked about a lot since the season has started: They allow a ton of sacks. 10 so far this season in 2 games. Purdue actually ranks last in the country with only 1 sack on defense, however, what doesn't show up on the stat sheet is, well, George Karlaftis. I don't have access to QB Pressures as a stat, but George has got to be damn near leading the country if not actually 1st. Hopefully this is a water-finds-its-level scenario and Karlaftis is able to take advantage of a struggling offensive line, one that is missing its starting LT. It'd also be nice to see Mitchell be a factor again.
Purdue has yet to allow a passing TD this season, a streak I expect to end this Saturday. I think Purdue's pass defense stats are probably the most inflated of the stats from playing UConn. I expect Notre Dame to be at least decently successful at throwing the ball against us, which is where we need individuals like George Karlaftis, Jalen Graham, or Cam Allen to make plays.
When Notre Dame is Running the Ball
Rush Yards/Game: 111th - Purdue Rush Yards/Game Allowed: 36th
Rush TDs/Game: 92nd - Purdue Rush TDs/Game Allowed: 75th
Rush Yards/Attempt: 120th - Purdue Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 46th
Notre Dame is massively struggling to run the ball this season, and again, it's not like they've played Bama and Clemson. It's also not for a lack of trying, they rank 67th (almost exactly the middle) in rush attempts per game. Meanwhile Purdue has done a pretty good job at stopping the run this season. UConn is UConn, but Purdue also held Oregon State to 3.08 yards/carry. The only TDs Purdue has allowed this season were all runs, but all short yardage near the goal line and were all set up from long passing plays if I'm remembering correctly. Knock on wood, but I expect Purdue to be able to keep Notre Dame one-dimensional on Saturday.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
- Rush Yards/Game Allowed
- Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed
Special Teams
Not much to note here. Notre Dame is 3/4 on field goals, only missing a 55-yarder. Purdue is 3/3 with a long of 48.
Notre Dame is averaging 42.67 yards/punt, while Purdue 36.78. That does not take into account shorter punts downed near the end zone, so I don't know how worthwhile sheer distance is as a stat.
Both Notre Dame and Purdue have attempted one kickoff return this season, both for 19 yards. Notre Dame has a attempted one punt return for 4 yards, Purdue attempting 3 returns for and average of 6 yards per attempt.
Gameday Scenarios
- When Purdue is Passing: Advantage Purdue
- When Purdue is Running: Draw
- When Notre Dame is Passing: Advantage Notre Dame
- When Notre Dame is Running: Advantage Purdue
- Special Teams: Draw
Notable Players
Purdue:
- QB Jack Plummer - 21st Pass Yards/Game, 27th Pass Yards/Attempt, 12th QB Rating, 8th Completion Percentage
- WR David Bell - 9th Reception Yards/Game, 17th Receptions/Game, 5th Reception TDs/Game, 79th Yards/Reception, 45th Points Scored
- TE Payne Durham - 34th Reception Yards/Game, 52nd Receptions/Game, 5th Reception TDs/Game, 45th Points Scored
- LB Jalen Graham - 23rd PBUs/Game
- QB Jack Can - 14th Pass Yards/Game, 31st Pass Yards/Attempt, 27th QB Rating, 25th Completion Percentage
- WR Kevin Austin Jr. - 68th Yards/Reception
- WR Braden Lenzy - 81st Yards/Reception
- TE Michael Mayer - 25th Reception Yards/GAme, 4th Receptions/Game, 5th Reception TDs/Game, 45th Points Scored
- DL Isaiah Foskey - 9th Sacks/Game, 35th TFLs/Game
- DL Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa - 26th Sacks/Game
- CB Clarence Leavis - 75th PBUs/Game
- S Kyle Hamilton - 3rd INTs/Game, 75th PBUs/Game
The Five Keys to Winning
I found an article a long time ago about the five most important stats that decide football games. I don't know if I can find it, but I've always noted what those five key stats are:
- Yards/Play
- 3rd Down Conversions
- Average Starting Field Position
- Red Zone Scoring %
- Turnover Margin
1. Yards per Play
Purdue
Yards/Play: 47th - Notre Dame Yards/Play Allowed: 90th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 38th - Notre Dame Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 73rd
Rush Yards/Attempt: 94th - Notre Dame Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 107th
Notre Dame
Yards/Play: 56th - Purdue Yards/Play Allowed: 57th
Pass Yards/Attempt: 19th - Purdue Pass Yards/Attempt Allowed: 47th
Rush Yards/Attempt: 120th - Purdue Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed: 64th
Yards/Play is the most important stat in a football game, so it's huge that Purdue has a notable advantage here while Notre Dame does not. Both offenses both achieve just above 6 yards per play, but Purdue's defense allows a full yard less per play than Notre Dame's. There is some definite UConn factor in there, so I'm not expecting that gap to play a huge factor on Saturday, but I'm not at all expecting Notre Dame to dominate Purdue here either.
A quick look at how each team does with big plays, which was the key stat in Purdue's upset of Ohio State in 2018:
Purdue 20+ Yard Plays/Game: 58th - Notre Dame 20+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 90th
Purdue 40+ Yard Plays/Game: 33rd - Notre Dame 40+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 111th
Notre Dame 20+ Yard Plays/Game: 23rd - Purdue 20+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 46th
Notre Dame 40+ Yard Plays/Game: 16th - Purdue 40+ Yard Plays/Game Allowed: 89th
Uh oh.... Notre Dame is really susceptible to big plays. This isn't like 2018 when Purdue was like 4th in the country going into the Ohio State game at 40+ yard plays, but this is something Purdue could be really successful at on Saturday, and it really only takes a couple big plays to swing a game. That being said, Notre Dame is really good at making big plays themselves, while Purdue has given up a few too many 40+ yard plays for comfort.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
- Yards/Play
- Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed
- 40+ Yard Plays/Game
- 40+ Yard Plays/Game
2. 3rd Down Conversions
Purdue Offense 3rd Down %: 16th - Notre Dame Defense 3rd Down %: 90th
Notre Dame Offense 3rd Down %: 47th - Purdue Defense 3rd Down %: 64th
This is another stat (like our pass defense stats) that I think UConn influences too much. We were 8/12 on 3rd down against UConn, but a more pedestrian 7/16 against Oregon State. I'd expect against Notre Dame to be a lot closer to that Oregon State number than UConn. Notre Dame similarly had very different stories in their two games, only converting 6/17 against Florida State but 8/14 against Toledo.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
- Offense 3rd Down %
3. Average Starting Field Position
I don't have access to this stat either, but I did a quick calculation of Purdue's and Notre Dame's 2 games to see if there is a big difference between the two. There isn't.
Purdue vs Oregon State: Own 33.23
Purdue vs UConn: Own 27.64
Purdue Total Average: Own 30.67
Notre Dame vs Florida State: Own 34.29
Notre Dame vs Toledo: Own 24.79
Notre Dame Total Average: Own 29.54
I'm calling this one a draw.
4. Red Zone Scoring
Purdue Offense Red Zone Scoring %: 50th - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone Scoring %: 77th
Purdue Offense Red Zone TD %: 31st - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone TD %: 40th
Purdue Red Zone Attempts/Game: 34th - Notre Dame Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game: 92nd
Notre Dame Offense Red Zone Scoring %: 1st - Purdue Defense Red Zone Scoring %: 42nd
Notre Dame Offense Red Zone TD %: 1st - Purdue Defense Red Zone TD %: 92nd
Notre Dame Red Zone Attempts/Game: 121st - Purdue Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game: 16th
Notre Dame's stats here are wild. They've scored a TD every single time they've entered the red zone this season, but they've only reached the red zone 4 times in 2 games. I was curious and Notre Dame has scored 9 TDs, so a majority of their touchdowns (5) have come from beyond the 20 yard line. Purdue needs to limit those big plays. We've done a good job at keeping opponents out of the red zone, UConn getting shut out of the red zone entirely and Oregon State reaching there a typical-ish number of 4 times.
Notable Purdue Advantage:
- Purdue Offense Red Zone Attempts/Game
- Purdue Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game
- Notre Dame Offense Red Zone TD %
5. Turnovers
Purdue Turnover Margin/Game: 38th
Notre Dame Turnover Margin/Game: 60th
But let's break it down a bit more:
Purdue Fumbles Gained/Game: 91st - Notre Dame Fumbles Lost/Game: 88th
Purdue INTs Gained/Game: 41st - Notre Dame INTs Lost/Game - 69th
Purdue Turnovers Gained/Game: 76th - Notre Dame Turnovers Lost/Game - 88th
Notre Dame Fumbles Gained/Game: 41st - Purdue Fumbles Lost/Game - 1st
Notre Dame INTs Gained/Game: 17th - Purdue INTs Lost/Game - 34th
Notre Dame Turnovers Gained/Game: 24th - Purdue Turnovers Lost/Game - 10th
Two very different teams: Purdue has not taken away many turnovers but doesn't turn the ball over much themselves. Notre Dame commits a lot of turnovers, but also forces a lot of them too. The end result has been that both teams are at or very near a +0.00 turnover margin. I don't see an inherent advantage for either team going into Saturday.
Gameday Scenarios:
- Yards/Play: Advantage Purdue
- 3rd Down Conversions: Draw
- Average Starting Field Position: Draw
- Red Zone Scoring: Draw
- Turnovers: Draw
Notable Purdue Advantages:
- Passing Yards Per Game
- Rush Yards/Game Allowed
- Rush Yards/Attempt Allowed
- Yards/Play
- 40+ Yard Plays/Game
- Offense 3rd Down %
- Purdue Offense Red Zone Attempts/Game
- Purdue Defense Red Zone Attempts/Game
Notable Notre Dame Advantages:
- Sacks Per Game
- 40+ Yard Plays/Game
- Notre Dame Offense Red Zone TD %
I'm not saying Purdue will win on Saturday, but I think Notre Dame should for sure be on upset alert. Purdue happens to match up well to a lot of Notre Dame's strengths, while also having a lot of strengths at many of Notre Dame's weaknesses. Purdue's statistical weaknesses do not appear to be as exploitable from Notre Dame.
I think the key will be for Snack to avoid sacks, for our defense to prevent big plays, and for George Karlaftis to go crazy against what has so far been a lackluster Notre Dame offensive line. Do that and have our offense maintain a rhythm throughout the game and Purdue can win.
