SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Playing in South Bend for the first time since 2012, the Purdue football team fell to No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday 27-13. The Boilermakers (2-1) pulled within four points midway through the third quarter, only for the Fighting Irish (3-0) to score 10 unanswered in the fourth to pull away for the win.
Purdue's defense held firm against the Fighting Irish offense, recording a season-high seven tackles-for-loss and four sacks. Cam Allen posted a career-high nine tackles, seven solo. Seven different Boilermakers recorded a tackle-for-loss, led by George Karlaftis' 1.5, including a half-sack.
Notre Dame finished with 343 yards of total offense with 243 coming off eight plays. Remove those eight key plays, the Boilermakers limited the hosts to 100 yards on 58 plays.
Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer threw for 187 yards on 25-of-36 passing and one touchdown. Aidan O'Connell came on in the fourth quarter to go 11-of-18 for 104 yards.
The Boilermaker defense set the tone early, forcing three straight Irish punts to open the game, including two 3-and-outs. Mitchell Fineran put the Boilermakers on the board for the first time with a 34-yard field goal on Purdue's opening drive.
Notre Dame responded with 1:05 left in the first quarter when Jack Coan hit Kyren Williams for a 39-yard touchdown pass. The Fighting Irish tacked on a 28-yard Jonathan Doerer field goal on their next drive, but the Boilermaker defense held firm to close the half down 10-3.
Plummer took the Boilermakers down the field on the opening drive of the second half to set up another 34-yard field goal from Fineran that cut the gap down to four. On Notre Dame's ensuing possession, Avery Davis slipped behind the Purdue defense for 62-yard touchdown reception to make it a 17-6 lead for the hosts.
Purdue marched right back to make it a 17-13 game with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a two-yard scoring catch by Milton Wright.
The Fighting Irish closed the game with a 30-yard field goal with 10:50 to play in the fourth, before Williams broke a 51-yard touchdown run to open a 27-13 lead with 6:05 to play. On in relief, O'Connell attempted to spark a comeback, only for Notre Dame to intercept two passes to end the final two drives.
NOTES
• The Boilermakers are now 26-59-2 all-time against the Fighting Irish with a 11-31 mark in South Bend.
• David Bell finished with seven receptions for 64 yards. The junior is now 21 yards shy of the 2,000-yard mark for his career.
• Purdue's defense was a nuisance in the backfield in the first half with five tackles-for-loss.
• Jackson Anthrop hauled in seven receptions for a career-high 90 yards.
• Fineran went 2-for-2 on field goals. He has now made seven in a row dating back to his time at Samford last spring.
UP NEXT
Purdue returns to Ross-Ade Stadium next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kick against Illinois on Big Ten Network.