Irish dominate rival Purdue 49-10, keep Shillelagh Trophy and close out perfect September
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Notre Dame needed just one half to settle its rivalry game with Purdue.
The No. 3 Irish scored touchdowns on four straight drives to close the first half and took a 35-0 lead into the locker room. They beat the Boilermakers 49-10 on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The win kept the Shillelagh Trophy in South Bend and pushed Notre Dame's winning streak to 14, all by double digits. The Irish have now beaten Purdue 11 straight times, and they open October unbeaten for the first time since 2021.
"I'm proud of those guys. Rivalry game," Freeman said.
Bryce Young set the tone by sacking Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne on the first play of the game. Purdue answered with a long, 12-play opening drive that reached the Notre Dame 47. Notre Dame took control on Purdue's second possession, stopping a fake punt a yard short near midfield.
Four plays later, Carr hit Micah Gilbert down the seam for a 27-yard touchdown. On the next drive, Gilbert turned a short slant into a 56-yard gain. Aneyas Williams then broke a 22-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter, the first 20-yard run by an Irish back this season.
The Irish kept going from there. A fourth-down conversion on a designed Carr run kept the next drive alive deep in Notre Dame territory, and Carr finished it himself with a 1-yard touchdown run around the left end.
Then the defense scored. Young came off the edge, sacked Browne, and forced a fumble. Linebacker Drayk Bowen scooped it up and returned it 15 yards for his first career touchdown.
Carr capped the half with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Nolan James Jr. with 29 seconds left. Notre Dame outgained Purdue 273-90 in the first half and held the Boilermakers to 12 rushing yards.
The third quarter was the only sloppy stretch of the day. Carr threw his first interception since November 2025, which was also Notre Dame's first turnover of the season, and Purdue kicked a field goal. The Irish answered with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, starting with Carr's 2-yard pass to Cooper Flanagan for a 42-3 lead.
The reserves took over with about 11 minutes left. Purdue scored its only touchdown against Notre Dame's deep backups with six seconds remaining, a 14-yard pass from Evans Chuba to Bisi Owens.
Carr finished 14 of 22 for 237 yards with three touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and one interception. It was the second straight week he had both a passing and a rushing touchdown. Williams ran 14 times for 80 yards, and the Irish had their best rushing day of the season. Gilbert caught two passes for 83 yards and a score. Young finished with four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
Purdue managed only 218 total yards. Browne completed 18 of 28 passes for 111 yards. The loss was Purdue's third straight and dropped the Boilermakers to 1-3.
Notre Dame now leads the all-time series 62-26-2.
Key Stats:
Carr: 14 of 22, 237 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 1 rushing TD
Williams: 14 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD
Gilbert: 2 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD
Young: 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Bowen: 15-yard fumble return for a TD
First-half yards: Notre Dame 273, Purdue 90
Purdue total yards: 218
