Week 2 – Purdue at Notre Dame

Week 2 CFN Fearless Prediction – Purdue at Notre Dame

Purdue (1-0) at Notre Dame (1-0) Sept. 8, 3:30, NBC

Here’s The Deal: Both teams couldn’t have asked for anything more out of the opening week. While there wasn’t anything shocking, and both teams were expected to win their respective games relatively easily, both performances were still impressive. Now starts the fun for the Irish.

Notre Dame’s Big Ten season kicks off against a veteran and dangerous Boilermaker squad, with Michigan State and Michigan to follow, and while this might be the easiest of the three games, there could be a little bit of a problem with jetlag, coming back from Ireland after blasting Navy 50-10. Almost everything worked well for the Irish on the long road trip with the defense holding up well against the dangerous Navy option attack, and the offense getting the job done with an explosive and effective ground game. Purdue is going to bring more offensive balance and a defensive line that should be able to hold up far better than the Midshipmen could.

The Boilermakers suspended starting quarterback Caleb TerBush for the layup against Eastern Kentucky, but it didn’t matter in a 48-6 wipeout. It’s not like the defense was pushed, but it was a brick wall against the pass and only ended up allowing 190 yards of total offense. Losers of four straight in the series with the Irish, a win could be a springboard to a huge first half of the season with four home games to follow including Big Ten showdowns against Michigan and Wisconsin.

Why Purdue Might Win: Notre Dame, welcome to the Purdue defensive front. Defensive line might be Navy’s weakest area, with a slew of smallish try-hard types trying to hold up against a good Notre Dame O line and running game. Defensive line might be Purdue’s biggest strength, with future NFL starter Kawann Short and fellow big body Bruce Gaston combining forces as one of the nation’s best tackle tandems. The inside running game and big holes aren’t going to be there this week for the Irish, and that means it will be up to Everett Golson to be consistent and effective to keep the chains moving. Eastern Kentucky isn’t Notre Dame, but it wasn’t able to move the ball a lick through the air completing just 8-of-22 passes for 85 yards with two picks.

Why Notre Dame Might Win: Is Purdue’s running game going to go anywhere? The Boilermakers chose to throw the ball through the air rather than grind it out, but when it was time to pound way the production was spotty. There were a few big plays, and averaging 4.4 yards per carry wasn’t awful, but Akeem Hunt and company aren’t going to have the room they enjoyed last week. The Irish linebackers did a great job of swarming around the Navy runners before they had a chance to get free. While it helped that Midshipman quarterback Trey Miller suffered an ankle injury early on, the Notre Dame defensive front pounced only allowing a few decent runs. If Purdue is going to win the production is going to have to come through the air, which might not be a problem considering …

What To Watch Out For: The Irish secondary is going to be tested. With top corner Lo Wood out for the year with an Achilles heel injury, it’s going to be trial by fire now that the defense is facing an offense that can throw. Navy changed things up a bit using the shotgun from time to time, and Miller was stunningly effective completing 14-of-19 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown with a pick, but that was nothing compared to what’s coming. Corners Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell are going to be challenged by a Boilermaker receiving corps that knows what it’s doing. O.J. Ross, Gary Bush and Antavian Edison all produced last week with Robert Marve and Rob Henry spreading it around throwing for 372 yards and four scores. Starter Caleb TerBush - who completed 10-of-15 passes for 101 yards and a score with a pick in last year’s 38-10 loss - is back and starting after being suspended for the season opener for violating team rules.

What Will Happen: Notre Dame won’t looks as dominant and impressive as it was against an overmatched Navy team, but it’s going to be effective on the short-to-midrange passes to get the Purdue linebackers on the move. The Boilermaker passing game will be effective enough to make it tight late, but Golson will have an efficient, breakout game.

CFN Prediction: Notre Dame 34 … Purdue 27
ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) Notre Dame -14.5 O/U: 51.5
Must Watch Rating (5 – Phineas & Ferb, 1 – Steve Harvey): 4