Notre Dame football had a very good win on the road against Purdue, 49-10, keeping the Shillelagh Trophy in South Bend.
The Irish never trailed after taking the lead late in the first quarter, had a monster second with a 35-0 halftime lead. It was cruise control from there, as Notre Dame never felt tested during this contest.
it was an impressive victory for the Irish, who improved to 4-0 on the year. It wasn’t a perfect game, and here are some thoughts after getting a chance to digest Notre Dame’s most recent win.
Was this a championship-level effort from Notre Dame?
That’s an in-state Irish win!#GoIrish☘️ | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/nbwVV3fgQS
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 26, 2026
The first half of this game, the answer is a resounding yes. The third quarter was a different story, as the Irish clearly struggled after the intermission.
The scoreboard will count the final score by Purdue, but it was late, not against the starters, so the defense gets a pass from me on that one. This was close, but not quite a complete performance, however you shouldn’t hear too much complaining about this Notre Dame victory.
Micah Gilbert’s rise a surprise for Notre Dame
CJ Carr finds Micah Gilbert AGAIN for a long gain! 👀
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 26, 2026
📺 Big Ten Football: Notre Dame at Purdue on Peacock & NBCSN pic.twitter.com/DMHC3wAxAv
Not many had Gilbert as the breakout wide receiver on their bingo card, as multiple others had much more hype entering the season. The key here is that he’s now done in multiple weeks, so these performances aren’t outliers. Gilbert has been able to stretch the field, and I don’t thinks its a coincidence that the run game has started to trend in the right direction with his emergence.
What has happened to Jaden Greathouse?
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 26, 2026
Jaden Greathouse has officially surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards!#GoIrish☘️ | @jadengreat1 pic.twitter.com/7HmuTxwwBM
At this point in his career, he’s one of the bigger what-if’s over the last decade. The CFP stretch looked like his coming out party, but Greathouse hasn’t been able to stay healthy or has been quiet in most games he’s played in. He’s got plenty of talent, and did reach the 1,000 yard career mark, but he hasn’t been able to shake the enigma label. The good news is there’s still time this season for Greathouse to finally emerge as a difference maker.
Jonaz Walton needs more chances with the first-team
Jonaz Walton has officially arrived 😈
— Biased Notre Dame Fan (@CFBGuy999) September 26, 2026
- 7 Carries
- 61 Yards
- 8.7 YPC pic.twitter.com/CZG3pFzIqo
The running game made strides on against the Boilers, but it was the freshman that stood out in Walton. His 44-yard run was the longest rush of the season for the Irish, and he looked very good with his other carry’s. Walton did struggle to find the end zone after his long run, but he might have needed a few plays off after that one. Aneyas Williams finally flashed, but Nolan James Jr. struggled a bit. He seems like an old school lather back, who gets better as the game goes on, but didn’t get enough carries for him to have that impact. Much better effort from this group.
Notre Dame’s defense is elite
Bryce Young & Drayk Bowen = Certified Playmakers#GoIrish☘️
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 26, 2026
📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/Dn1qyh7kyQ
Wow, this was a very impressive effort from the Irish defense, as Purdue has scored 44, 36 and 38 points in each game played. They scored just 10 points on Saturday, the touchdown coming with just a minute left in regulation. The third quarter field goal as all that Notre Dame let up while the first-team was in, as they outscored the Boiler offense 7-3. Six sacks and nine tackles-for-loss showed the dominance from the defense, one that should be in the short list of best in the country.
Joey O’Brien had a great first start
Heating up on defense 🔥#GoIrish☘️ | @24era24 | @Joey_obrien6
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 26, 2026
📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/zb99qMfbMC
The hype surrounding O’Brien was legit, he’s more than capable to playing at this level during his first season on campus. He finished third in total tackles, recorded his first sack, and didn’t look overwhelmed. There weren’t any big mistakes on the back end allowing big plays, a key for good safety play. The position is in good hands for the future, which could be on the shorter side for O’Brien.
Rodney Dunham is going to be a problem as well
First career sack for the freshman!#GoIrish☘️ | @RodDunham2 pic.twitter.com/lpAy6ME3aT
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 26, 2026
This freshman class will be the cornerstone of the next three to five seasons, and Dunham is going to be a big part of that. There’s a ton of talent ahead of him, but he’s already earned playing time and had his first career sack in the fourth quarter. Sure, he was unblocked but you still have to finish the play, which he did. If he keeps this up, his role should increase as the season goes on.
Notre Dame got some help this weekend
THIS IS WHO WE ARE pic.twitter.com/2ISiw3PPXJ
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 27, 2026
The Irish took care of their business on Saturday, and saw some interesting developments with past and future 2026 opponents. Starting off with Wisconsin, as the Badger upset No. 13 Penn State 24-20 in Happy Valley. The Irish season opening win is looking much more impressive. SMU continued its winning ways, although not impressively beating Missouri State 34-24. Miami had an impressive win over Central Michigan, while Florida upset Ole Miss in a top-25 matchup. The Rebels were ranked just behind the Irish, but anytime you see an undefeated team lose, it helps the cause. Great week all around for Notre Dame.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Day after: Digesting Notre Dame impressive road win over Purdue
