Only one team has a loss coming into this one.
We all thought this was going to be a top 10 opponent for the Purdue Boilermakers as the Fighting Irish come into Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend. Unfortunately, for Notre Dame at least, Northern Illinois took them down this weekend on the backs of two blocked field goals. That dropped Notre Dame all the way to #18 in the latest AP Top 25. Still a ranked opponent coming into West Lafayette.
Also, don’t forget that this is a trophy game for these schools as they will play for the Shillelagh, which is a word I have to look up how to spell each and every time. The Shillelagh is currently with the Fighting Irish as they won they last meeting in 2021 by a score of 27-13.
Stay tuned to Hammer and Rails all this week as we have opponent previews, some film review, and an interview with a Notre Dame blogger to prepare you for a Saturday afternoon tilt with the Fighting Irish.