Notre Dame vs. Purdue: Potential Pitfalls for the Irish and How to Avoid Them

Irish need to get a comfortable lead early, and then keep going, and going, and going ...

Purdue Boilermakers defensive lineman Jeffrey M'Ba (0) celebrates after a defensive stop Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue Boilermakers won 49-0. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

What could go wrong for Notre Dame vs Purdue? Everything

After Notre Dame's confidence-shaking performance at home last week against Northern Illinois, Irish fans are timidly waiting to see what kind of football the Irish will play this week.

As the resident Notre Dame worrier writing for this website, one of my tasks weekly is to think about what can go wrong.

For the Irish this week, the answer is simple. The worst thing that can happen is a repeat from last week where seemingly everything went wrong.

A continuation of both bad play and bad vibes that spirals further downward for Notre Dame is the worst-case scenario. But this isn't inevitable and the Irish certainly can right the ship.

Purdue hosts Notre Dame for the first time since 2013.

Ryan Walters talks about the matchup with the 18th-ranked Irish, who lost their home opener to NIU.#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/gqUf5iyxOP

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 10, 2024

How Notre Dame can bust out of the slump they are in

Notre Dame has played two games now and each one has gone down to the wire. The Irish have not been able to relax at any moment even for a second.

Is it too much to ask that for the first time this year, the team plays well enough that they can get ahead by a comfortable amount and be able to play more freely?

Get up fast, keep pounding the ball, rely on the line, and push, push, and keep pushing. Rely on the defense, and ...

Is that so hard? We'll see.

Despite last week's complete debacle, Notre Dame is still favored by double digits over the Boilermakers. It's time for Notre Dame to play to their capabilities, take their frustrations out on Purdue and take a much needed win back home to South Bend.

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For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.