FinalShillelagh Trophy · September 26, 2026 · Ross-Ade Stadium

Notre Dame at Purdue

A 35–0 halftime lead, four CJ Carr touchdowns, and a dominant 49–10 road win.

Away team

Notre Dame

Record 4–0

FinalFinalPeacock

Home team

Purdue

Record 1–3

Final verified: September 26, 2026 · 11:47 PM ET. Score, statistics, and scoring sequence were checked against Notre Dame’s official final statistics and game book, then cross-checked with the Associated Press report.

Official box score ↗AP game recap ↗

The story of the afternoon

Irish keep the Shillelagh with a 49–10 road rout

Notre Dame scored 28 points in the second quarter, led Purdue 35–0 at halftime, and left Ross-Ade Stadium with a 49–10 victory. The Irish moved to 4–0 after outgaining the Boilermakers 444–218 and holding them to 40 rushing yards.

The first quarter stayed quiet until Purdue tried a fake punt near midfield and came up one yard short. Notre Dame turned that stop into a touchdown, then made the second quarter feel like an avalanche. Aneyas Williams broke free, CJ Carr scored on a keeper, and Bryce Young’s strip sack became a Drayk Bowen defensive touchdown. By halftime, the rivalry game had become a 35-point statement.

Carr accounted for four touchdowns, the defense produced six sacks, and Notre Dame retained the Shillelagh Trophy for an eleventh consecutive meeting. The third quarter supplied a few correction points, but never real suspense.

Score by quarter

Notre Dame put the game away with 28 unanswered points in the second quarter.

Team statistics

Official final totals from the Notre Dame game book.

Category	Notre Dame	Purdue

How the game unfolded

The decisive sequence came before halftime; the fourth quarter supplied the final margin and a look at Notre Dame’s depth.

Stat leaders

Carr produced four total touchdowns, Williams led a season-best rushing day, and Gilbert delivered the afternoon’s biggest receiving play.

What the win tells us

A dominant rivalry result closes September and sets up a very different kind of road show.

4–0

A perfect September

Notre Dame handled three Big Ten opponents and a home opener without a loss. The Purdue game was the clearest first-half performance of the month.

Six sacks · 40 rush yards

The defense controlled the terms

Purdue never established its ground game, and Young’s pressure created the defensive touchdown that turned control into a rout.

Next · Oct. 3 at noon

Bill Belichick and the Chapel Hill spotlight

North Carolina is next at Kenan Stadium on ESPN. Belichick’s presence guarantees attention, storylines, and drama; Notre Dame’s job is to make the football itself much less complicated.

Read the source reports

The official statistical record, full game book, independent recap, and next-game details remain available at their original sources.

About this game story

Score, statistics, and scoring chronology come from Notre Dame’s official final statistics and game book, cross-checked with the Associated Press report. Matt’s note is labeled separately and is intentionally transparent that he did not watch the game live. For later corrections, use the official final box score.

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