Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/379726
GoldanDBlack express • volume 25, express 3 • 15 matchup preview: purdue vs. Notre Dame aDvaNtage? purDue paSSiNg game vS. Notre Dame paSS DeFeNSe player to watch aDvaNtage? Notre Dame's secondary is short-handed but fierce nonetheless. Purdue's passing game is not functioning properly. The Irish will tee off on third down with their playbook full of NFL blitzes. Purdue is terrified of third-and-long and should be. Whoever plays quarterback for Purdue has to be better than what it's gotten from the position the past two weeks. He'll have to do it amidst intense ND pressure. purDue ruNNiNg game vS. Notre Dame ruSh DeFeNSe Purdue has to be able to run the ball on early downs, which you can probably say about every game all season. Central Michigan bottled it up; Notre Dame is an entirely different animal. Michigan ran for 100 yards on 35 carries against the Irish. Purdue's going to be hard-pressed to consistently turn the cor- ner against ND's speed, if they can at all. Raheem Mostert will have to get some tough yards and will need big-time help from the five guys in front of him. Notre Dame paSSiNg game vS. purDue paSS DeFeNSe Everett Golson has been near flawless through two games. He's unlikely to make mis- takes and will be very difficult for Purdue to pressure, not that it's been its strength anyway. The Boilermaker secondary is being reconfigured on the fly, also. Taylor Richards. It's never a bad thing to get an important play- er back, but this might not be the ideal week to break continuity and shuffle the secondary, with Notre Dame's humming passing game next up. Notre Dame ruNNiNg game vS. purDue ruSh DeFeNSe Purdue, again, has really struggled to stop the run. Notre Dame's not been a dominant running team, but obviously it'll be significantly more talented, and likely more physical, than each of the Boilermakers' first two opponents. Not good. Purdue needs more from its physically gifted young interior lineman, Ra'Zahn Howard. He's the one guy who can stack up from a strength perspective, but he needs to impact games. If he doesn't, backup Ryan Watson's been productive at least. Special teamS Purdue was solid in Week 1, sloppy in Week 2. It has to clean up the penalties. This would be a great time for the return game to make a difference. Notre Dame's Kyle Brin- dza is one of the better kickers in college football. Purdue's offense will need all the help it can get. Notre Dame is going to score, meaning kickoff-return opportunities might be abundant. A big return or two or three from Akeem Hunt would be nice. boilerS preDictioN FightiNg iriSh On paper, this one looks to have the potential to live up to its 28-point spread. If Purdue improves, plays well and limits mistakes, it can compete like it did last year. If it doesn't, it might get run out of Lucas Oil Stadium. 37 17 ?