Notre Dame Favored By 7 Over Purdue

NFL News - September 23rd, 2009 - Written by Scott

Purdue is coming off an embarrassing 28-21 loss last week to Northern Illinois and they have no time to mourn as they host Notre Dame this Saturday.  Purdue, who is 1-2, has lost two straight and a big upset win over the Fighting Irish would be huge as they attempt to turn their season around.  Notre Dame is coming off an emotional 33-30 win over Michigan State last week.  In last year's meeting, the Fighting Irish defeated the Boilermakers 38-21. 

After already losing star receiver Michael Floyd for the year, quarterback Jimmy Clausen has been reported as having a turf toe injury.  Head coach Charlie Weis said that he should be ready to go though.  Clausen has been sensational this year and has passed for 951 yards and 9 touchdowns with zero interceptions.  The passing game might be hampered a little with the loss of Floyd, who was great in deep routes and jump ball passes.  Armando Allen leads the Irish rushing attack with 326 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The rushing defense has gotten much more stable, but their passing defense got abused last week against the Spartans.  Purdue likes to pound the ball, so their rushing defense will be tested by Purdue running back Ralph Bolden, who is averaging 140.3 yards per game which ranks second nationally.

Purdue has had great success this season running the ball and it all begins with running back Bolden.  He has rushed for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.  As a team, they are averaging 210 rushing yards per game.  Their passing attack has been efficient this year as Joey Elliot has passed for 674 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he has also thrown 4 interceptions. Their defense, ranked 105th nationally in yards allowed, is giving up 434 yards per game.  They got ripped for 280 yards rushing last week against Northern Illinois and could likely see more rushing attempts from Notre Dame than expected with Clausen nursing an injured toe and Floyd out.  Purdue, however, is a very disciplined team.  They have only 11 penalties on the year for 69 yards. 

Purdue's chances in this game have gone up with injuries at key positions affecting Notre Dame's offense that have caused a few players to miss practice this week.  The Fighting Irish are favored by 7 according to BetUS sportsbook.  Notre Dame should not take this game lightly as they look to climb back into the Top 25.  The Irish have been clicking on all cylinders offensively and must continue this against the Boilermakers.

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