9/28/2026 Boilermaker Water Cooler Chat: Nostalgia Edition
Rants, ravings, and somewhat sensical opinions following the wild, wacky, and wide-wide world of Purdue sports.
Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. My earliest memory of my life was sitting on my grandpa’s lap, at a mid-80s Notre Dame game at Ross Ade. I was fascinated that Notre Dame had small flags, while Purdue had big flags. I don’t remember much of the game, which is probably for the best. I do remember that moment, however.
I have been to several dozen Purdue vs Notre Dame games. I remember most of them. I was there when Purdue upset the Irish in Joe Tiller’s first year. I was in the 5th row in the endzone, when Taylor Stubblefield pumped his fist for 97 yards, storming right at me in cinematic glory. I have seen many Purdue victories, and many more Purdue losses in this rivalry.
My buddies and I have a joke called a “Trifecta”. It is when Purdue wins, and both Notre Dame and IU lose on the same Saturday. Trifectas used to happen once or twice a season from, say, the late 90s through the 2000s. The best is when Purdue defeats one of those two during a trifecta. Hasn’t happened in several years, now. Feeling a little nostalgic for those days.
Purdue vs ND is a pretty historic rivalry. When I was younger, this game was a make-or-break for my outlook of the season. The early season barometer, and a benchmark as to where Purdue stands in the pecking order of midwestern football.
Nostalgia doesn’t put points on the board or asses in the seats. Nostalgia is still powerful. It hurts to be nostalgic in this era of Purdue football.
So, for what it’s worth, I will remember the last time that Purdue was peer level with the Irish. To relive those days, lets go ahead and turn off our iPods, log off of AIM and close out Napster. Pour yourself a double shot of Hpontiq, pop a DVD of 40 Year Old Virgin into your PS2, and lets remember the good old days.
The Game:
Notre Dame 49, Purdue 10
The point spread was 27.5 at kickoff, and by halftime that was surpassed.
Purdue’s offense looked good for 3 of 5 plays, early in the contest. The other 2 resulted in lost yardage, putting the Boilermakers behind the sticks. Purdue’s defense showed some glimpses of improvement in the secondary, and showed flashes of aggression. Still gave up 444 yards and 49 points. Glimpses of improvement do not matter when the game is over in a flash.
Break It Down:
How I pine for the days when these games were competitive. Last season Purdue put up points and pushed the Irish, albeit briefly, before getting blown out in the second half. This season, Purdue did not provide much resistance. Notre Dame is an excellent program, coached by a class act, with a culture that continues to roll forward.
Purdue losing 49-10 is not a surprising result. There is not much to learn other than Purdue has a ton of room for growth in order to compete against programs like Notre Dame. We knew that, already.
What Went Well:
- Charles Correa: Continues to be an excellent player for this Purdue defense. His interception was one of the few bright spots Saturday afternoon.
- 47: … Yard kick from Jacobo Echeverria Lozano to get the Boilermakers on the board was a tough kick.
Opportunities for Improvement:
- Really?: I don’t have time for this.
- Offense: Moved the ball on occasion, but couldn’t score. This is a very stout defense, filled with All-Americans and future NFL stars. Its understandable that the offense struggled.
- Defense: Continued their track record for this season. While you can point to the fact that Notre Dame stayed in the forties with their point total as a minor victory, rest assured that Marcus Freeman could have. He intentionally showed a vanilla playbook because he knew that Notre Dame would score in the 40s regardless, and wouldn’t need anything more.
Big Man on Campus:
Per the ISC Purdue Board of Directors, no BMOC award will be handed out this week. Coffee is for closers.
A Look Ahead:
Purdue goes on the road this week taking on a 2-2 Illinois squad who has seen their shares of struggles this year as well (4:15 BTN). The Illini are coming off a lopsided loss to Ohio State, so this is a game of two struggling programs with an opportunity to get right. For what it is worth, initial betting lines have Illinois as a 10 pt favorite. Which Purdue shows up? The team that hung tight with Wake and UCLA? Or the team that just got stewed by the Irish?
Will it be a happy Beef House visit or a sad Beef House visit?
For more content like this follow @ISC_PU on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. For a deeper look into the mad mind of Ben Kolodzinski, follow him at @BRKolo on Twitter. WARNING: Viewer’s discretion is advised…
Leave a Reply