Boiler Banter: My Personal Interest in the Purdue-Notre Dame Rivalry

I was sitting on the 45-yard line, 30 rows from the press box at Ross-Ade Stadium. Notre Dame was on the verge of scoring the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left in the game. The Purdue fans were screaming. My heart was pounding.

Fighting Irish quarterback Jarious Jackson took over and raced to the near sideline, where he was engulfed by a number of Boilermaker defenders. Notre Dame tried to run one more play but time ran out.

Hello, college football.

That was my first memory of attending a college football game. I only remember a few moments from that day — Drew Brees’ miraculous two-point conversion; the game-ending sack and the three students who nearly knocked me over while dancing and hugging in celebration.

For a kid whose first love was basketball, that afternoon in West Lafayette opened my eyes to the wonderful world of college football. It also marked the beginning of a tradition I remember fondly.

Purdue football in the fall

For seven seasons, my father, brother, and I made weekly trips to West Lafayette to watch the Boilers. Every Saturday felt like Christmas — waking up early to drive to campus, stuffing our faces with delicious food and countless sodas, watching College Games and throw the ball here and there.

Those days were filled with smiles and laughter, even though we were all in pain.

My brother and I were little kids, trying to deal with our parents’ divorce. There was a lot of anger, sadness, and confusion during those early years. But Saturday afternoons in West Lafayette? That gave us something to look forward to every weekend.

It was a time a father could spend with his two sons. Many great memories were made before the game started. On most weekends, I think the memories made outside the stadium have a stronger impact than the games we watch inside the stadium.

Recently I randomly sent a text message to my brother. “Do you ever miss tailgating and going to Purdue games when we were kids?” I asked.

“Back when they were good?” he joked. “Yeah. It was more of a family time.”

We watched Purdue play against many great football teams at Ross-Ade Stadium in the late 90s and early 2000s. We were there for some of the greatest moments in the program’s history. But every year, there was always one opponent we looked forward to more than anything else: Notre Dame.

I still love competition

When Notre Dame announced it would be eliminating its traditional rivalry games against Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue in 2013, sadness washed over me. Every year, those were the games I enjoyed the most.

Purdue-Notre Dame probably doesn’t rank in the top 10 of college football’s greatest rivalries. It might not even be the greatest rivalry game for many Boilermaker fans.

For me, it has always been, and remains, my favorite rivalry in sports.

I had a realization this week as Purdue prepared to take on Notre Dame at Ross-Ade Stadium for the first time in more than a decade — I haven’t missed a Boilermakers-Fighting Irish game in West Lafayette since a 28-23 affair in 1999.

My butt has been in the seats at Ross-Ade Stadium the last eight times the Irish have come. In the last game of the rivalry series, I also made the trip to Indianapolis in 2014, when the two teams played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This will be the first year since that 1999 game that I won’t be watching the Purdue-Notre Dame game in person in West Lafayette. Neither will my brother and my dad. I’m sure it will be a little strange for all of us, watching the game on television.

I’m sure there will be a chain of messages during the game between the three of us — giving us a glimpse of the beautiful fall Saturday afternoon we spent together. But it won’t be exactly the same.

I know it’s only temporary, but I’m glad the Purdue-Notre Dame rivalry is back. If nothing else, I hope Saturday’s game is as fun and exciting as the ones I remember.

PURDUE VS. NOTRE DAME DEPTH CHART: After a week without a game, Purdue returns to the field at Ross-Ade Stadium to host No. 18 Notre Dame. Here is a look at the Boilermakers’ lineups for Week 3. CLICK HERE

DREW BREES TALKS ABOUT PURDUE-NOTRE DAME RIVALRY:When Drew Brees was making his decision about where he would play college football, the rivalry between Purdue and Notre Dame was a major factor in becoming a Boilermaker. CLICK HERE

NOTRE DAME BAD STATUS: Notre Dame’s passing attack has seen better days. Through two weeks, the Fighting Irish have not thrown a touchdown pass — one of five teams that have. CLICK HERE