Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm has never coached at Notre Dame Stadium, but he has been there.
When Brohm’s younger brother, Brian, was being recruited out of Louisville (Ky.) Trinity High School, he took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame. Jeff tagged along. Brian ended up playing quarterback at Louisville, just like Jeff did a decade and a half prior.
Several years after the unofficial visit, the Brohm brothers have the opportunity to take their Purdue Boilermakers (2-0) to South Bend for this Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. ET game against the No. 12 Fighting Irish (2-0). Brian is the co-offensive coordinator.
“I know our fans — I’ve heard it for the last six months — they’re looking forward to this game and getting a chance to go up there and watch Purdue play at Notre Dame,” Brohm said. “I’m happy that we get that opportunity, and hopefully we can take advantage of it.”
Here is everything else Brohm said about playing Notre Dame:
On the challenges Notre Dame presents Purdue
“Well, Notre Dame is a veteran football team. They’ve proven they can win at a high level. They play one of the toughest schedules in the country every year against great competition. They’ve got a really good defensive front that’s big and active and athletic and shows quickness and twitch. They’ve got linebackers that play downhill and strike. They’ve got a veteran secondary.
“Offensively they’ve got a proven quarterback who’s played well at two different spots, a really good running back and probably an all-pro tight end. They’ve got weapons; they’ve got skill; they’ve got really good players.
“They’ve had to work for the last two wins, which actually from their standpoint really is a good thing because it gives them a chance to see the few things they need to work on to get better, but they found a way to win. That’s what winning football teams do. There have been a couple other top-10 teams in the country that haven’t been able to do that the last week or two, and they have, so give credit to them for pulling out victories.
“Very talented team, and we’ve got our hands full.”
On his view of the Notre Dame program
“I respect the tradition of Notre Dame just like everyone across the country. They’ve played a lot of big football games, had a lot of great players, a lot of great coaches. It’s a unique place to go and visit.
“They’re playing at a high level right now and they’ve had a good run over the last couple years, and they’ve been able to recruit well and they’ve got a lot of talent on their team. It’s a special place to play for a lot of people. So we’re excited to get that opportunity, and so am I and our coaches. I’m sure our fans are.”
On what this game means to the Purdue program
“We cherish getting that game back going over the course of the next five or seven years because it’s a great opportunity for our kids to play in that type of game. I think our guys will prepare hard, and they look at this as a golden opportunity against a recent top-four program in the country.
“You know what, these are the measuring sticks that you dream for when you play and coach to get an opportunity to do, and we get a chance to do it this Saturday. So I know our guys are jacked up about playing against a great, high-caliber team.”
On renewing the Purdue-Notre Dame rivalry
“Even growing up and playing football and watching football, to me I thought it was somewhat of a rivalry game and a great game to watch, of two in-state opponents playing against each other. There has been some good history of that in the past. I’ve admired it from a distance.
“Yes, when I got here, you look at the different important games against IU, Illinois and Notre Dame and the past history, and you hope that you can get that back going.”
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @tbhorka and @ToddBurlage.
• Like us on Facebook.
