(photo courtesy Fighting Irish Athletics)

(West Lafayette) — Purdue coach Barry Odom said this week that he has to see if going forward in the rivalry with Notre Dame is in Purdue’s best interests.

It certainly was not on Saturday.

Notre Dame beat its in-state rival for the 11th consecutive time with a 49-3 thrashing of the Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Irish have won the last three games of the series by a whopping 171-47.

CJ Carr threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns, while running for another to spark the Irish offense. Carr distributed his touchdown passes…one to receiver Micah Gilbert, one to tight end Cooper Flanagan and one to running back Nolan James, Jr.

As for the Notre Dame defense, it created havoc all afternoon. The highlight came when Bryce Young had a strip sack of Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne and Andrean alum Drayk Bowen scooped up the fumble, racing 15 yards for the score.  The touchdown, the first of Bowen’s career, comes on his mother’s birthday.

A Purdue offense that entered the game scoring just a shade under 40 points per game could only muster a 47-yard field goal from Jacobo Echevarria Lozano and a final-minute touchdown pass from backup quarterback Evans Chuba to Bisi Owens. Purdue had just 218 yards of total offense, as the Irish collected six sacks, two from Young.  The Irish are allowing just 8.3 points per game.

The 3rd-ranked Irish raise their record to 4-0, heading to Chapel Hill to face Bill Belichick’s North Carolina squad next Saturday. Purdue drops to 1-3 and visits Illinois next Saturday.