SOUTH BEND — For the second consecutive week, Purdue football is waiting out a weather delay.
Thunderstorms swept into the area during the second half of the Boilermakers’ game against Notre Dame. Lightning within a 10-mile radius prompted suspension of the game and clearing of the field and stands with 1:31 remaining in the second quarter.
Purdue had just caused a strip-sack of Notre Dame QB CJ Carr and faced second-and-10 at the Notre Dame 19. The Irish lead 28-13.
The delay began around 5:06 p.m. Eastern. NBC reported the teams are hoping to be back on the field around 6:15, with play to resume approximately 15 minutes after that.
Every lightning strike within a 10-mile radius restarts a mandatory 30-minute clock before resumption of play. Teams will then be allowed a warm-up before returning to play.
The game opened with mostly clear skies with white, unthreatening clouds and temperatures in the mid 80s. However, forecasts warned of thunderstorms potentially rolling in after 6 p.m. The stadium jumbotron announced earlier in the game that the National Weather Service was tracking the potential of severe weather in the area.
The game barely made it past 5 p.m. before stoppage.
So far, there is no indication of whether the teams will hold a regular halftime and play the final 91 seconds of the first half.
“Hopefully we don’t have to do that,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said on the NBC broadcast. “… My suggestion, let’s treat this as a halftime and treat halftime like the end of the quarter. Change of possession and let’s go.”
Purdue and USC waited out a three-hour, five-minute weather delay prior to last week’s game in West Lafayette. The actual game took only 11 minutes more than that to play, with the Trojans winning 33-17.
Weather delays have become more frequent in recent years. This is the third in three years involving Purdue. It also waited out a six-hour delay at Virginia Tech in 2023.
Indiana weather radar map today: Purdue football game delayed at Notre Dame
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why is Purdue football game delayed? Weather, radar at Notre Dame, updates, score today
Reporting by Nathan Baird, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
