ReportWire

Tag: Purdue Boilermakers football

  • Purdue and Northwestern try to get seasons back on track heading into Big Ten home stretch

    Purdue and Northwestern try to get seasons back on track heading into Big Ten home stretch

    [ad_1]

    Northwestern (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) at Purdue (1-6, 0-4), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (BTN)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Purdue by 1 1/2.

    Series record: Purdue leads 53-34-1.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    With Purdue sitting in the Big Ten basement and Northwestern among a group of four teams just one game in front of the Boilermakers, both teams want to turn things around. The Wildcats have lost two straight and four of five while seeking their first win at Ross-Ade Stadium since 2020. Purdue is still looking for its first win over an FBS team this year — and desperately needs something, anything to go right after a bye week.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Northwestern QB Jack Lausch vs. Purdue’s run defense. Lausch’s legs have kept defenses off-balance this season even though it hasn’t resulted in many yards or many points. But Purdue’s defense is allowing 214.9 yards rushing per game and against a team, and a quarterback, who can exploit that deficiency, it could be a game-changer.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Northwestern: A.J. Henning. Following a slow start, the fifth-year receiver who transferred from Michigan, has gotten his season on track. He’s caught 32 passes for 296 yards and three TDs over the last five games. He needs 10 catches, 40 yards and two TDs to set new single-season career highs.

    Purdue: Ryan Browne and Hudson Card. Coach Ryan Walters announced Monday he will play both quarterbacks this weekend, though it’s unclear how the rotation will work. Browne provides a stronger dual-threat presence. Card was the guy Walters wanted after he took the Purdue job in December 2022.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    Northwestern’s only home win this season came against Eastern Illinois, an FCS foe. Its only road win came at Maryland. … The Boilermakers have not played a Saturday home game since Sept. 28 against Nebraska. … The Wildcats are averaging 110.9 yards rushing per game, the second-lowest total in the Big Ten (Minnesota, 108.0). … Purdue rushed for 303 yards in last season’s victory over Northwestern. … The Wildcats have a plus-three turnover margin and is tied for 40th nationally at plus-0.38 per game. … Purdue has blocked a league-high three kicks (two field goals, one punt) this season.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Purdue hoping fast start against Indiana State puts it on road to defy last-place projections

    Purdue hoping fast start against Indiana State puts it on road to defy last-place projections

    [ad_1]

    Indiana State at Purdue, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (BTN)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Purdue by 33 1/2.

    Series record: Purdue 6-0.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    With six losses in their last eight season-openers, slow starts have become the norm at Purdue. The Boilermakers have gotten through their first four games with only one winning record over the last seven seasons. And if they want to prove the prognosticators’ last-place predictions wrong, they need to keep their perfect record intact against an in-state, FCS foe. The Sycamores, meanwhile, have won fewer games in three successive seasons since going 5-6 in 2021. A win at Purdue could change everything for the program.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Indiana State QB Elijah Owens vs. Purdue’s secondary. Owens appeared in just four games last season, successfully preserving his redshirt year while showing enough promise to become the projected starter this year. But poor quarterback play last season doomed Indiana State to a 1-10 record. And they’ll need to be better against a Purdue defense that features preseason All-American S Dillon Thieneman but lost 2023 Big Ten sacks champ Nic Scourton in the transfer portal.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Indiana State: DB Maddix Blackwell. What Thieneman does for Purdue, Blackwell does for the Sycamores. He’s coming off a season in which he led the Sycamores in tackles (107), fumble recoveries (three), interceptions (two) and forced fumbles (two). Now the first-team preseason all-conference honoree will get to test himself against a Big Ten foe.

    Purdue: QB Hudson Card. While Thieneman is always worth watching, the Boilermakers need Card to improve. Last year, he completed just 58.9% of his throws with 15 TDs and eight interceptions in his most extensive college action. His completion percentage needs to be closer to 70% and he needs to protect the ball better, too.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    A Purdue victory would give Purdue the seventh 7-0 series start against a team, six of those being Indiana schools. … Indiana State has been outscored 253-76 in the first six contests in West Lafayette, including a 56-0 loss in 2022. … The Boilermakers led the Big Ten with 184.6 yards rushing in conference games last season. … Sycamores coach Curt Mallory has deep coaching roots in the state, with his late father, Bill, still holding the title of winningest coach in Indiana Hoosiers history. … Thieneman broke Purdue’s freshman record with 74 solo tackles last year, becoming the Boilermakers fourth All-American in three seasons. … Indiana State is one of three in-state Purdue faces this season. No. 7 Notre Dame visits Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 14, and the Boilermakers will close the regular season at rival Indiana.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

    [ad_2]

    Source link