Tag: purdue boilermakers

Nov 22, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom watches his team against the San Jose State Spartans during the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Report: Purdue close to signing UNLV’s Barry Odom as coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Purdue is close to hiring UNLV head coach Barry Odom to the same position, Yahoo Sports reported on Sunday morning.

Odom has posted a 19-8 record in two seasons with the Rebels. He has guided the team to consecutive Mountain West championship game appearances, including a 21-7 loss to Boise State on Friday.

Odom also guided Missouri to a 25-25 mark over four seasons (2016-19).

He effectively replaces Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 over two seasons before being fired on Dec. 1. The Boilermakers dropped 11 straight games since they opened the season with a 49-0 victory over Indiana State on Aug. 31.

–Field Level Media

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters looks down field Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Penn State Nittany Lions won 49-10.

Purdue fires head coach Ryan Walters after 2 seasons

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Purdue fired head football coach Ryan Walters on Sunday after two seasons.

The move came on the heels of the Boilermakers enduring their worst loss in the program’s history, a 66-0 shellacking by No. 10 Indiana on Saturday.

The setback was Purdue’s 11th in a row since it opened the season with a 49-0 victory over Indiana State on Aug. 31.

It was all downhill from there for the Boilermakers, who were 1-11 this season and 5-19 during Walters’ two years at the school.

“After an ongoing assessment, and in consultation with President Mung Chiang and the University’s Board of Trustees, I have made the decision that a change in the leadership of our football program is necessary,” Purdue executive vice president Mike Bobinski said.

“As college athletics enters an entirely new era in 2025, it’s a pivotal time for Purdue, and we must take the steps necessary to best position our football program for success. … This was a truly difficult decision, as head coach Ryan Walters continued to lead the Boilermakers with integrity, resilience and poise in the face of considerable challenges.”

Purdue was shut out three times in the past six games, outscored 146-0.

Walters was hired to replace Jeff Brohm prior to the 2023 season when Brohm departed for Louisville.

Per Bobinski, a national search has commenced to find a new head coach.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Justice Ellison (6) runs the ball while Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) defends in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kurtis Rourke, No. 10 Indiana shred hapless Purdue

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Kurtis Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns Saturday night as No. 10 Indiana appears headed for an unlikely spot in the College Football Playoff with a 66-0 Big Ten Conference rout of visiting Purdue in Bloomington, Ind.

Picked 17th among 18 teams in the conference’s preseason poll, the Hoosiers improved to 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference. While they lost the tiebreaker to No. 4 Penn State to meet No. 1 Oregon in the conference title game on Dec. 7, they should be among the 12-team CFP field when it’s announced on Dec. 8.

Rourke completed 23 of 31 passes, and Elijah Surratt finished with eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns as Indiana found the offensive form that was missing in a 20-15 win over Michigan on Nov. 9 and a 38-15 loss last week at No. 2 Ohio State. The Hoosiers rolled up 582 total yards.

Their defense stifled the hapless Boilermakers (1-11, 0-9), which managed just 67 yards and five first downs in absorbing their 11th straight loss.

Hudson Card hit 6 of 13 passes for 35 yards with an interception for the Boilermakers before leaving the game in the third quarter. They failed to win a conference game for the first time since 1993.

Indiana took the lead on its second possession, driving 86 yards and scoring on Justice Ellison’s 2-yard run. After a missed field goal attempt, the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on three straight possessions an led 28-0 at halftime.

For the first of those, Rourke connected with Ke’Shawn Williams for a 14-yard touchdown at the 11:31 mark, followed by an 84-yard strike to Sarratt just over four minutes later. Ty Son Lawton added a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:52 remaining in the half.

The game became a laugher in the third quarter with 17 more points. Nicolas Radicic hit a 26-yard field goal, followed by Rourke’s 24-yard scoring strike to Sarratt and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Zach Horton with 1:31 remaining.

Rourke added 34 and 17-yard scoring connections to Miles Cross and Omar Cooper in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) is tackled by several Penn State Nittany Lions during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

No. 4 Penn State takes it turn pummeling Purdue

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Drew Allar passed for three touchdowns and Tyler Warren found the end zone twice as No. 4 Penn State rolled over host Purdue 49-10 on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Allar finished with more touchdowns than incompletions, as he went 17 of 19 for 247 yards without a turnover for the Nittany Lions (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten). Warren totaled eight catches for 127 yards and a score and also had a 48-yard scoring run.

Hudson Card passed for 151 yards and Max Klare had 91 receiving yards and a touchdown for Purdue (1-9, 0-7), which has not won since Week 1 and has not beaten Penn State since 2004. The Boilermakers have faced three top-five opponents in the last month, losing those games by a combined margin of 129-10.

The Nittany Lions wasted no time featuring the Allar-to-Warren connection. The two hooked up for gains of 15, 17 and 27 yards on the opening drive of the game, setting up Allar’s 2-yard scoring strike to Kaytron Allen.

On the next Penn State trip, Allar found Warren for 9 yards on third-and-2 early on the drive. The march ended with Allar’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Warren, making it 14-0.

The Boilermakers got on the board with a field goal midway through the second quarter, but the ensuing possession featured a backwards pass from Warren to Allar, who then threw back across the field to Warren for a 38-yard gain. Nicholas Singleton plunged in for a 10-yard score on the next play, making it 21-3.

That was still the score at halftime before the visitors erupted for three touchdowns in the third quarter — all covering 40-plus yards.

First, Warren took a direct snap and went 48 yards for a touchdown. Then Allar found a wide-open Harrison Wallace III in the end zone for a 46-yard score. And finally, backup QB Beau Pribula kept the ball on a read-option and sprinted 49 yards to make it 42-3.

Purdue’s only touchdown came midway through the fourth, when backup quarterback Ryan Browne found Klare for a 20-yard score.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates with tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) after Scott scored a touchdown in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Samantha Madar-Imagn Images

No. 2 Ohio State has easy time with Purdue 45-0

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Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and Jeremiah Smith set a pair of team records as No. 2 Ohio State rolled past Purdue 45-0 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.

Smith had a 17-yard touchdown catch late in the first half to up the lead to 21-0 for the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten). The score was Smith’s ninth to pass Chris Carter’s Ohio State freshman record for TD catches set in 1984.

Smith needed three receptions to break Carter’s first-year mark of 41 and he surpassed that in the first half with six catches for 87 yards. He did not have a catch in the second half.

Howard was 21 of 26 for 260 yards and TreVeyon Henderson ran for 85 yards on six carries.

Purdue (1-8, 0-5) has lost eight straight games for its longest single-season streak since losing 10 in a row in 2013. The Boilermakers also lost eight consecutive games spanning the 2016-17 seasons.

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was 9-of-19 passing for 108 yards and an interception and Devin Mockabee rushed for 73 yards on 13 carries for the Boilermakers.

The Buckeyes used a special teams play and a goal-line stand for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Caden Curry’s blocked punt gave Ohio State the ball at the Purdue 8-yard line and Howard followed running back Quinshon Judkins through the line to score from the 1 on fourth down

After Ohio State stopped Penn State on four downs from the 3 to preserve a 20-13 win last week, the Buckeyes forced a field goal try by the Boilermakers after three unsuccessful tries to score from the 5 in the second quarter.

Purdue’s Spencer Porath missed the 21-yard attempt and the Buckeyes then moved 80 yards in 13 plays to go up 14-0 on a 15-yard catch by Gee Scott Jr. with 8:30 remaining before halftime.

It was 24-0 late in the third quarter when Ohio State scored twice in 8 seconds on a 19-yard TD run by Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer’s 15-yard scoop and score off a Reggie Love III fumble to make it 38-0.

— Field Level Media

Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) pushes Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch (12) out of bounds Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

Northwestern continues Purdue’s misery with OT victory

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Joseph Himon II scored two touchdowns, including a 22-yard game-ending TD reception in overtime, as visiting Northwestern pulled off a 26-20 victory over Purdue on Saturday at West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue turned the ball over on downs to open overtime, gambling on a fourth-and-5 play, to set up Northwestern’s game-winning possession.

Himon rushed for 78 yards and one score, while Cam Porter added 17 rushing yards with a touchdown. Jack Lausch passed for 250 yards and Luke Akers made a pair of field goals as the Wildcats (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.

Northwestern ran for 122 yards, with 51 of those coming on Himon’s first-quarter rushing TD. Porter had eight receptions for 85 yards for Northwestern.

Hudson Card passed for 267 yards and a touchdown for Purdue in his return from concussion protocol as the Boilermakers (1-7, 0-5) saw their losing streak extend to seven games. Max Klare had six receptions for 78 yards and Jahmal Edrine had five catches for 54 yards with a touchdown for Purdue.

The Boilermakers were held to 47 yards rushing, with Devin Mockobee gaining 29 yards on 10 carries.

After the teams traded field goals in the opening 12 minutes of the game, Himon peeled off his 51-yard TD run with under a minute remaining in the first quarter. It was the longest of his college career, as the Wildcats took a 10-3 lead. Porter’s 1-yard TD run with 2:23 remaining in the first half gave Northwestern a 17-3 lead.

Purdue cut the deficit to one score when Edrine caught a 6-yard TD pass from Card with 25 seconds left in the opening half, cutting the deficit to 17-10.

Each team traded field goals after halftime, with Northwestern taking a 20-13 lead on Akers’ boot from 41 yards with 10:41 remaining in the game.

Card led Purdue on a 11-play, 75-yard drive, with Mockobee finishing it off on a 1-yard TD run to tie the score 20-20 with 5:16 to play.

Northwestern played without wide receiver Bryce Kirtz (undisclosed injury), while wideout Frank Covey IV departed in the first half with a knee injury.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card (1) is tackled during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Braedyn Locke passes Wisconsin to 18th straight win over Purdue

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Braedyn Locke passed for three touchdowns and Tawee Walker ran for three more as the Wisconsin Badgers dominated visiting Purdue, 52-6, for their 18th consecutive victory over the Boilermakers in a Big Ten matchup Saturday.

Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) bounced back after lopsided losses to now top-ranked Alabama and No. 11 USC. The Badgers had 589 total yards to 216 for Purdue (1-4, 0-2 Big Ten), which lost its fourth straight game.

Locke, who became the starter after Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama, completed 20 of 31 passes for 359 yards with two interceptions. Walker, taking over the workload after leading rusher Chez Mellusi left the team this week for health reasons, ran for 94 yards on 19 carries.

Walker’s 1-yard run with nine seconds left in the half, followed by Locke’s 69-yard touchdown pass to Trech Kekahuna on the opening series of the third quarter put the Badgers up 28-6.

Locke hit Kekahuna with a 25-yard scoring strike to cap a nine-play, 98-yard drive on Wisconsin’s next possession to make it 35-6. Walker added a 17-yard touchdown run and Cade Yacamelli scored on a 30-yarder. Nathanial Vakos capped the scoring with a 26-yard field goal.

The loss capped a week of upheaval for Purdue, which has not beaten Wisconsin since 2003. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell was fired earlier in the week and starting cornerback Markevious Brown was not with the team due to a “personal matter,” but was expected back next season, the school announced before the game.

Wisconsin recovered a muffed punt at the Purdue 12-yard line to set up its first score. On the following play, Walker went off the right side to put the Badgers up 7-0 with 8:04 left in the first quarter.

The Badgers extended the lead to 14-0 on their next possession on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Locke to Vinny Anthony II. The Boilermakers helped the 91-yard drive with a pair of 15-yard penalties.

Kyndrich Breedlove intercepted Locke twice in the second quarter, but the Boilermakers settled for field goals of 21 and 23 yards by Spencer Forath to pull within 14-6.

Wisconsin responded with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive to go up 21-6 at the half. Locke hit CJ Williams with a 19-yard pass to set up Walker’s 1-yard plunge.

–Field Level Media

Oregon State Beavers quarterback Gevani McCoy (4) warms up before the annual rivalry game against the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

Purdue, Oregon State try to move on from ugly losses

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Purdue and Oregon State will both try to bounce back from last weekend’s lopsided home losses against in-state opponents when they meet Saturday in a nonconference clash in Corvallis, Ore.

The Beavers (2-1) fell 49-14 to No. 9 Oregon and the Boilermakers (1-1) were pounded 66-7 by then-No. 18 Notre Dame.

The 59-point loss was the worst in Purdue’s history.

“We had a very candid conversation about it,” Boilermakers coach Ryan Walters said of meeting with his players. “The fact, right now, is that we are a 1-1 football team that has lost to a ranked, nonconference opponent. But the fact, also, is that … we have to own the worst loss in program history. That falls on my shoulders.”

Purdue mustered only six first downs and 162 yards of total offense compared to Notre Dame’s 27 and 578. The Boilermakers were outgained 362-38 on the ground.

Reggie Love III had 10 carries for 61 yards and Hudson Card completed 11 of 24 passes for 124 yards with one TD and two interceptions against the Fighting Irish.

A silver lining for Oregon State in its loss to the rival Ducks was quarterback Gevani McCoy rushing for a season-best 52 yards on six carries and completing a season-high 22 passes for 172 yards with no touchdowns or picks.

Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel threw only four incompletions (20 of 24) and had 291 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“We were either giving them too much respect or playing too soft in coverage,” Oregon State coach Trent Bray said. “Basic fundamental techniques weren’t there when they have been all year. We’ve got to go out there (and) execute, especially in those big moments.”

Oregon State is one of the most inexperienced teams in the nation, with 18 players making their first start this season.

Oregon State and Purdue have met just twice previously, with both matchups taking place in West Lafayette, Ind. The Beavers won 22-14 in 1967 but lost 30-21 to the Boilermakers in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Kanon Woodill kicks the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

After ‘lowest of lows,’ No. 18 Notre Dame bids to turn back Purdue

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A week after suffering a humiliating home-field loss to Northern Illinois, No. 18 Notre Dame will look to regain its footing when it visits Purdue on Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind.

Notre Dame (1-1) tumbled 13 spots in the AP Top 25 poll after losing to the Huskies, who entered last weekend’s matchup as a four-touchdown underdog. The Fighting Irish dropped a 16-14 decision after kicker Mitch Jeter’s last-gasp, 62-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired.

Now the Fighting Irish turn their attention to Purdue (1-0), which cruised to a 49-0 win over Indiana State in its season opener.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will try to keep his players focused on the task ahead as they take on the Boilermakers. Just recently, Freeman was celebrating his team after a road win against Texas A&M.

“It’s disappointing,” Freeman said. “You go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a tale of two weeks. But we’ve got to own this thing. As coaches and players, we’ve got to own it, and we’ve got to fix it.

“We’ve been here before, right? We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football the way we know how to play, (the way) we’ve played before. And we can, and we will.”

On the other side of the field, Purdue coach Ryan Walters also senses an opportunity with Saturday’s showdown. The Boilermakers had a bye last week, which gave them extra time to prepare for an in-state rival that long has landed top recruits and dominated headlines in the region.

Walters knows Purdue stands much to gain from an upset win.

“Yeah, I definitely think there is an element of proving it or earning respect,” Walters said. “You know, I would be lying to you if I didn’t say this game was circled on my calendar. So we’re excited.”

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card completed 24 of 25 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns in his season debut. Max Klare was the top target with five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Devin Mockobee led the ground game with 11 carries for 89 yards.

On defense, Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt tallied a pair of sacks.

The Notre Dame player in the brightest spotlight will be quarterback Riley Leonard, who has completed 38 of 62 passes for 321 yards and two interceptions this season. He also has rushed for 79 yards and a score.

Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love could help to take some of the burden off Leonard and the rest of the offense. Love has scored in back-to-back games, and he has 25 carries for 170 yards to lead the team.

Howard Cross III leads Notre Dame with one sack, and Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler have one interception apiece.

Walters said he expected Notre Dame to be motivated at kickoff.

“We’re going to err on the side of thinking they’re going to be an angry football team,” he said. “Any time you’re top five in the country and lose the home opener, that’s going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. I know Coach Freeman will have those guys fired up and ready to play.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card (1) hands the ball off to Purdue Boilermakers running back Reggie Love III (23) during warm ups before the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

QB Hudson Card deals as Purdue routs Indiana State 42-0

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Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was almost perfect as he racked up four touchdown passes in the Boilermakers’ 42-0 win against Indiana State during the season opener for both teams on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue notched a first down on each of its first three plays, Card connected on his first seven passes and was 24-for-25 for 273 yards before being relieved at 3:42 of the third quarter.

Purdue Devin Mockobee had 11 carries for 89 rushing yards and Elijah Jackson had three carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.

FCS member Indiana State had just 154 yards of total offense while Purdue poured it on with 583 total yards.

On Purdue’s first possession, Card capped an eight play, 55-yard drive when he found Max Klare from 9 yards out in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

On Purdue’s next possession, Indiana State had a moment to savor when linebacker Maddix Blackwell forced a fumble by Purdue’s Drew Biber that was recovered by Garret Ollendieck deep into Sycamores territory at 4:07 in the first quarter.

Purdue was back at it late in the opening quarter and a quick out pass from Card to Jaron Tibbs led to an 8-yard touchdown and a 14-0 Purdue lead early in the second period.

A 37-yard run by Mockobee on a draw play set up Card to find a wide open De’Nylon Morrissette in the corner of the end zone for a 21-0 lead Purdue held into halftime.

Indiana State had 98 yards of offense in the first half and missed a 45-yard field goal as time expired before the half. Purdue opened the third quarter with its longest drive of the game which covered 68 yards in nine plays and culminated in a 6-yard run by Reggie Love for a 28-0 lead.

The Purdue defense forced its second three-and out on the next possession.

Back-to-back catches for Leland Smith led to a 31-yard score on a fade route and gave Purdue a 35-0 lead. A fourth-quarter run through a huge hole in the line by Elijah Jackson led to a 69-yard touchdown to give Purdue a 42-0 lead.

Jaheim Merriweather barreled into the end zone from 4 yards out to extend the Boilermakers’ lead to 49-0 with just under two minutes remaining.

-Field Level Media