Tag: purdue boilermakers

Sept. 9, 2023; Columbus, Oh., USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) was all smiles after scoring a touchdown during the second half of Saturday's NCAA Division I football game agaisnt the Youngstown State Penguins at Ohio Stadium.

No. 3 Ohio State seeks ‘Indiana sweep’ at Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State wants its third trip to the state of Indiana this season to be as successful as the first two when the No. 3 Buckeyes visit West Lafayette to play upset-minded Purdue on Saturday.

In a quirk of the schedule for the Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten), the matchup against the Boilermakers (2-4, 1-2) means they will have played as many games in their neighboring state as in Columbus so far this season.

Ohio State already owns victories in Bloomington against Indiana and South Bend against Notre Dame.

Logic suggests the Buckeyes will make it a sweep against a Purdue team still trying to find traction under first-year coach Ryan Walters, who replaced Jeff Brohm when he left for his alma mater, Louisville, after six seasons with the Boilermakers.

Purdue is coming off a 20-14 loss at Iowa in which quarterback Hudson Card was sacked six times and threw two interceptions. Walters said he and his staff need to put Card in better positions to succeed.

“We can also help him out in that area and give him better answers and put him in scenarios where the ball is designed to get out quick,” Walters said. “That’s one of the things that we’ve looked at, that we need to adapt and adjust to give our quarterback the best chance to be successful on Saturdays.”

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s once-dynamic offense failed to score a first-half touchdown for the second straight game and needed a pick-six by safety Josh Proctor to rally for a 10-10 halftime score before the Buckeyes prevailed 37-17 against Maryland last Saturday.

The Buckeyes totaled 142 yards in the first half. For the game, they rushed for only 62 yards while averaging 1.9 yards per carry.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the running game is not up to the Buckeyes’ standards.

“This is the expectation. I get it,” he said. “Nobody wants to run the ball more than me. We’ve just got to execute it better. We have to coach it better, and that starts with me.”

Team leading rusher TreVeyon Henderson missed the game due to an undisclosed injury, but Day said Tuesday that he expects him to be available Saturday.

Ohio State is nearly a three-touchdown favorite, but history says don’t count out the Boilermakers.

The last time Ohio State visited, in 2018, the unranked Boilermakers humiliated then-coach Urban Meyer’s second-ranked team 49-20. The lone loss of the season for the Buckeyes kept them out of the College Football Playoff.

Walters is embracing that upset and said it was addressed at a team meeting Tuesday.

“We’ve got some creative ways to just kind of give the history of this game and what it meant the last time they were here,” he said. “So they’ll definitely be aware.”

Proctor, Xavier Johnson and Matthew Jones are the only current Ohio State players who were on the 2018 team.

“It means a lot,” Proctor said of returning to Purdue. “I haven’t been back since, so I’m definitely looking forward to that one.”

The Boilermakers have won five of eight at home against the Buckeyes since 2000.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) is tackled by Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Marquis Wilson (16) and Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the NCAA football game, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

Wisconsin ground game piles up 4 TDs in dropping Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tanner Mordecai and Braelon Allen rushed for two touchdowns apiece, and Wisconsin pulled away for a 38-17 win over host Purdue in a Big Ten Conference opener for both teams Friday night in West Lafayette, Ind.

Mordecai completed 17 of 27 passes for 174 yards and one interception in addition to gaining 58 yards on the ground for Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0). Allen finished with 16 carries for 116 yards.

Hudson Card completed 21 of 38 passes for 202 yards but threw two interceptions for Purdue (1-3, 0-1). Card and Tyrone Tracy Jr. scored one rushing touchdown apiece for the Boilermakers.

Wisconsin jumped to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

The Badgers struck first on a 14-yard quarterback keeper by Mordecai early in the first quarter.

Mordecai scored again, this time on a dive to the front left pylon, to make it 14-0 with 3:26 to go in the first quarter. It was the senior’s second rushing touchdown of the game and the eighth of his career.

Purdue pulled within 14-3 in the final minute of the first quarter on a 34-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Julio Macias.

Wisconsin carried a 21-3 lead into the half thanks to a 14-yard rushing touchdown by Allen.

On the first possession of the second half, Nathanial Vakos connected on a 38-yard field goal to increase the Badgers’ lead to 24-3.

The Boilermakers cut the deficit to 24-10 on Tracy’s 19-yard rushing touchdown with 8:42 left in the third quarter. Tracy cut toward the right sideline and evaded a defender for the score.

Vakos made another field goal, this time from 22 yards, to make it 27-10 with 3:54 to go in the third quarter.

Card helped Purdue pull within 27-17 on a 6-yard rushing touchdown as time expired in the third quarter.

Vakos drilled a 48-yard field goal to make it 30-17 with 12:52 to go.

Wisconsin capped the scoring on Allen’s 4-yard rushing touchdown with 3:35 remaining. Mordecai caught a pass on a trick play for a two-point conversion.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu (4) and defensive back Alijah Clark (5) and defensive back Jason Simmons Jr. (14) reacts to a play against the Western Michigan Broncos during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse braces for stiff challenge from Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Syracuse has been impressive through the first two weeks of the season, but a stiff challenge awaits Saturday when the Orange travel to take on Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Orange (2-0) trounced Colgate 65-0 on Sept. 2 and whipped Western Michigan 48-7 last Saturday. They are third nationally in scoring offense, trailing only Oregon and USC, and their defense has been stout, as well. No team has yielded fewer points per game than Syracuse (3.5), which has recorded a defensive touchdown in each of its first two games.

That is particularly noteworthy because Purdue (1-1) is one of only nine FBS teams that has yet to commit a turnover this season.

The Boilermakers outlasted Virginia Tech and Mother Nature — there was a weather-related delay of nearly 5 1/2 hours — in last weekend’s 24-17 road triumph. But Purdue first-year coach Ryan Walters certainly won’t be satisfied with one early-season victory.

“The goal was never to get just the first one. It’s to get them every week,” Walters said. “I didn’t put any added pressure going into Week 2 with dropping Week 1. Preparation and the routine week in and week out is going to be the same no matter who we’re playing or what’s at stake.”

Hudson Card has two passing touchdowns and a rushing score thus far this season for Purdue, while running back Devin Mockobee has found the end zone in each of the first two games.

“The guy is good, there’s no doubt about it,” Orange coach Dino Babers said of Card, a transfer from Texas. “He will be the best quarterback we face so far.”

Of course, Syracuse has a formidable two-man attack of its own. Garrett Shrader enters this one with 543 passing yards and five touchdowns (plus a running score), while LeQuint Allen has averaged 5.3 yards per carry with four TDs on the ground.

Syracuse won last season’s meeting with Purdue, 32-29, as the teams combined for 42 fourth-quarter points. Shrader finished with three passing touchdowns, two coming to Oronde Gadsden II, who injured his foot last weekend and is questionable for Saturday’s clash.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Dorian Strong (44) attempts to tackle Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) but he could not stop the dive into the end zone in the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue overcomes lengthy weather delay to down Virginia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Hudson Card went 23-of-34 passing for 248 yards to lead Purdue to a 24-17 win over at Virginia Tech on Saturday at Blacksburg, Va., in a game mired by a weather delay of more than five hours.

Devin Mockobee rushed for 95 yards on 21 carries for Purdue (1-1).

With the game tied at 17-17, Purdue took a 24-17 lead with eight minutes remaining after a 2-yard touchdown run by Card, which finished off a 13-play, 74-yard drive.

Virginia Tech (1-1) took over at its own 9-yard line with 2:30 remaining and inserted backup quarterback Kyron Drones into the game to replace starter Grant Wells, and Drones helped the Hokies drive down to the Purdue 42-yard line.

But the drive stalled on downs and Purdue took over with 1:16 remaining.

A 20-yard run by Mockobee gave the Boilermakers a first down and allowed them to run out the clock.

Purdue took the opening kickoff and struck first, going 75 yards in nine plays and taking a 7-0 lead with 11:26 left in the first quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Mockobee.

With 5:50 left in the first quarter and Purdue with the ball, the delay started and the game didn’t resume until 6:15 p.m., which turned out to be a 5-hour, 27-minute delay.

The Boilermakers picked up where they left off when the game resumed, taking a 10-0 lead on a 43-yard field goal by Ben Freehill and then going up 17-0 on a 21-yard touchdown run by Tyrone Tracy with 12:39 left in the second quarter.

But Virginia Tech responded with 17 straight points to tie the game at 17-17 at halftime.

Wells hit Bhayshul Tuten for a 30-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-5 to make it 17-7, and then following a 41-yard field goal by John Love, Wells hit Jaylin Lane for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining until halftime.

–Field Level Media

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card (1) throws the ball during the NCAA football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Fresno State Bulldogs won 39-35.

QBs in focus when Purdue takes on Virginia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The quarterback matchup should be intriguing when nonconference foes Purdue and host Virginia Tech meet for a noon ET kickoff Saturday in Blacksburg.

Purdue has a new face to its program at quarterback but certainly not a new face to college football.

Hudson Card played three seasons at Texas before transferring to Purdue, and the redshirt junior seemed to fit in well in his first start with the Boilermakers.

Purdue lost its season opener at home to Fresno State 39-35, but Card went 17 of 30 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“You saw flashes of what he’s capable of doing with his arms and his legs,” Purdue head coach Ryan Walters said. “We’ve got to do a better job of protecting him and giving him an opportunity to stand in there and deliver accurate and confident throws.”

Defense was the biggest issue for the Boilermakers as they gave up 371 yards passing. Purdue next faces an experienced quarterback in Virginia Tech starter Grant Wells, who is coming off a good debut.

Wells, a redshirt senior, went 17 of 29 for 251 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-17 home win over Old Dominion.

“I think he came into the game pretty confident,” Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry said. “He’s had a good camp. It’s like we mentioned last year, there just wasn’t a lot of support around him. I think the ability of our wideouts and tight ends — and I thought our line protected much better — gives him the chance to be the player he can be.”

A big reason for Wells’ success was the presence of two transfers at wideout, seniors Ali Jennings and Jaylin Lane.

Jennings, who had previous stops at Old Dominion and West Virginia, caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Lane, who came from Middle Tennessee State, caught four passes for 69 yards and a touchdown.

This will be the second all-time meeting between the schools. The first came in 2015 when Virginia Tech recorded a 51-24 win at Purdue.

–Field Level Media

Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Mac Dalena (0) stiff-arms Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Markevious Brown (1) during the NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

Fresno State scores last in dramatic win at Purdue

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Mikey Keene hit Erik Brooks with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left Saturday, lifting Fresno State to a wild season-opening 39-35 win over Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.

Playing their first game under new coach Ryan Walters, the Boilermakers took a 35-32 lead with 4:36 left on Devin Mockobee’s 11-yard touchdown run. That came two plays after Keene was intercepted on the left sideline by Dillon Thieneman.

But Keene, a transfer from Central Florida, bounced back on the final drive to go 6 of 6 for 76 yards. He finished the day 31 of 44 for 366 yards with four touchdowns and the interception as the Bulldogs earned a 487-364 advantage in total yards.

Brooks caught nine passes for 170 yards and two scores in Fresno State’s 10th straight win dating back to last year.

Hudson Card completed 17 of 30 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in his first game for Purdue. But the Texas transfer misfired on a fourth-and-2 pass at the Boilermakers’ 44 with 31 seconds remaining to quash his team’s final chance.

Tyrone Tracy scored two touchdowns for Purdue, including a 98-yard kickoff return to open the second half.

The first half was dominated by the passing game. Purdue initiated scoring 3:20 into the day when Card threw a short pass to Deion Burks. He broke a couple of tackles and zipped 84 yards for the first of his two scores, starting a string of alternating touchdowns that lasted nearly the entire half.

Keene found Brooks for a 29-yard touchdown pass at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter, followed by Tracy’s 1-yard plunge to start the second quarter. Fresno State equalized less than 2 1/2 minutes later when Keene hit Jalen Moss for an 8-yard score.

Card and Burks connected for a 17-yard touchdown with 9:05 left to make it 21-14 Boilermakers. The Bulldogs took momentum into halftime when Dylan Lynch bombed a 52-yard field goal as time expired.

–Field Level Media

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters coaches players during Purdue football practice, Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Transfer QBs clash as streaking Fresno State visits Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For Fresno State, it’s a chance to build on the history it made last year.

For Purdue, it’s a chance to start the Ryan Walters era with a splash.

When the Bulldogs visit West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday for a matchup with the Boilermakers, they’ll try to extend the third-longest active winning streak in FBS. After starting 1-4 last year, Fresno State ripped off nine straight wins, claiming the Mountain West Conference title and winning the LA Bowl to cap a 10-4 season.

“Tells you how tough they are, how together they are in that building,” Walters said of the Bulldogs. “It’ll be a challenge.”

How much of a challenge depends on how new faces respond to bigger roles. Fresno State lost its top passer (Jake Haener), top runner (Jordan Mims) and top three receivers (Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Nikko Remigio and Zane Pope). Mims’ 1,372 yards made him the first Bulldog to pass 1,000 yards in eight years.

UCF transfer Mikey Keene earned the starting job at quarterback, beating out Logan Fife, Joshua Wood and freshman Jayden Mandal. Keene started 10 games as a freshman for the Knights in 2021, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,730 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.

“Mikey is going to start but we’re very fortunate to have a really good quarterback room,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said.

Identifying a new quarterback has also been a top priority during the preseason at Purdue, which reached the Big Ten title game last year behind Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell threw for 3,490 yards and 22 touchdowns, connecting 110 times with top receiver Charlie Jones.

Texas transfer Hudson Card, who played in 20 games and started five the past two years with the Longhorns, has won the job. Card has thrown 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 194 career attempts, rolling up 303 yards and three scores last year in a win over West Virginia.

This will be the first meeting of the Bulldogs and Boilermakers.

–Field Level Media

Indiana's AJ Barner (88) runs after the catch during the first half of the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Iu Pu 1h Barner 1

Purdue topples Indiana, earns Big Ten title game spot

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Purdue clinched its first Big Ten West Division in school history by rallying for a 30-16 victory over host Indiana on Saturday at Bloomington, Ind.

Aidan O’Connell went 18-of-29 passing for 290 yards with two touchdowns for the Boilermakers, who took home the “Old Oaken Bucket” for the fourth time in the past five years.

Purdue (8-4, 6-3) advanced to the Big Ten title game on Dec. 3 at Indianapolis, where it will face No. 3 and defending conference champion Michigan (12-0, 9-0). The Wolverines clinched the East Division title with a 45-23 win over No. 2 Ohio State at Columbus, Ohio.

Purdue’s Devin Mockobee rushed for 99 yards and a score on 15 carries and caught five passes for 58 yards. Charlie Jones had four receptions, including a 60-yard touchdown catch, for 143 yards.

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Purdue took a 10-7 lead it wouldn’t relinquish on O’Connell’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Payne Durham with 10:35 left in the third quarter.

After forcing Indiana to punt after just three plays, Purdue extended its lead to 17-7 on Mockobee’s 27-yard touchdown run with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter.

Indiana (4-8, 2-7) pulled to within 17-10 on Charles Campbell’s 28-yard field goal with 11:06 left in the game.

But Purdue put the game away three plays later, when O’Connell threw a 60-yard scoring strike to Jones for a 24-10 lead with 9:38 left.

Cornerback Cory Trice’s 6-yard interception return made it 30-10 after a missed extra-point with 2:17 left.

After Purdue took a 3-0 lead on Mitchell Fineran’s 29-yard field goal with 11:49 left in the first quarter, the Hoosiers found the end zone just 47 seconds later on Jaylin Lucas’ 71-yard run that ended the first-half scoring.

Indiana had a major loss on its next series, when quarterback Dexter Williams II was carted off the field and transported to a hospital after sustaining what appeared to be a severe injury to his right leg.

Williams came away with the injury when he planted his foot to throw a pass during the first quarter. He wasn’t hit on the play.

Wiliams was replaced by Connor Bazelak, who finished 24-of-42 passing for 201 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Lucas ran for 100 yards on nine carries. Josh Henderson had five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown for the Hoosiers.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell (16) looks up at the scoreboard after calling a timeout during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue has more on list at Indiana than bucket

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Purdue’s path to its first Big Ten West Division title is relatively simple: defeat the host Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday and hope Iowa falls at home to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday.

The Boilermakers (7-4, 5-3) head to Bloomington, Ind., trying to defeat the Hoosiers (4-7, 2-6) and claim the Old Oaken Bucket trophy for the fourth time in five years.

“You have a lot that you’re playing for,” Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell said. “A lot of people talk about postseason stuff, whether it’s a bowl game or whatever it is. We preach it’s a one-game season. It’s not that we’re blind and we don’t see it, but it’s to make sure we’re locked in.”

Purdue is coming off a 17-9 win over Northwestern in which O’Connell went 16-for-25 passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Boilermakers’ second straight victory, returning them to contention after they were left for dead upon losing to fellow West contenders Wisconsin and Iowa.

Indiana, meantime, ended a seven-game losing streak when Shaun Shivers’ 1-yard run in the second overtime — followed by a two-point conversion and a defensive stand — lifted the Hoosiers to a 39-31 win at Michigan State.

The biggest question facing Purdue is the availability of leading rusher Devin Mockobee. He suffered a concussion in the first quarter against Northwestern and his status for Saturday is uncertain. Mockobee has rushed for 750 yards and seven touchdowns on 150 carries this season.

Purdue’s O’Connell leads the Big Ten with 283.4 passing yards per game (20 TDs, 11 interceptions) with Charlie Jones third nationally in receptions (93 for 1,056 yards) and touchdown catches (11).

Indiana coach Tom Allen will wait until later in the week to announce who will start for the Hoosiers under center.

Connor Bazelak was benched against Michigan State in favor of the more mobile Dexter Williams II, who went 2-for-7 passing for 31 yards, in addition to rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Bazelak has completed just 54.9 percent of his passes for 2,111 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Shivers leads the ground game, rushing for 534 yards and six scores.

“I said this is the biggest game of the season. Why? Because it’s the next one,” Allen said. “I get it. We understand we’re playing for a trophy and a trophy that means a whole lot to this university.”

It will be the 124th meeting between the in-state schools, with Purdue leading the series 75-42-6. It’s the 97th game for the Old Oaken Bucket, with the Boilermakers holding a 61-32-3 edge.

–Field Level Media