Purdue Boilermakers tight end Max Klare (86) rushes past Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter (23) Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, during the NCAA football game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Penn State Nittany Lions won 49-10.

Purdue’s Max Klare, top transfer TE, chooses Ohio State

Coming off a 1-11 season, Purdue could ill afford to lose Max Klare — the No. 1 tight end in the transfer portal — but he is leaving the Boilermakers for rival Ohio State.

Klare, a redshirt sophomore who led Purdue with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, is a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. He ranks No. 30 overall.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Klare will have two years of eligibility remaining when he suits up for Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey.

“Really, when it came down to making the decision, Coach Day’s ability to develop players and send them off to the NFL, the developmental process for me was huge,” Klare told ESPN, which was first to report the news of his transfer.

An All-Big Ten third-team selection in 2024, Klare opted to join Ohio State over Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M and Louisville.

In two seasons with Purdue, Klare finished with 73 receptions for 881 yards and four scores. In 2024, his 685 receiving yards ranked sixth nationally among all tight ends.

Klare wasn’t the only big get on Monday for Ohio State, which will play Oregon at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in the CFP quarterfinals. Earlier in the day, the Buckeyes added former West Virginia running back C.J. Donaldson, former Minnesota offensive tackle and former Idaho State defensive end Logan George via the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Indiana Hoosiers running back Ty Son Lawton (17) reacts after a touchdown run during the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

No. 10 Indiana resumes playoff push with Purdue duel on tap

In the final analysis, last week’s 38-15 loss at No. 2 Ohio State was no death knell at all for Indiana.

The chaos that enveloped last week’s top 12 in the College Football Playoff enabled the Hoosiers to stay inside the playoff field. They dropped from No. 5 to 10th.

That means a win Saturday night at home in their regular-season finale with in-state rival Purdue would bring another layer to Indiana’s historic season — a spot in the 12-team playoff.

And should the Buckeyes stumble at home in their rivalry game against 6-5 Michigan, Indiana could also earn a spot in the Big Ten Conference championship game Dec. 7 against top-ranked Oregon.

“We’re sitting in a good spot but we’ve got to take care of business,” said first-year Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti.

While the overdogs from Ohio State poked fun at Cignetti’s brashness after Saturday’s game, there’s no question he’s the odds-on favorite for national Coach of the Year. A program that’s run pretty brutal for generations, aside from a scattered good season or two along the way, has risen from 17th place in preseason Big Ten predictions to controlling its destiny to get into the playoff.

The two things Indiana (10-1, 7-1) wants to do in the season finale are fix concerns that ropped up last week and not take the Boilermakers (1-10, 0-8) for granted. Indiana was installed as a four-touchdown favorite to pound Purdue.

They’d like to get their offense going again after a couple of weeks where they’ve struggled. Ohio State’s physical defense limited them to 151 total yards, most of those coming on two touchdown drives. In a 20-15 win over Michigan Nov. 9, Indiana managed just 246 yards of offense.

“We’ve got to get back in sync offensively and get our rhythm back where we’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Cignetti said.

While the Hoosiers aim to return to form, the Boilermakers embrace the role of spoiler to end a forgettable season with a memorable upset. One way or the other, changes are coming to a program that’s gone backwards in coach Ryan Walters’ second year.

Walters is reportedly safe win or lose to return for a third season.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday. That is what I am focused on right now,” he said. “Those are the things that are right in front of us right now. After Saturday, I’ll look forward to the next wave of things.”

Since opening the year with a 49-0 blanking of FCS opponent Indiana State, the Boilermakers have been mostly pummeled. There have been close games, like last week’s 24-17 setback at Michigan State, but they have been outscored 411-130 since the opener.

If Purdue is to give itself a chance at the upset, it will probably need a big game from quarterback Hudson Card (1,606 yards, 9 touchdowns). It will also need some big plays from defenders like linebacker Kydran Jenkins, who has 6.5 sacks this season and 23 in his career.

The Boilermakers own a 77-42-6 lead in the all-time series, which awards the winner the Old Oaken Bucket. Purdue has won the last three matchups, including a 35-31 victory last year on Card’s 10-yard touchdown run with 2:39 left.

–Field Level Media

Michigan State's Montorie Foster Jr., left, catches a touchdown as Purdue's Kyndrich Breedlove defends during the first quarter on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

Michigan State sends Purdue to 10th consecutive loss

Aidan Chiles completed 15 of 31 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns to help Michigan State earn a 24-17 win over Purdue on Friday in East Lansing, Mich.

Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams gained 85 yards on 18 carries for the Spartans (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten), who kept their hopes of bowl-eligibility alive. Nate Carter had touchdowns rushing and receiving as the Spartans ended a three-game losing streak.

Hudson Card went 26 of 46 passing for a season-high 342 yards for Purdue (1-10, 0-8), which has lost 10 straight. Card threw one touchdown pass and one interception.

Trailing by 21 at halftime, Purdue cut Michigan State’s lead to 24-10 with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Devin Mockobee, which finished off a 10-play, 73-yard drive.

Purdue cut the deficit to 24-17 with 13:54 remaining in the game on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Card to Max Klare.

The Boilermakers had three drives to tie the game, but they ended on a punt, an interception and a turnover on downs at their own 47-yard line with more than three minutes remaining.

The Spartans then gained two first downs and ran out the clock.

Michigan State took a 17-3 lead with 7:50 left until halftime on a 3-yard touchdown run by Carter on third-and-goal.

The score was set up after Michigan State’s Maverick Hansen recovered a Boilermakers fumble at the Purdue 33-yard line.

With 41 seconds left until halftime, the Spartans grabbed a 24-3 lead on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Carter, which capped off a 10-play, 84-yard drive.

Purdue took the opening kickoff and drove for a 40-yard field goal by Ben Freehill. Michigan State cashed in on its first drive, too, taking a 7-3 lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Montorie Foster Jr.

The Spartans’ first march went 11 plays and 75 yards.

Michigan State then took a 10-3 lead with 12:07 remaining in the second quarter on a 43-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;  Michigan State Spartans running back Nate Carter (5) rs in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan State faces must-win game vs. Purdue to keep bowl hopes alive

Two reeling football teams will collide when Purdue takes on Michigan State in a Big Ten contest on Friday in East Lansing, Mich.

The teams’ experiences this year have been similar, yet still different.

Purdue (1-9, 0-7) comes in on a nine-game losing streak since a season-opening shutout over Indiana State.

Just two years removed from an appearance in the Big Ten championship game, the Boilermakers have regressed badly in the second year under head coach Ryan Walters.

For Walters, the plan is simple for the final two games of the season.

“Go out and compete,” he said. “You know, but a good game plan together, offense, defense, special teams. Play clean, competitive football and go win some games.”

The Boilermakers enter the game last in the Big Ten in both points scored (17.2 per game) and points allowed (38.9). Their leading rusher, Devin Mockobee, has run for 652 yards and three touchdowns.

Purdue will hope to snap its long losing streak against a Michigan State team that also comes in on a losing streak.

The Spartans (4-6, 2-5) have lost three straight games since a win over Iowa on Oct. 19, the latest being a 38-16 defeat at Illinois last week. Michigan State also lost at Michigan and at home to undefeated Indiana in that span.

The silver lining for Michigan State is that bowl eligibility is still a possibility after not qualifying for a bowl game since 2021.

The Spartans can gain bowl eligibility with home wins over Purdue and Rutgers to close the season, which could be a building block in Jonathan Smith’s first year at the helm.

“I’m not going to be up here asking for patience,” Smith said. “We’re not patient people. We do have perspective of we want to get some things established. Immediately, results haven’t come, but I’m confident in the process we’re taking. And we’re continuing to develop the current roster and then, just everywhere, you’re going to have new guys on the roster, and confident the results will come.”

The Spartans’ running trio of Kay’ron Lynch-Adams, Nate Carter and quarterback Aidan Chiles has combined for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) is lifted into the air by offensive lineman Nick Dawkins (53) after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

No. 4 Penn State, versatile Tyler Warren take on Purdue

Penn State is in the midst of a potentially special season, but that vibe would change significantly with a road loss to lowly Purdue on Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) are No. 4 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings despite a 20-13 loss to then-No. 4 Ohio State on Nov. 2. Penn State rebounded from that defeat to roll past Washington 35-6 last weekend — a performance highlighted by Tyler Warren’s two touchdowns.

“Obviously you can see how many ways we got him the ball today, run-game wise, pass-game wise and even some of our option stuff,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said after the win over the Huskies. “We just try to get him the ball in the game plan as much as we can.”

Warren, a senior tight end, leads the Nittany Lions with 59 catches — nobody else on the team has more than 29 — and is tied for the team lead with four receiving TDs. He also has three rushing scores and is averaging 7.2 yards per carry on 13 attempts.

“I can’t see how this guy doesn’t win the Mackey Award and the Paul Hornung Award,” Penn State coach James Franklin said of the honors for tight ends and the most versatile player in major college football. “And they’d be proud of that guy representing their award because he does everything right, both on and off the field.”

Meanwhile, Allar has completed 70.3 percent of his passes this season. He has steady options in the backfield in Kaytron Allen, who ran for 98 yards and a touchdown against Washington and has scored in five of the last six games, as well as Nick Singleton, who has averaged 6.2 yards per carry this year.

The Nittany Lions hope to ride their balanced offensive attack to a deep playoff run.

“We value winning,” Franklin said, “and if you watch college football all over the country, it’s hard to win on a consistent basis.”

Franklin certainly would get agreement on that from Purdue (1-8, 0-6), which has lost every game since defeating Indiana State 49-0 in its season opener. The Boilermakers have faced two highly ranked opponents this season, falling to Oregon and Ohio State — both ranked No. 2 in the AP poll at the time — by a combined score of 80-0.

“There’s a multitude of reasons, a multitude of examples to point to as to why we are struggling with those types of opponents,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said. “We’ll just continue to work on them.”

In last weekend’s 45-0 setback to the Buckeyes, the Boilermakers managed just 206 yards from scrimmage and went a combined 2 of 15 on third and fourth downs.

Hudson Card completed only 9 of 19 passes for 108 yards with an interception for Purdue, while Devin Mockobee was a rare bright spot with 73 yards on 13 carries.

“The bottom line is alignment, assignment, execution on both sides of the ball,” Mockobee said. “That’s just something we still are continuing to work on improving, tightening up. Because especially with these teams that (are highly ranked), you don’t have a large margin of error to be able to come in and do what you want to do.”

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates a first down run beside Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Kobe King (41) during the NCAA football game at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Ohio State won 20-13.

No. 2 Ohio State looks to avoid getting tripped up by Purdue

Purdue’s impressive five victories over Ohio State this century, including an all-time upset in 2018, have one thing in common — they were played in West Lafayette, Ind.

The struggling Boilermakers (1-7, 0-5 Big Ten) won’t have that luxury in Columbus on Saturday against the Buckeyes, who are ranked No. 2 in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday.

In the first-ever CFP poll in 2014, Ohio State ranked 16th because of a home loss to Virginia Tech. Two months later, the Buckeyes defeated Oregon in the national title game.

The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1) have the same destination in mind this season after a 20-13 victory at No. 6 Penn State on Saturday gave them a clear path to the Big Ten title game and a possible rematch with No. 1 Oregon, which edged the visiting Buckeyes 32-31 on Oct. 12.

Ohio State needs to win its final four regular-season games and can’t afford a slip-up against the Boilermakers before playing Northwestern (at Wrigley Field), and No. 8 Indiana and rival Michigan, both in Columbus.

“We’re just focused on Purdue,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “No matter what happened the game before, that game is over with. Whatever the rankings are, we’ve always said, the ones that matter are the ones at the end of the year.”

Purdue coach Ryan Walters knows his team is a heavy underdog at Ohio Stadium, where the Boilermakers haven’t won since 1988. But he will try to draw inspiration from six years ago, when the unranked Boilermakers humbled the second-ranked Buckeyes 49-20, albeit in a home game.

“It’s going to be a big challenge,” Walters said Monday. “Looking forward to playing in a venue that’s as historic as Ohio State and looking forward to going and competing against the best. That is why you play in this conference. That’s why you come to a school like Purdue, to be able to go compete with and give your all against some of the better teams in the country.”

However, in the two most recent matchups in 2023 and 2021, they were outscored 100-38, and there’s reason to believe another beatdown is in the offing.

The Boilermakers have been outscored 295-113 by FBS opponents following a season-opening 49-0 win over Indiana State of the FCS.

Add the fact Ohio State has future NFL picks throughout the lineup and it could be a long day.

“You look at their team in its entirety; very, very talented roster,” Walters said. “You couple the talented roster with the level of coaching that is at Ohio State, I’ve got a lot of respect for a lot of those guys on the staff there. That’s why you get a team like Ohio State.”

Will Howard leads the way at quarterback for the Buckeyes, throwing for 1,977 yards and 19 touchdowns this season, with Emeka Egbuka catching 46 passes for 577 yards and seven touchdowns and Jeremiah Smith hauling in 39 passes for 678 yards and eight scores.

The Buckeyes will look to build off their performance at Penn State, where they denied the Nittany Lions a late potential game-tying touchdown despite a first-and-goal from the 3.

That was followed by the Buckeyes starting from their 1 with 5:13 left and running 11 straight times, including a kneel-down, for 58 yards and four first downs to end the game.

But Day is done talking about that.

“I think Purdue’s offense is playing well,” Day said. “If our guys think that they’re just going to go out there and play this Saturday, they’re wrong. (The Boilermakers) are a much better team than their record shows.

“If anybody in this building here is thinking about last week, that they’re distracted, that can’t happen.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun reacts during the third quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Northwestern, Purdue both look to move past big losses

Northwestern coach David Braun called last week’s lopsided loss at Iowa “an embarrassing performance.”

With bowl eligibility still a mathematical possibility, the Wildcats will look to move on when they visit another struggling Big Ten team, Purdue, on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Simply moving the ball should go a long way to that end. Northwestern (3-5, 1-4) gained only 163 yards of offense against Iowa, including 43 rushing yards on 24 carries, in the 40-14 defeat.

“To run the ball and meet our standard, in some regards, we have to overachieve,” Braun said. “… Let’s get in the foxhole, let’s go attack this and find a way to get this done.”

Cam Porter (13 carries, 50 yards) was Northwestern’s top rusher. The Wildcats will stay with Jack Lausch at quarterback despite recent struggles that included a pair of interceptions at Iowa. Northwestern scored its lone touchdowns by interception and punt return.

Purdue (1-6, 0-4) enters on a six-game losing streak that continued with a 35-0 home loss to visiting No. 2 Oregon on Oct. 18. Purdue has been idle since then.

Braun was quick to note that the same Boilermakers who struggled to fend off the Ducks pushed then-No. 23 Illinois to the brink in a 50-49 overtime loss the week before the Oregon game.

“We can’t allow stats or a record to lull us to sleep,” Braun said. “That’s a very talented football team.”

Purdue passed for a mere 93 yards against the Ducks with Hudson Card still in the concussion protocol. In his second career start, Ryan Browne was 9-for-19 through the air with an interception. He added 48 rushing yards.

Reggie Love III paced the Boilermakers’ ground game with 93 yards on 11 carries as Purdue ran for 208 yards.

The bye week allowed the Boilermakers to get healthy, especially in their quarterback room. Coach Ryan Walters didn’t specify Monday who would start at QB against the Wildcats but confirmed Browne and Card both would play.

Asked about the Boilermakers’ goals for the remaining five regular-season games, Walters put it simply.

“We need to win,” he said.

That won’t be easy, given the Big Ten opponents still on the schedule — No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 13 Indiana.

The quest for bowl eligibility won’t be easy for Northwestern, either, given that it will face Ohio State, No. 24 Illinois and defending national champion Michigan after meeting Purdue.

Purdue boasts a 53-34-1 edge in the all-time series against Northwestern. The Wildcats stopped a two-game skid in the rivalry with last season’s 23-15 home win.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

No. 2 Oregon jumps on Purdue early to stay unbeaten

Second-ranked Oregon scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and cruised to a 35-0 win over Purdue in a Big Ten matchup at West Lafayette, Ind., on Friday night.

Oregon (7-0, 4-0 in Big Ten) got a pair of first-half touchdown runs from Jordan James. His first score was set up by a 49-yard completion from quarterback Dillon Gabriel to wide receiver Evan Stewart, a pinpoint throw into tight coverage.

Stewart caught four passed for 96 yards.

Gabriel went 21 of 25 passing for 290 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was intercepted once. He played well into the fourth quarter before exiting the game prior to Oregon’s final possession.

That was after backup running back Jay Harris ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 8:13 to play to seal the Ducks’ win.

Gabriel, who has thrown for multiple touchdowns in each of his first seven games after he transferred from Oklahoma, threw scoring passes to Tez Johnson early in the second quarter and Noah Whittington early in the fourth.

Purdue (1-6, 0-4) moved into field goal range against Oregon’s reserves in the fourth quarter, but the Boilermakers turned the ball over on downs with 4:54 to play.

Johnson had seven catches for 66 yards coming off a big game against Ohio State last week, and the touchdown was his seventh this season.

Purdue’s Ryan Browne was 9 for 19 passing for 93 yards and added 48 rushing yards. Running back Reggie Love III had 93 yards on 11 carries in the Boilermakers’ sixth straight loss.

Kam Alexander sealed the shutout with an interception with 21 seconds to play.

Oregon had 421 yards of total offense, despite not having tight end Terrance Ferguson due to illness. The Ducks were also without injured defensive lineman Jordan Burch (knee), who many feel is their best defensive player.

Still the Ducks limited the Boilermakers to 4 of 12 on third downs and 0 of 3 on fourth downs. Oregon finished with 10 tackles for loss.

–Field Level Media

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James celebrate a touchdown by Gabriel as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Coming off big win, No. 2 Oregon needs to avoid letdown vs. Purdue

Coming off the biggest win of his two-plus seasons as head coach of Oregon football, Dan Lanning and the No. 2 Ducks get a short week of preparation ahead of traveling to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue on Friday night.

The big key for the Ducks (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) is to avoid a letdown after they outlasted then-No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday. Now comes the first lengthy trip across the country from the Pacific Northwest to Indiana for Oregon as a Big Ten team.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week, led the Ducks to their highest-ranked home win in school history. Gabriel completed 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Gabriel has thrown multiple touchdowns in each of his first six games as a Duck and is second in the nation in completion rate at 76.1 percent.

The Ducks have the players at the skill positions to complement Gabriel, their offensive line has not allowed any sacks since the second game of the season and their defense was athletic and deep enough to topple mighty Ohio State. The defense played without Jordan Burch last week due to injury, but it appears the star defensive lineman will return at some point this season.

“I don’t think it’s hard for us to get back and get to work, but you do have to squeeze a lot of stuff in a short amount of time,” Lanning said Monday, of playing on a Friday. “And that’s the challenge of making sure you’re still really consistent and thorough with what matters, not putting too much on your players in a short window.”

Oregon already played a Friday game this season, a 31-10 home win over Michigan State on Oct. 4.

Purdue (1-5, 0-3) enters having lost five straight games, but the Boilermakers’ offense showed life on Saturday in a 50-49 overtime loss to then-No. 23 Illinois. Purdue trailed by 24 points in the second half but scored two touchdowns inside of the final five minutes to take a 43-40 lead prior to the extra session.

Ryan Browne made his first collegiate start at quarterback and will get the start this week against Oregon, coach Ryan Walters said Monday.

Browne threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 118 yards against Illinois.

Walters became the play-caller against Illinois and said he would continue in that role this week.

“I’m proud of the way he played, and it’s because of the way he prepared,” Walters said of Browne. “I’m looking forward to watching his growth and maturation this week.”

Browne has stepped in for Hudson Card, who was injured but is expected to be available Friday.

Walters expressed frustration about commentary he saw on TV last week that his team has quit on the season. He met with his players to address it prior to the Illinois game.

“I just talked to them about, I don’t care what you’re doing in life, where you’re at, what your occupation is,” Walters said. “As a man, don’t ever let the perception be that you quit when things got tough or that you quit when adversity hits.

“In life, as in football, adversity is guaranteed. At the bare minimum it should be that you fight.”

The Ducks and the Boilermakers last faced off in 2009, when the Ducks earned a 38-36 home victory to take a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA;  Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) runs with the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 23 Illinois stops Purdue’s OT 2-point conversion attempt for 50-49 win

Linebacker Dylan Rosiek sacked Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime to lift No. 23 Illinois to a 50-49 Big Ten victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois (5-1, 2-1) squandered a 24-point second-half lead as Purdue (1-5, 0-3) took its first lead with 46 seconds to play, but the Illini forced overtime on David Olano’s 38-yard field goal as time expired.

Once in overtime, Luke Altmyer hit Patrick Bryant for a 25-yard score on Illinois’ first play and Olano booted the extra point. Purdue scored on its second play — Arhmad Branch jogging in from 3 yards out on an end-around — and Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters called a timeout to set up the 2-point try.

Browne, who had been sacked just once all game, couldn’t elude Rosiek’s blitz and was dragged down at the 23-yard line. Illinois players stormed the field to collect the Cannon Trophy that Purdue possessed after winning the last four meetings.

Altmyer finished 20-of-34 for 379 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards and another score. Josh McCray added 78 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and three scores as Illinois played without leading rusher Kaden Feagin.

Illinois built a 24-3 halftime lead as Browne, a redshirt freshman making his first start following Hudson Card’s injury, threw for just nine yards in the first half. But Browne responded with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns after halftime — along with 118 rushing yards for the game — as the Boilermakers rallied from a 27-3 third-quarter deficit.

Purdue’s comeback was fast-forwarded by scoring two touchdowns in an eight-second span. Browne completed a 53-yard bomb to Jahmal Edrine for the Boilers’ first touchdown in seven quarters. On the next snap from scrimmage, blitzing cornerback Nyland Green sacked Altmyer from the blind side and forced a fumble that defensive end Will Heldt scooped at Illinois’ 16 and raced into the end zone to make it 27-17 at the 7:35 mark of the third.

Illinois took a 40-28 lead on McCray’s 3-yard blast with 5:05 to play, but Purdue didn’t stop. Devin Mockobee dove over the goal line with a 2-yard score with 1:35 left as the Boilermakers cut the margin to 40-35. Then Purdue’s Leland Smith recovered the ensuing onside kick at Illinois’ 43, and Browne lobbed a play-action pass to Mockobee for a 13-yard score that gave Purdue a 43-40 edge with 46 seconds to play.

–Field Level Media