PURDUE NOTES:
Following a bye week, Purdue Football returns to the gridiron for a Big Ten battle. The Boilermakers host the Northwestern Wildcats in a sold out Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN. • The matchup is Purdue’s first Saturday home game since Sept. 28 (vs. Nebraska). • Saturday’s game marks the third sellout at Ross-Ade this season (vs. Notre Dame, vs. Nebraska). • Purdue and Northwestern first met exactly 129 years ago (Nov. 2, 1895). Ninety years later (Nov. 2, 1985), the Boilermakers beat the Wildcats 31-7 on this date. • The Boilermakers have won three of the past five meetings, starting with a victory in 2019 that snapped a five game losing streak in the series (2014-18). • A season ago, Purdue ran for 303 yards against the Wildcats, their second straight 300-yard rushing game after racking up 353 rushing yards in the win over Minnesota one week prior; the Boilermakers recorded back-to-back 300-yard rushing games for the first time since 1968. • As a true freshman, quarterback Ryan Browne made his collegiate debut, rushing for 85 yards and passing for 104 yards (12-of-16), while splitting time with Bennett Meredith in place of an injured Hudson Card. • The last time these two teams met in West Lafayette, the Boilermakers protected their frozen tundra (wind chills in single digits) with a 17-9 victory (Nov. 19, 2022); Kydran Jenkins tallied team highs in tackles (7) and TFLs (2.0). • Purdue has rushed for at least 200 yards in three games this year, the most 200-yard games in a season since 2018. • Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (24), receiving yards (384) and receiving touchdowns (2). Klare is on pace to become the first Purdue tight end to lead the team in receptions since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz hauled in 41 receptions (240 yards, four touchdowns) during the 2013 season. • One of the nation’s leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally in solo tackles (5.0 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year leads the Boilermakers in total tackles (54) and solo tackles (35) once again this season. • Kydran Jenkins ranks fourth in the Big Ten in sacks (0.71 per game). Jenkins is the conference leader in sacks wearing a Big Ten uniform, recording 21.5 throughout his career to also rank sixth in Purdue history. • Devin Mockobee ranks fifth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.30). • Starting center Gus Hartwig has a 81.4 pass blocking grade from PFF, not giving up a sack and allowing only one hit on the quarterback. • Kyndrich Breedlove has recorded all three of Purdue’s interceptions this season, ranking third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally. • In his first season as a Boilermaker, Keelan Crimmins is on pace for the second best punting average (44.4 yards per punt) in program history, behind only 2001 Ray Guy Award winner Travis Dorsch (48.1 yards per punt).
ABOUT THE MATCH-UP:
• Purdue and Northwestern will square off for the 89th time on Saturday. • The Boilermakers’ 53 wins over the Wildcats is just the second highest tally against an opponent, trailing 77 wins over Indiana. • The two clubs have faced each other every year since 2014. The Boilermakers have won three of the last five matchups. • Otis Armstrong rushed for a then-school record 233 yards on 32 carries in the 1972 matchup, before later rushing for 276 yards against Indiana, a record still unbroken.
LAST MEETING:
• Purdue rushed for 303 yards on the ground, but could not mount a late comeback in a 23-15 loss at Northwestern. • It was the final game before the renovation of Northwestern’s Ryan Field started. • The defense totaled five sacks in the first half, the team’s most in a half since the Eastern Michigan game on Sept. 8, 2018. • Dillon Thieneman led the way with 10 tackles, six solos, and an interception. • The Boilermakers held Northwestern to 2.9 yards per carry on the ground, allowing 99 yards on 34 carries. • Hudson Card missed the game due to injury. • Tyrone Tracy Jr. electrified the box score with 276 all-purpose yards, the most by a Purdue player since Rondale Moore (Sept. 7, 2019 vs. Vanderbilt). • The Boilermakers finished with 303 total rushing yards, their second highest total of the 2023 season. • The team has eclipsed 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games, the first time Purdue has had multiple 300-yard rushing games in a season since 2002.
NORTHWESTERN NOTES:
Playing its third road game in its last four contests, Northwestern travels to Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium, which it has won five of its last six, at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 2. Last week, the Wildcats fell on the road at Iowa 40-14 with both Northwestern touchdowns being generated on an interception return and a punt return. DB Theran Johnson returned an interception 85-yard for a score in the second quarter and PR Drew Wagner took a 72-yard punt return to the house for a touchdown, Northwestern’s first since 2014. It was the first game in the last 30 years that the Wildcats returned an interception and a punt for a touchdown. The Wildcats have recorded two defensive touchdowns this season (Theran Johnson – 85-yard INT return at Iowa, DL Aidan Hubbard 2-yard fumble return at Maryland), which is the most in the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally. Dating back to last season, the Wildcats have forced a turnover in 14 of their last 15 games, and other the last two seasons combined rank t-23rd in FBS forcing 35 turnovers. The mark ranks fourth in the Big Ten behind Maryland (39), Michigan (36) and Minnesota (36). Northwestern’s special teams units have recorded three blocked kicks this season (two blocked field goals, one blocked punt), which is tied for the most in the Big Ten Conference and the most by a Northwestern team since 2022 (3). The Wildcats single-season high for blocks is six, when the 2014 team led FBS. Northwestern’s offensive line has surrendered 11 sacks this season, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten, after allowing 35 sacks over the first seven games last season. The Wildcats won last season’s meeting against Purdue 23-15, in what was the last game played at old Ryan Field. Northwestern is 7-3 against Purdue in the last 10 meetings, and has won 11 of the last 20.
RECAPPING IOWA Theran Johnson and Drew Wagner turned in impact performances as Northwestern (3-5, 1-4 B1G) fell on the road at Iowa (5-3, 3-2 B1G), 40- 14, on Saturday, Oct. 26 inside Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Johnson, who closed his afternoon with three tackles, made his presence felt with just under 10 minutes gone in the second quarter. With Iowa staked to a 3-0 lead and facing 3rd and 4 from the Wildcat 20-yard line, Johnson snagged Cade McNamara’s pass and took off down the left sideline, racing 85 yards to give the Wildcats a 7-3 advantage. On his first career punt return, Wagner more than provided a spark as he raced 72 yards for a touchdown, the first punt return score by a Wildcat since the 2014 season. Mac Uihlein also provided support on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with a team-best 10 tackles, while Damon Walters added the first two tackles for loss of his collegiate career. On the offensive side of the ball, Northwestern was led by Cam Porter, who totaled 50 yards on 13 carries. A.J. Henning hauled in two receptions for 22 yards to pace Northwestern through the air. CAT SACKS Through eight games this season, Northwestern has recorded 17 sacks. The Wildcats have posted their most sacks through eight games since recording 19 sacks in 2016. 11 different players have recorded at least 0.5 sacks, including seven defensive linemen. DL Aidan Hubbard leads the team with 3.0 sacks, with DL Anto Saka ranking second with 2.5 sacks