First and 10: Illinois at Purdue

As we start the week, 10 items of interest to track as Purdue hosts Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium:

The Boilermakers opened as a 2-point favorite in what is basically a pick-em game when home-field advantage is factored in.

–One way to help snap this two-game losing streak and make September bearable is to avoid falling behind 14-0. Syracuse was up two touchdowns early in the second quarter. Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in the game’s first 12 minutes. The offense shares in the early deficits since drives are stalling, forcing the defense back on the field.

–Don’t say the offense hasn’t had its chances to score more points. Purdue has taken snaps in opponents’ territory in 15 of its last 22 drives, but only six resulted in points. Eleven of those drives ended with a turnover or failure to convert on fourth down. Meanwhile, Syracuse and Wisconsin converted 12 of 21 meaningful drives (ones that didn’t end the half or game) into points.

–How will the running back snaps be divided this week? Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Mockobee and Dylan Downing combined for 18 carries. The group averaged 8.0 yards per carry with seven attempts gaining at least 10 yards. There was success on the ground against the Badgers, but after falling behind by double digits, the Boilermakers needed more quick strikes through the air. Will the three-player rotation continue?

–With Gus Hartwig’s return to the lineup at center, will the offensive line start to build more chemistry?

–Are there any other receivers available? Deion Burks, TJ Sheffield and Abdur-Rahmaan Yassen are doing the heavy lifting, but can that last the rest of the season? Jayden Dixon-Veal, a JUCO transfer, played three snaps against the Badgers.

–Who has the upper hand Saturday? Is it Illinois coach Bret Bielema who knows coach Ryan Walters’ defensive scheme and tendencies or is it Walters who is familiar with the Illini’s personnel? Each coach will have new wrinkles, adding to the surprise element.

–What’s the counter to slowing down running quarterbacks? Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader and Wisconsin’s Tanner Mordecai combined to score six rushing touchdowns during the last two weeks and averaged 6.4 yards a carry. Shrader did the bulk of the damage, but Mordecai was an effective runner. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer totaled 139 yards rushing in the first two games but has seven in the last two.

–Saturday is a must-win when it comes to keeping bowl eligibility alive. Purdue is already behind schedule in terms of reaching six wins based on the schedule. Yes, eight games remain, but the Boilermakers are about to jump into the deep end. Saturday marks Purdue’s fourth home game, leaving three (Ohio State, Minnesota and Indiana) during the next two months. The Boilermakers needed at least three wins in September to put themselves in a position to play important games in November. A path remains to reach six wins, but the margin for error is quickly closing.

–The Big Ten West remains a free-for-all. Six of the seven teams already have one loss in conference play and Northwestern’s come-from-behind overtime win over Minnesota – rallying from 21 points down – sums up the chaotic nature of the division. Purdue isn’t out of the picture but needs to join the chaos party to play a factor in the end.

–Last season, Illinois sat atop the Big Ten in turnover margin, one reason why the Fighting Illini finished with eight victories. This year, Illinois is last in the conference in the same category (minus 6), one reason why it’s 2-2 heading into Saturday’s matchup. Purdue can’t shake its turnover bug from the last two games, committing seven after playing error-free in the first two weeks. Here’s another example of the importance of turnovers: Penn State is last in the conference in explosive plays (20 yards or more) but has yet to commit a turnover and is plus-11 overall. And yes, the Nittany Lions are 4-0.