First and 10: Minnesota at Purdue

As we start the week, 10 items of interest to track as Purdue hosts Minnesota on Saturday (3:30 p.m., NBC) at Ross-Ade Stadium:

The Golden Gophers opened as a 1-point favorite, but the game is considered a pick’em as of Monday morning, according to vsin.com.

• Now that the Boilermakers are basically eliminated from playing in a bowl game, what’s in store for the final three games? Coach Ryan Walters and his staff will prepare to win each game, as they should, but the next three weeks give the program a chance to gauge the development of the roster. These will be the last practices until the spring and it’s important to identify who possibly will be part of the 2024 depth chart. Players will leave, players will transfer in, but the coaching staff needs to know who to count on next season. And that process has been underway but now ramps up.

• Minnesota has tormented Purdue in the last decade, posting an 8-2 record and averaging 32.8 points since 2012.

• NBC’s Todd Blackledge has always ranked high on the list of college football TV analysts, but his evaluation of quarterback Hudson Card was spot on. During Saturday night’s broadcast against Michigan, Blackledge continued to point out Card’s happy feet, a problem that has plagued the transfer most of the season. With the injuries to the offensive line, it’s easy to understand Card’s hesitation at times. Card must settle down in the pocket and deliver the ball with confidence. Easier said than done based on who’s around him. Let’s hope he uses these next three games to show improvement in this area. Card’s late touchdown pass to Deion Burks is a good starting point for the rest of the season.

• Staying with the offense, has this group established an identity this season? Through nine games, it’s hard to find one. Turnovers, lack of healthy bodies upfront, limited playmakers on the perimeter and short-yardage situations have played a role in keeping the offense from showing progress.

• However, we’ve seen strides from the defense. The Boilermakers held Michigan to 110 rushing yards, the lowest output on the ground in two seasons, and forced the Wolverines to kick two field goals in six red zone trips. But the look of Purdue’s defense is one where improvement is showing up. Opponents have hit the defense with big plays, but they aren’t as frequent as earlier in the season. It might be a bunch of smoke and mirrors to some, but the defense has kept the Boilermakers in contact with opponents during this four-game losing streak.

• What would be the defensive narrative if the Boilermakers didn’t have Kyrdan Jenkins, Nic Scourton and Dillion Thieneman? Jenkins and Scourton share the Big Ten lead in sacks and Thieneman continues his solid play.

• If there’s one area where signs of progress need to be made, it’s third-down conversions. Purdue was 1 of 14 against Michigan and is 34 of 105 (32.3%) in its seven losses, including 9 of 47 in the last three games. While there’s a lot of focus on third down, more production on first and second downs would help improve the numbers and the offense.

• It was the victory at Minnesota that introduced running back Devin Mockobee to the Big Ten football world last year. Mockobee put up decent numbers against Indiana State in his first action, but his 112 rushing yards against the Gophers pushed him into the spotlight. Mockobee’s 68-yard run set up his 2-yard TD run to seal the victory. Purdue will need similar production on Saturday.

• Minnesota has dealt with the highs and lows in two of the last three games. The Gophers didn’t score a touchdown in the win at Iowa but watched Illinois rally for a 27-26 victory, thanks to backup quarterback John Paddock, who threw the game-winning TD with 50 seconds left.

• The loss didn’t completely end the Big Ten West title hopes, but Minnesota lost control. The Gophers can claim the West if they win out and Iowa suffers at least one more loss. But coach PJ Fleck’s team visits Ohio State in two weeks, big hurdle in the pursuit of a title. The chances of winning the West probably faded with that last-second loss.