First and 10: Purdue at Illinois

As we start the week, 10 items of interest as the Boilermakers travel to Illinois on Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1) at Memorial Stadium:

• Will we identify Saturday’s 46-point loss at Wisconsin as the lowest point of the season? The shellacking by Notre Dame is a contender, but another lopsided defeat to a mediocre Badgers team had a different feel.

• Can Ryan Walters elevate this team to a level to battle Big Ten and FBS competition for 60 minutes? Purdue just hasn’t been competitive overall in the last four games. The Boilermakers were tied with Nebraska at halftime, but the game quickly slipped away. The matchup against Oregon State had its moments, but the losses to the Irish and the Badgers showed how much Purdue was outmanned. The numbers tell part of the story, but the lack of fight and inability to deal with adversity stands out.

• Here’s the scary part – the upcoming schedule is much tougher. The last four opponents – Notre Dame, Oregon State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin – are good teams but not what the Boilermakers will face in the final seven games. Illinois has taken a step forward this season. There’s Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State – all College Football Playoff contenders – along with unbeaten Indiana, which became bowl eligible with its victory over Northwestern. That leaves Northwestern at home and Michigan State on the road. Those seven teams going into this week’s games are a combined 30-7.

MORE: First look: Illinois | Three thoughts

• Purdue was prepared to pay Graham Harrell $1 million in 2025 as the program’s offensive coordinator. Is that the going rate for the program as Walters starts his search for Harrell’s replacement?

• It appears the Boilermakers must play a perfect game – no turnovers, no penalties, no missed tackles, 100% execution across the board – and their opponents falter in those categories for them to have a chance. That’s no way to go through a college football season.

• How can the receivers step up their game to help quarterback Hudson Card? The group has been less than stellar, and the lack of big plays in the passing game has handcuffed the offense. Card isn’t immune from taking some responsibility, but Purdue lacks play-makers on the perimeter, and it continues to put the offense in no-win situations. Either the coaching staff overestimated the talent from the portal, or the system doesn’t match their skills. It’s impossible to ignore.

• For the fifth straight game, the Boilermakers face an opponent coming off a loss. The Fighting Illini were beaten by Penn State on Sept. 28 and didn’t play last week.

• Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has been nearly flawless. He didn’t throw an interception in the first four games – all wins by the Fighting Illini – and tossed his only pick in the loss to Penn State. Altmyer has 11 touchdowns and just one interception while completing 70% of his passes. In a league filled with solid quarterbacks, Altmyer ranks seventh in the Big Ten with his competition percentage behind four QBs Purdue will play this season. He’s been spot-on with his throws this season, and the Boilermakers must devise a plan to disrupt his rhythm.

• The defense will need to see more of Kyndrich Breedlove’s takeaways skills. Breedlove forced the team’s first turnovers of the season with a pair of interceptions in the first half against Wisconsin. For the Boilermakers to avoid extending their losing streak, a run on takeaways would be a welcome sight.

• Illinois was installed as an 18-point favorite for Saturday’s game, per Circa Sports, and the line has moved to 19.5 points. The last time the Boilermakers were this big of an underdog in the series was 1990 when the Illini were favored by 19 points. Illinois won that day 34-0.