First and 10: Purdue at Northwestern
As we start the week, 10 items of interest as Purdue travels to Northwestern on Saturday (Noon, BTN) at Ryan Field.
The Boilermakers opened as a 1-point favorite, but the Wildcats moved to a 2-point favorite as of Monday morning, according to vsin.com.
• Will the offensive outburst show up against Northwestern? The 49 points, 604 total yards, including 353 on the ground, 8.8 yards per play, four rushing touchdowns and three passing TDs were all season highs in the win over Minnesota. Can the Boilermakers do it again?
• The Gophers scored 30 points, but take a deeper dive and you’ll see the defense played well, other than the first drive. In the second and third quarters, Minnesota attempted one field goal, scored one touchdown, but punted on four of five possessions. Purdue forced three, three-and-outs and allowed 130 yards on six drives. Still a lot of things to clean up but the defense did its job, giving the offense a chance to add on points.
• Northwestern’s offense isn’t as prolific as other teams the Boilermakers have played. Ben Bryant returned at quarterback and posted decent numbers in the win over Wisconsin. He threw for 195 yards, two touchdowns and completed 69.2% of his passes. Bryant had missed the last four games with an injury. He tossed four TD passes in the come-from-behind win over Minnesota in September.
• Remember that the Wildcats haven’t won two straight this season, alternating wins and losses since the opener. In fact, Northwestern hasn’t enjoyed a two-game winning streak since 2020.
• The Boilermakers also seek their first two-game winning streak this season.
• Purdue hasn’t beaten Northwestern three straight times since winning seven in a row from 1997 through 2003.
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• Is interim coach David Braun the frontrunner for Big Ten Coach of the Year? The Wildcats are sitting at five wins with the Boilermakers and Illinois to close the regular season. Everyone knows the offseason scandal that overwhelmed the program, costing longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald his job. From the outside, Northwestern was in shambles. But the Wildcats are one victory from bowl eligibility. Not many saw that coming in August.
• Another round of applause for Purdue’s offensive line, which allowed quarterback Hudson Card and running backs Devin Mockobee and Tyrone Tracy, Jr. to shine against the Gophers. The injury-riddled group stayed together through the rough patches this season.
• What if Saturday’s game is decided by field goals? Northwestern has made 11 of 12 in Big Ten action. The Boilermakers are just 4 of 9 in seven conference games.
• The friendly competition between Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins continues. Scourton took the lead in sacks and now has eight, compared to seven for Jenkins. The duo ranks first and second in the Big Ten. In tackles for loss, Jenkins leads 13.5 to 13.0 with two games left.
