First Look: Purdue-Oregon State
Here’s an early look at Purdue’s third opponent of the 2024 season, the Oregon State Beavers.
Date/Time: Saturday, September 21, 8:30 p.m. E.T.
Location: Reser Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 35,548 (tickets)
Weather: Early forecast shows a high of 75 degrees with partly cloudy skies
2024 schedules/records: Purdue 1-1 (0-0 Big Ten), Oregon State 2-1
Series notes: The return trip of a home-and-home scheduling agreement, Saturday will become just the third meeting between the Boilermakers and Beavers. Oregon State took a 22-14 decision in West Lafayette way back in 1967 in a huge Homecoming upset when the Boilermakers were ranked No. 2 nationally, while Purdue opened the 2021 season with a 30-21 win under the lights in Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue’s only other game in the state of Oregon came in 2009 when the Boilermakers fell in a heartbreaker in Eugene against Oregon.
TV: The CW
Early line: Oregon State -6, O/U 48.5
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Bounce back?
Saturday’s 66-7 throttling at the hands of Notre Dame marked the largest margin of defeat in program history. Ryan Walters came away with few answers, but college football provides little time for teams to sulk. Instead, Purdue will fly across the country for the return game of the home-and-home series with Oregon State.
After the loss, Walters emphasized that the season is far from over. Ten games remain on the schedule, and the trip to Corvallis gives Purdue one final tune-up before Big Ten play begins. If Purdue hopes to improve on its 2023 record, this one feels like a “must-win.”
Frequent flyer miles
While many Big Ten programs will make trips out west for league play this fall, Purdue will make its trip west for non-conference play. The Boilermakers will fly out a day early, arriving in Corvallis on Thursday night. Despite this, it won’t interrupt the Purdue practice schedule at all. Since Purdue practices in the morning during the week, it can practice each morning. Instead of conducting a walk-through in West Lafayette on Friday, it will be done at Reser Stadium.
The trip could help Purdue plan future West Coast travel. Purdue last traveled west in 2019 for the season-opener at Nevada, and it last played in Oregon in 2009. With several trips to California, Oregon and/or Washington on the horizon, the Boilermakers will get a better idea of how to optimize the trip.
Grading the Boilermakers versus Notre Dame | Data Driven–Notre Dame game
Ryan Walters on the Beavers
“The biggest challenge is the three-hour time difference. We’ll leave Thursday after our morning practice to get as acclimated as possible. It’ll be an interesting learning experience moving forward.”
