GoldandBlack.com Predictions: Purdue vs Minnesota

Purdue returns hopes to dramatically reverse its fortunes Saturday at home vs. Minnesota (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

Our GoldandBlack.com staff predictions …

MIKE CARMIN, CONTRIBUTOR

Overall Thought: Now that a bowl game is no longer possible, how does first-year coach Ryan Walters balance preparing to win these last three games and work on individual player development looking ahead to 2024? The Boilermakers have several questions when the season ends and getting an early jump on finding answers is important.  Minnesota will likely view Saturday’s matchup as a must-win with Ohio State and the rivalry game against Wisconsin left on the schedule.

*The* Key To The Game: Holding Minnesota to 20 points or fewer seems to be the benchmark. It’s doable since the Gophers aren’t dynamic on offense, averaging less than 300 yards in six Big Ten games. But Purdue’s offense has struggled. Can it generate enough points to put pressure on Minnesota’s defense?

Your Pick To Click (offense): Tight end Garrett Miller. Just one catch at Michigan but had 15 in the previous three games against Iowa, Ohio State and Nebraska. With the receivers struggling to get open, Miller is a strong option that quarterback Hudson Card should look to more often.

Your Pick To Click (defense): Dillion Thieneman. The freshman hasn’t had an interception since Oct. 7 at Iowa and he’s overdue for a pick.

Spiciest Take: The Boilermakers will hold a lead for the first time since Sept. 30 against Illinois.

Predicted Score: Minnesota 22, Purdue 15

KYLE CHARTERS, CONTRIBUTOR AND LOCAL MAN ABOUT TOWN

Overall Thought: Preparing for opponents in the Big Ten West is about the same every week: Every team appears to have a good, above-average defense, with an offense that is almost incapable of passing. 

And so here we are again. Minnesota has a capable defense with an sometimes incapable offense. It — like the games over the next couple weeks — is one the Boilermakers can, and perhaps should, win.

*The* Key To The Game: Can probably just put this on repeat for the next few weeks: If Purdue can move the ball on offense with any sort of consistency at all, then it should be able to win games. The problem, of course, has been that the Boilermakers haven’t been able to do so vs. the better defenses over the last four games. 

But if Purdue can get into the mid-20s on the scoreboard, then it’ll win. Probably.

Your Pick To Click (offense): Hudson Card. For as much criticism as Card has gotten — some is deserved but he’s also more so the result of issues around him — he’s probably the best quarterback in the West. And I think he gets a chance to show it Saturday and vs. Northwestern and Indiana. 

Your Pick To Click (defense): Anyone with the last name Scourton, Jenkins and Thieneman. Those three have been awesome lately. Let’s go with Scourton, who seems to really be coming on over the last couple weeks. 

Spiciest Take: Is this spicy? Purdue wins two of three this month and we all feel a little better about this.

Predicted Score:Purdue 27, Minnesota 24

TOM DIENHART, GOLDANDBLACK.COM

Overall Thought: Bowl hopes are dashed. Now what? Purdue is left to play for pride as it sorts through the roster evaluating talent for 2024. This is the first of three winnable games for the Boilers. Finishing on a three-game winning streak sure would soften the landing of what so far has been a disappointing season.

*The* Key To The Game: Kickstart the offense. The unit has floundered for weeks. A thin O-line has exasperated matters, along with a pedestrian receiving unit. The last four games–all losses–Purdue has averaged 11.6 points.

You’re Pick To Click (offense): QB Hudson Card. It always begins and ends with the guy under center. He has thrown for under 200 yards in three consecutive games and has hit the 300-passing yard mark just once (Syracuse). He needs time to operate.

Your Pick To Click (defense): OLB Nic Scourton. It could be bookend Kydran Jenkins. Either way, this tandem needs to continue to play at an All-Big Ten level to sit on a Gopher offense that has had its own issues (No. 12 Big Ten offense).

Spiciest Take: Purdue will have a running back eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark for just the third time this season, as Devin Mockobee and Tyrone Tracy have each done it once. Mockobee will be the man this Saturday, victimizing Minnesota like he did last season, too.

Predicted Score: Purdue 24, Minnesota 21

ALAN KARPICK, GOLDANDBLACK.COM OLD MAN

Overall Thought: Purdue has much more to play for than might meet the eye. Now is as good a time as any to stop the four-game losing skid and come up with an effort akin to what we saw six weeks ago against Illinois. Coach Ryan Walters is still setting the table here, but he needs a few more place settings to have a meal.

*The* Key To The Game: It most certainly will be low scoring, so keeping turnovers at one or fewer seems necessary for success.

Your Pick To Click (offense): Hudson Card, but then again doesn’t he have to be if the Boilermakers are going to have success?

Your Pick To Click (defense): Kydran Jenkins and Nic Scourton. They make the game worth watching for a fan and observer’s point of view.

Spiciest Take: The game will be lower scoring than 30 years ago when the Gophers and Boilermakers faced off: Minnesota 59, Purdue 56. It’s the only time I remember that an assistant coach was fired in the locker room after a game. Long live Moe Ankney.

Predicted Score: Purdue 20, Minnesota 17

JORDAN JONES, CONTRIBUTOR

Overall Thought: As Ryan Walters said on his weekly radio show, it’s a three-game season now. At 2-7, Purdue will not play in the postseason, so these final three games are all the Boilermakers have. Purdue would love to build some slight momentum heading into a critical offseason, but it will struggle to do so unless the offense shows more signs of life.

*The* Key To The Game: Eclipse 14 points. Since the calendar turned to October, the Boilermakers haven’t scored more than 14 points in a game. While I don’t know that scoring more than 14 will guarantee a win, I feel comfortable saying that failing to will result in a loss.

Your Pick To Click (offense): Devin Mockobee burst onto the scene last season with his long run to help seal Purdue’s upset win in Minneapolis. This year hasn’t gone how he hoped, but he’ll break off another big one on Saturday.

Your Pick To Click (defense): It feels slightly crazy to go with anyone besides Purdue’s dynamic duo of edge rushers at this point. In a season without many positives, Kydran Jenkins and Nic Scourton have been excellent for Purdue.

Spiciest Take: Ryan Walters mentions NIL in the postgame press conference.

Predicted Score: Minnesota 24, Purdue 17

BRIAN NEUBERT, RUTGERS’ MICHIGAN SCOUTING REPORT

Overall Thought: What’s even left to say at this point? But winning two or three games the rest of the way here still can be important in the big picture. This one is winnable.

*The* Key To The Game: Take pressure off a broken offensive line. There ought to be more moving pockets, misdirections, pressure releases in this offense, because the offensive line is in absolute tatters.

Your Pick To Click (offense): Hudson Card. Tough for this young man to thrive with opposing defenses refusing to count all the way to 3 Mississippi before piling on him, but maybe this is the rallying-point game. I still think he’s far better than he’s been able to show this season. I do think his lack of faith in the apparatus around him has broken the offense.

Your Pick To Click (defense): Yanni Karlaftis. Why? Why not? Big opportunity for him to flip the script on George and upstage him.

Spiciest Take: If Minnesota wins, the Ross-Ade Stadium crowd is shocked when Ryan Walters confronts PJ Fleck during the post-game handshake, pulls off his face Scooby Doo-style and discovers it’s actually Connor Stallions, who would have gotten away with it, too, if not for those meddling kids.

Predicted Score: Purdue 23, Minnesota 17