First and 10: Purdue at Michigan State

As we start the week, 10 items of interest as the Boilermakers travel to Michigan State (8 p.m. ET, Fox) on Friday:

• The Big Ten and its media rights holders might want to rethink these Friday games or put a flex clause into the agreement. The 1-9 Boilermakers, who are on a nine-game losing streak, and the Spartans, with their 4-6 record, are set to square off. Can’t imagine the TV ratings are going to skyrocket. Maybe the conference will keep Purdue away from Friday games next season.

• From an outsider’s view, Devin Mockobee needs more carries. He’s one of the faces of the program but isn’t treated as such. Yes, he needs breaks, and running backs take a ton of physical contact, but Mockobee improved his strength and offseason conditioning for this role. Keeping Mockobee fresh is essential, but it hasn’t mattered this season since the running game is abandoned by halftime because the offense can’t score. (This is when we remind you Purdue has 10 points in the first quarter all season). In these last two games, Mockobee should be the centerpiece of whatever the Boilermakers try to do on offense.

• How far down the rankings would the passing game be without tight end Max Klare? He’s caught 25% of the passes and accumulated 31.2% of the yardage. He ranks third among Big Ten tight ends – behind Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who was a one-man wrecking ball against Purdue on Saturday, and Michigan’s Colston Loveland in receiving yards per game. Klare is unlikely to earn conference recognition due to the team’s struggles on offense and the possible 1-11 record. Too bad since Klare’s had a solid season, despite the change in play-callers and lack of consistent production from the quarterback position.

MORE: First Look: Michigan State | Three thoughts from the weekend | Data Driven: Purdue’s loss to Penn State

• Another Big Ten offensive coordinator is out of a job. Wisconsin’s Phil Longo was fired Sunday after losing to No. 1 Oregon. Longo and former Purdue offensive coordinator Graham Harrell used versions of the air raid system. Nebraska also made a change last week, bringing in former Houston coach Dana Holgorsen, a disciple of Mike Leach and the well-known offensive scheme. Holgorsen replaced Marcus Satterfield, who had been in that role since Matt Rhule was hired. Back to the Badgers. The offense has fallen off in the last three games, scoring 36 points and generating fewer than 300 total yards against Penn State, Iowa, and the Ducks. Three teams with good defenses, but the standard is the standard in Madison. The 52 points Wisconsin scored against the Boilermakers seems like years ago.

• The last time Purdue kept an opponent from scoring in the red zone? Try Sept. 28 against Nebraska at Ross-Ade Stadium. Over the last six games, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Penn State have made 27 trips and scored 27 times, including 22 touchdowns. At least Purdue isn’t Louisiana, which has watched opponents convert 29 of 29 in the red zone this season.

• Opposing team quarterbacks continue to operate at a high-efficiency level.  Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Northwestern’s Jack Lausch, Ohio State’s Will Howard, and Penn State’s Drew Allar completed 78% of their passes (82 of 105) for 1,047 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. Only Lausch played the whole game against Purdue.

• Ben Freehill won the kicking competition in practice and had the first opportunity to put the Boilermakers on the scoreboard against the Nittany Lions. He connected on a 22-yard field goal but missed from 49 yards to end the first half. Ryan Walters might want to keep the competition going to keep everyone focused.

• Are the Boilermakers starting another “takeaway drought?” It’s been two straight games since the defense forced a turnover. The last takeaway came against Northwestern. Purdue didn’t force a turnover in the first four games but lost six during the same stretch. Friday’s opponent – Michigan State – hasn’t collected a takeaway since Oct. 19 against Iowa. The Spartans have lost seven fumbles and thrown 11 interceptions.

• Maybe the Boilermakers can generate pressure against Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles. The Spartans have allowed the most sacks among Big Ten teams, but Purdue hasn’t enjoyed much success in this area. The defense has two sacks in the last three games. Will Heldt and Kydran Jenkins have combined for 10.5 of the 18 sacks.

• The average attendance for the six home games – 59,886. It’s the highest mark since 2005, when Ross-Ade Stadium welcomed an average of 62,996. How many will return in 2025?