2018 Big Ten Football Preview: Purdue Boilermakers

Ethan Clewell
Thu, 27 Sep 2018 05:53:58 +0000
Big Ten, Football, Sports, big ten championship, Big Ten conference, big ten east, Big Ten preview, Big Ten West, boilermakers, boston college, David Blough, Jeff Brohm, ohio state, osu, purdue, quarterback, Rondale Moore, West Lafayette, West Lafayette Indiana

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana

2017 record: 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten)

Head coach: Jeff Brohm

2018 record: 1-3 (0-1 Big Ten)

All-time record vs. OSU: 14-39-2https://youtu.be/Rp8kCS1nDt8

What has happened thus far in 2018:

Purdue has been better than its 1-3 record might suggest. With two losses that ended with last-second field goals, the Boilermakers’ three losses have been by a combined eight points. In losses to Northwestern and Missouri, Purdue came back from double-digit deficits in the first half to fall short in the waning moments of each game. Purdue recorded its first win of the season against then-No. 23 Boston College, beating the Eagles by 17 on Saturday. In that win, Purdue’s defense had four interceptions and held the Eagles to a 25 percent success rate on third down. On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt senior David Blough threw three touchdowns with 296 passing yards.

Impact Player:

Wide receiver Rondale Moore has exploded onto the scene as one of the nation’s standout freshmen for the Boilermakers. This season, he leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (372) and in receptions (33). He can be dangerous in the ground game as well, recording a 76-yard touchdown run against Northwestern in the season opener.

Strengths:

Certain teams have an identity when it comes to their strengths in football. For Purdue, it’s the play of the quarterback. Blough is ranked second in the Big Ten in passer rating (164.2), and passing yards (990). He is currently tied for first in the Big Ten among qualifiers with just one interception. Purdue has the No. 2 pass offense in the Big Ten, averaging 318.3 passing yards per game, while completing 68 percent of passes thrown.

Weaknesses:

In one word, inconsistency. Purdue can be explosive offensively and defensively stout. Nonetheless the Boilermakers have gotten off to slow starts, and haven’t been able to finish close games. In two of its three losses, Purdue has not been able to strike first. In the loss against Northwestern, all of the points Purdue gave up were in the first half. In each of its losses, Purdue has had the chance to win and failed to capitalize on it.