Expect more from the Purdue defense this year

Oh, What a night under the lights! 5 takeaways

This game was Fame Ijeboi's world, we all just lived in it.

• 31 carries, 195 yards rushing, and 3 touchdowns. Holy Crap! He set the tone of this night
• The Golden Gophers had no answers for Fame Ijeboi and no chance to stop him. All night long he was outrunning the opposing defense with his incredible speed and proved to be a pain in the butt to bring down at the line of scrimmage thanks to his great strength. He was putting on some impressive spin moves as well.
• Wouldn't be a surprise if Fame had extra motivation tonight playing against his former team. Why he left Minnesota or why they didn't bring him back is a mystery. Right now, He belongs in the old Gold and Black. Tonight he carried the torch for the offense and torched The Golden Gophers. Shoot he hammered them down!

When the lights were at their brightest, so too was The Boilermakers Defense.

• Best Performance so this season by this improving defense. They held the Golden Gophers offense to 10 first downs, 27 yards rushing, and just 13 points.
• The Boilermaker defense and in particular the secondary was very hungry tonight. The corners were aggressively hunting for turnovers. They eventually came up with a big one to close out the first half. This turnover led to The Boilermakers keeping control of the game.
• The Defense wasn't perfect tonight but like the offense, they have found momentum and are building on this momentum. Kevin Kane deserves a lot of credit for his work in helping the defense find it's mojo. And it's good to see him active on the sidelines with energy and passion. Right this defense is playing good, focused football and fun to watch.

Ryan Browne deserves credit for being a big reason why Purdue has won 2 in a row.

• 14 of 24 passes complete with 159 yards and a touchdown.
• Ryan Browne did plenty of damage through the air. Like Ijeboi, he made his biggest impact on the game when he used his legs in my opinion. His rushing touchdown was huge for the Boilermakers.
• Ryan Browne's competitive spirit is very infectious, and it's spread to both the offense and defense. One can also make the case that he has taken on a leadership role for the team.

Other observations

• I've had my concerns about Barry Odom being the right guy for Purdue football. Right now I'm wrong about him. He's more than proving me wrong. Both the Offense and Defense have found momentum to build off of or perhaps something more significant. And Coach Odom deserves a lot of credit for helping this team find whatever it is they have rallied around. I'm rooting for Coach Odom.
• Purdue's wide receivers and tight end Geroge Burhenn continue to help Ryan Browne, the offense, and the team as a whole by making key catches just as they did tonight.
• The offensive line held their ground to perfection tonight giving up 0 sacks and opening holes for Fame to run free.
• Both the Offense and The Defense started the game fast, took control and dominated the contest, and never looked back even when both sides fell asleep for one series.

Conclusion

• First Big ten win at home since 2023, Back to Back Big Ten wins for the first time since 2022, and by score their largest Big Ten win at home since defeating Indiana 44-7 in 2021. Believe it or not, Purdue football has more wins this season then they did last season. What a beautiful night in West Lafayette.
• As stated before, this team has found something in it's last two games that they seem to have rallied around. I'm not 100% certain what they have found, but right now The Offense and Defense are playing for each other, playing their best football, and The Coaching Staff has turned the flicker into a flame. It is awesome to see. There much more this team can accomplish this season if they keep this up.
• Boilermaker nation, let's continue to enjoy these moments and I hope the fans will continue to pack Ross Ade. Right now, the vibe is good in West Lafayette, and these last two wins are an indication there is hope for Purdue football. Believe and hope! Keep up the good work Purdue football. Keep practicing hard and working hard. Next up, The Washington Huskies come to Ross Ade to play The Boilermakers. Play hard, tough, and smart for the full 60!

BOILER UP HAMMER DOWN!

Player of the Game - Fame Ijeboi

Quite a quote from Matt Painter

A few important questions for the Boilers this week.

First time no Boilers were picked in 12 years

Kevin Kane’s defense showed up in a big way for Purdue on Saturday.

A little bit about me. I’m 22, diehard Purdue fan and I am traveling up from Tennessee for the game. I’m looking for a fellow Purdue fan to go with. Right now I plan on attending by myself but it would be a lot of fun to have someone to go with.

I’ll cover your ticket and buy you lunch/dinner while we’re there. I don’t really have a preference on age, just looking for someone who enjoys college football and would be down to have a good time at the game and see PJ Fleck and all his antics.

If you’re interested, feel free to DM me and we can chat/exchange numbers a bit beforehand!

At long last VICTORY! 5 takeaways

The Boilermaker Defense held their own and helped the team earn a huge win.

• Bend but don't break. while the defense did allow over 300 yards of offense, they fought hard all game, stood their ground, and held the Illinois offense to just 17 points
• The Boilermakers defense got themselves off the field plenty of times, stopped the Illini offense on a crucial 4th down, and finally generated an interception on the season. That interception decided the outcome of the game in Purdue's favor.
• While the defense wasn't perfect (tackling is still a concern), they were playing focused football when Purdue needed them most and they deserve a ton of credit for playing a huge part in a much-needed and long awaited Big Ten win for the Boilermakers. Great job Boilermakers defense. Best they have looked so far this season. Kevin Kane deserves some credit too.

Offense controlled the tone of the game and made key plays when the team needed them most.

• The Boilermakers did most of their damage on offense in the air. Wideouts Assad Waseem, Chauncey Magwood, and Tar'mar Harris scorched The Illini Defense. Ground game had some good moments but the Illini kept Purdue's running attack in check.
• The offense did a terrific job going on very long time consuming drives. most of these drives ended with points. When a football team is able to work a lot of clock and score on these long drives, they for lack of better words control their destiny in the contest and their chances for victory increase.
• Red zone offense and playcalling still worry me. Going forward the Boilermakers need to score more touchdowns than field goals. It would help if playcalling didn't look so spooked on 1st and second down near the goal. In spite of this, both sides of the ball wanted to win today so it all worked out.

Ryan Browne continues to play with confidence and determination.

• 18 of 27 for 255 yards and a touchdown. He did a great job taking care of the football and making quick decisions.
• He continues to throw the football with purpose and fire in his heart. His wide receivers helped him a lot today. Man his deep ball throws in this game were amazing to watch.
• His throws in the redzone need work. He either tends to overthrow or underthrow his receivers in the redzone. In fairness, redzone playcalling needs to help him more. Good news for Purdue football is Ryan Browne is going to continue to ball out and improve. He's a huge reason why The Boilermakers finally won a conference game in 2026
  

Other observations

• Seeing Coach Barry talking to the refs and getting heated with them was good to see. The Boilermakers have been waiting for him to stand up and fight for them. Odom all in all coached one of his best games as a Boilermaker and this win will mean a lot for him in the days to come.
• Special teams deserve props and huge shoutout to Jacobo Echeverria Lozano who made all 3 of his field goal attempts. Those points made just about all the difference in the game.
• John Slaughter remember the name. He's the one who grabbed the game winning interception

Conclusion

• The victory Purdue football and it's fans have all been waiting for. First Power 4 and Big Ten win since beating Indiana in 2023. And for the first time since 2023 The Cannon is back in West Lafayette. (Always feels good to knock our rivals in The Illinois Fighting Illini down a peg) It feels wonderful and it means a lot for this program. Now it's up to Barry Odom and his team to build off of this much needed win.
• And of course, it's Barry Odom's first Big 10 win as coach of The Boilermakers. I've been skeptical of him lately and I wondered if he's the one to turn things around for Purdue football. He's still got time to prove me wrong. Huge victory for him and his football team and he deserves to enjoy this one as do all the Boilermakers.
• Purdue Football has been in dark times since 2024. A win like this proves that while things may be dark now, there is hope for Boilermakers football for the first time in what feels like ages. I don't know how many more wins Purdue will earn this season, but winning a rivalry game like this one means that the team has taken steps forward towards a better tomorrow. Right now, there is hope for Purdue football and there will be more opportunities to win more football games as long as this team plays for each other as they did today. It feels great to post takeaways after a program defining win. It's been too long. Next up, The Boilermakers take on a red hot Minnesota Golden Gophers football team at Ross Ade!

BOILER UP HAMMER DOWN! Enjoy this one Boilermaker Nation!

Player of The Game - The Entire Team

defense has been great

edit: I mean temporarily until we give up 40+ points again in a game we should have won

Huge news regarding Purdue basketball today!

Omer Mayer has a lot of praise for Antoine West Jr.

Where there is one victim, there is many…you never know who he may be assaulting, but his wife who works with at-risk youth knows and it seems she has excused his patterns.

In my experience, I did confront my rapist, retired NFL player, and his wife after he deemed it appropriate to shout my name in the middle of the grocery store. So I waited outside and politely told her, she stood there blankly staring at me…but I don’t think she was in disbelief…it was almost like you could see everything clicking in her head as she was connecting the dots in the moment, and thinking not again…He’s a serial rapist there are still articles that exist even though his arrest record does not publicly…I now personally know of 6 other women he has raped…

My point is I am no longer willing to not live in my truth and protect a rapist and hide his vile actions from others in our community that deserve to know so that they can properly protect themselves. He currently lives in Fishers and earlier this year raised money via a gofundme for his heart surgery after IndyStar did a lengthy article on him and his journey.

Meanwhile I’m nearly 10 years post my brutal rape and fighting every day to be alive and deal with the severe mental health issues that come with complex PTSD.

Great news on the recruiting front for #Purdue

Some ugly numbers here

If Purdue moves on from Odom, two offensive-minded names with Purdue ties I’d want to see considered: JaMarcus Shephard and David Blough.

Obviously, the dream would be someone with offensive creativity like Buster Faulkner. But these two are more interesting to me as candidates with a connection to the program.

JaMarcus Shephard coached Purdue’s receivers and served as co-offensive coordinator under Brohm. He was part of the 2021 team that averaged more than 355 passing yards per game, then built his resume at Washington and Alabama with Deboer. He’s now in his first season as Oregon State’s head coach and his offense is putting up crazy numbers. He knows what an exciting Purdue offense looks like, has recruited and developed high-level receivers (Rondale Moore & David Bell were recruited by him), and is already getting experience running a program. Plus he grew up in Indiana.

David Blough is maybe high upside swing. He was a Purdue quarterback, spent time in the NFL, and is now the Commanders’ offensive coordinator working with Jayden Daniels. I’d love to see Purdue bet on a young coach who understands quarterback play and could give the program an identity again. The obvious concern is experience: he’s only recently become a coordinator and has never run a college program. You’d need confidence in the staff he’d build and his ability to recruit.

Shephard feels like the stronger head-coaching resume today; Blough feels like the chance to find someone before he becomes a much bigger name.

If (and hopefully when) Purdue has an opening, who would you want to be called?

A positive update on Kenna Wollard.

Uninspiring loss. 5 Quick Takeaways

1. The Story of Purdue football in 2026 continues to be The Boilermakers defense and for all the wrong reasons. Can't stop the run, can't stop the pass, can't stop anything. Fire Kevin Kane
2. The Fighting Irish Defense proved to be a huge mismatch all around for The Boilermaker offense. Ryan Browne threw 0 touchdowns, Fame Ijeboi was held to 41 yards rushing, and Tramar Harris was Purdue's leading receiver with just 36 yards. The offense didn't score a touchdown until very late into garbage time.
3. Last year at Notre Dame, despite losing by 26 points, Barry Odom's Boilermakers had shown some growth, fire, passion, and competitiveness putting up 30 on The Fighting Irish in their house. This time around, none of this was evident and that falls on Barry Odom. I didn't expect Purdue to win, but not building on last year's effort is frustrating to say the least.
4. Positives are a hard thing to come by in this game. I guess at least the backup qb led a touchdown drive to end a tough day the best way possible.
5. Purdue Football is living in the darkest years in program history and so too are the fans. Onto Illinois and the Battle for The Cannon.