Bucket Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers
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Written by T.J. Inman
Bucket Game Primer – Purdue
What: Indiana (7-4) at Purdue (4-7)
Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN
When: Saturday, November 30 at Noon
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. You can also listen to the game on the IU Radio Network with the legendary Don Fischer on the call.
Series History: Indiana and Purdue have clashed 121 times on the gridiron with the Boilermakers having the upper-hand in the rivalry. Purdue has won 74 times over the Hoosiers while IU has 41 wins. There are six ties in the series. Indiana won four straight from 2013 to 2016 but Purdue has bounced back with two straight wins under Jeff Brohm.
What’s at Stake: IU is attempting to get to 8-4 on the season and have a chance at winning nine games if they can get a bowl game victory. Beyond that, I don’t think I need to spell out the stakes much, do I? This is IU versus Purdue. They play for the Old Oaken Bucket and the rivalry between the fans is very, very real. These two programs both feel like they are going in the right direction under their current leadership (although Purdue has stepped back this season) but beating the in-state rival is extremely important.
What to Watch For
1. Dealing With the Elements
You never know what you are going to get in late November but it appears rain is likely for Saturday’s contest. Dealing with the rain will be important in multiple ways. Perhaps most importantly will be taking care of the ball. Purdue has lost six fumbles this season and their quarterbacks have thrown 14 interceptions. IU has done a better job of taking care of the ball but the defense has not been effective enough at forcing takeaways. The team that does a better job of protecting possession will have a big leg up. The weather could also teams to rely on the ground game a bit more. IU has rushed for 3.72 yards per carry and surrendered 3.8 yards per rush. Purdue has struggled much more in that phase of the game. While they’ve been slightly better recently, they only have averaged 2.65 yards per carry. They are giving up 4.86 yards per carry. IU’s starting running back Stevie Scott is questionable for this contest and if he is not 100%, it will be a huge blow to the Hoosiers offense.
2. Slowing Down the Weapons
Indiana’s secondary had a very bad against the Michigan Wolverines last Saturday. While Purdue does not have the depth of offensive skill the Wolverines brought, they do have a couple of very good options in David Bell and Brycen Hopkins. Bell, a freshman from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, had 77 catches for 899 yards and six touchdowns. Senior tight end Brycen Hopkins is one of the best in the country at his position. He’s averaging 12.98 yards per catch and had 53 receptions. I would expect freshman corner Tiawan Mullen to try and slow down Bell most of the snaps but the best way to limit their huge plays is probably to bring pressure and harass Aidan O’Connell. Indiana has weapons of its own that Purdue’s poor secondary will have to try and stop. The Hoosiers are expecting to have star wideout Whop Philyor back in action after he missed most of the Penn State game (due to a clear helmet to helmet hit that was not called targeting) and he will bring a huge boost to the passing attack. Philyor averages 14.15 yards per reception. Ty Fryfogle left the Michigan game a couple of times and it is unclear how effective he’ll be against Purdue but he joins a supporting cast that includes tight end Peyton Hendershot, senior wideouts Nick Westbrook and Donavan Hale and emerging freshman David Ellis. Which secondary can find a way to slow down the opposing skill players?
3. Third Down
IU’s third down defense had been pretty good all season but things have not gone well on that front in the past two weeks. They surrendered multiple key third down conversions to both Penn State and Michigan. Those plays had a key role in the outcome, particularly in State College. Purdue has only converted 40% of their third downs this season but it will be very important for IU’s defense to get the Boilermaker offense off the field when they have; the chance.
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