Bucket Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers

Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (2-9) at Purdue Boilermakers (7-4)

When: Saturday, November 27 at 3:30 on FS1

Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FS1 and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Series History: Purdue and Indiana have played annually since 1891 with Purdue winning 74 meetings in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Hoosiers have 42 victories and there have been six ties. The two did not play last season due to a COVID-19 outbreak so IU won the last meeting in 2019. Purdue took the two before that with IU winning four straight from 2013 to 2016. Purdue’s biggest win in this series is 68-0 way back in 1892. Keep that in mind on Saturday, it could always be worse!

What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers will not be going to be a bowl game. In fact, dropping this game would seal up a winless Big Ten season and cap off one of the most disappointing campaigns in program history. For the last month, the only thing that could salvage even a portion of this season is beating Purdue to keep the Old Oaken Bucket. Pride and the Bucket are all that is at stake for IU. The Boilermakers are looking to get to 8-4 and take back the bragging rights in this rivalry after recent dominance by the boys from Bloomington. A victory would likely secure a very nice bowl destination and end a really good bounce-back year for Jeff Brohm’s Boilers.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    Do the Hoosiers Have Any Fight Left?

This season has been as rotten as any that IU football fans can remember (and there are a whole lot of choices for that distinction). Expectations have not been met by each and every position group and it’s hard to find any positives. IU has been incredibly uncompetitive in nearly every Big Ten game and the past two weeks, against a bad Rutgers team and a mediocre Minnesota squad, have shown a beaten-down and demoralized Indiana team on the field. As difficult and disappointing as this campaign has been on IU fans, it has certainly been worse for the players and coaches. Will the Indiana Hoosiers be able to find anything to trouble Purdue on Saturday?

2.    Searching for Offensive Positives

The Indiana Hoosiers are a dreadful offensive team. The numbers do not lie and IU has one of the worst attacks in the country. Donaven McCulley’s running in the first quarter last week was the lone bright spot on that side of the ball. Indiana is averaging only 18.2 points per game and they have only reached double-digits in two Big Ten games, a truly mind-boggling stat. They sit at just 4.33 yards per play, a number that has gotten worse as the year has gone on. The coaching staff clearly does not trust McCulley to throw the ball yet and walk-on Grant Gremel will likely see playing time on Saturday as a way to attempt to find a passing game. IU is going up against a Purdue defense that has significantly improved this season. The Boilermakers are only giving up 21.7 points per game.

3.    Slowing Down an Aerial Assault

Outside of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, perhaps no quarterback in the Big Ten has been better in the past month than Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell. After splitting snaps earlier in the season with Jack Plummer and Austin Burton even seeing some time, O’Connell has taken the quarterback job for his own and excelled. He has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and is completing a remarkable 72.7 percent of his passes. The Boilermakers can’t run the ball at all but their passing game is going to cause a big problem for IU’s beleaguered secondary. David Bell is one of the best wideouts in the country and Milton Wright and Jackson Anthrop have stepped up as excellent secondary options. The Hoosiers will need Purdue’s offense to make a lot of mistakes in order to stay within shouting distance.

4.    Likely Last Game for Several Standouts

The Purdue Boilermakers are probably seeing the last game from a pair of fantastic players: David Bell and George Karlaftis. Those two might play the bowl game but they will undoubtedly be heading to the NFL Draft and both should be picked very early. Indiana fans are probably seeing the last game for Micah McFadden and Peyton Hendershot. Those are players that should be appreciated by fans for the on-field excellence they’ve provided and the effort they’ve always given.