Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers vs. Purdue Boilermakers
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Written by: TJ Inman
What: #10 Indiana Hoosiers (10-1) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (1-10)
When: Saturday, November 30 at 7:00
Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FS1 and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.
Series History
The Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers began playing football against each other in 1891. The two began to regularly play in the 1920s and they have gone head-to-head nearly every season since. Purdue leads the all-time matchups 77 to 42 with six ties and the Boilers are riding a current three-game winning streak. IU has not had the Old Oaken Bucket since beating Purdue 44-41 in 2019. This is the first matchup between Curt Cignetti and Ryan Walters.
What’s at Stake
First and foremost, the Old Oaken Bucket is on the line and beating Purdue is always a top priority for the Indiana Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti made it clear early in his tenure that seizing control of the state was important and this is his first opportunity as the head coach at IU to beat the Boilermakers. Beyond the rivalry, the Hoosiers enter the contest at 10-1 and ranked tenth (11 seed) in the College Football Playoff rankings. IU needs to beat Purdue in dominant fashion and then potentially get a bit of help elsewhere. A win over Purdue gives Indiana a real chance to make the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, a truly remarkable achievement. In addition, this is a chance for IU to reach a new school record 11 wins a season and finish the campaign unbeaten at Memorial Stadium. Purdue has nothing to gain but the Bucket and the chance to spoil Indiana’s playoff bid. There are rumors that this could be Ryan Walters’ last game as the coach in West Lafayette.
A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Protecting the Quarterback
Protecting Kurtis Rourke was a point of emphasis each of the past two weeks and the Hoosiers have struggled mightily on the offensive line since losing guard Drew Evans to injury. Michigan and Ohio State were both able to get pressure up the middle by blitzing and it is a certainty Purdue will try and replicate the success those two had in foiling Indiana’s attack. It is fair to say the Hoosiers have not been good on the offensive side of the ball in the past two games but it is also fair to say that Purdue does not have the same caliber of defense or athlete the Buckeyes and Wolverines do. This is a chance for IU’s attack to get back in rhythm and have a strong performance. Purdue has allowed at least 24 points in every Big Ten game and more than 40 in five of eight contests.
2. Limiting Max Klare and Getting to Card
Indiana’s defensive front should be able to get after Purdue quarterback Hudson Card. The Boilermakers are giving up a sack on 9.3 percent of drop-backs, that is 117th in the nation and only narrowly ahead of Michigan State for 17th in the Big Ten. Mikail Kamara, Lanell Carr and crew should wreak havoc on Purdue’s attack with pressure. That will be one way to limit the effectiveness of Purdue tight end Max Klare. The sophomore has double the amount of receptions as anyone else on Purdue’s roster with 46 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns. His usage is similar to Michigan’s Colston Loveland and IU’s defense was effective against the Wolverines’ star tight end, something they’ll need to continue this week. If IU can pressure Card, force some negative plays and limit the damage Klare can do, Purdue will have a hard time driving the field consistently.
3. Special Teams
Every IU fan knows exactly why special teams is being pointed out this week. The Hoosiers were likely headed to a 7-7 tie at halftime in Columbus before punter James Evans dropped a perfect snap and gave Ohio State the ball inside of IU’s ten-yard line. The Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead and completely changed the tenor of the contest. Indiana had to punt the ball at the beginning of the second half and Caleb Downs returned the punt 79 yards for a touchdown. 21-7, game over. The Indiana Hoosiers cannot let one bad special teams turn into a trend and mistakes like allowing a punt return touchdown or dropping a snap are the exact kind of thing the Purdue Boilermakers will need to stick around and make this battle for the Old Oaken Bucket game much more interesting than IU fans are hoping for.