Few teams are undergoing as drastic of a facelift as the Purdue Boilermakers.
It was a largely successful season for the Boilermakers in 2022, going 8-4 and making their first appearance in the Big Ten Championship game. Sure, they got smacked in that game by Michigan—and again by LSU 63-7 in the Citrus Bowl—but that doesn’t take away from the success they experienced.
Unfortunately, success can come at a price. Purdue lost their head coach Jeff Brohm ahead of that Citrus Bowl game to take over for his alma mater Louisville. In comes former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters for his first head coaching job.
It will be a challenge to get back to the top of the West division for Walters and his staff with the Boilermakers experiencing a ton of turnover in key positions on offense. Some dependable performers are now going to the next level and Walters and Co. will look to produce new stars in their stead.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes look to welcome Walters to the head coaching world with another big victory over Purdue. The Boilermakers have won four of the last six over the Hawkeyes but were brought to a halt by the dominant Iowa defense last year. Iowa won that game 24-3.
Walters and the fantastic Illinois defense was a big thorn in the Hawkeyes’ side when those two teams met last year. Iowa was held out of the end zone—something that isn’t as shocking as it sounds—in a 9-6 loss to the Illini.
Facing a coach who beat them and a team who beat them out for the division, revenge will be on the Hawkeyes’ mind when they welcome Purdue to Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 7. Here’s everything you need to know about the Boilermakers ahead of this year.