The Purdue Boilermakers are not having the best of seasons and that could be an understatement. They are 1-5 with their only win coming in Week 1 when Purdue defeated Indiana State 49-0.
Nothing has gone right since.
The defense is a mess, but the offense isn’t exactly running on full thrusters. Purdue is averaging just a little over 23 points a game and quarterback Hudson Card was throwing an interception at least once per game.
The writing was on the wall even before Card went out with a concussion. The former Texas Longhorn wasn’t cutting it and even though the coaching staff was forced to go with backup Ryan Browne for last week’s Illinois game, he might have still received his chance to shine whether or not Card was in the concussion protocol.
Browne was pretty good in that Illinois game last week albeit in a losing effort 50-49 in overtime. He was 18-of-26 passing for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Browne also ran for 112 yards on the ground, showing he can be dangerous with his arm and his legs.
“He had a really good week of practice,” Purdue coach Ryan Walters said of his new quarterback. You always appreciate his energy and enthusiasm. He has spent a lot of time in preparation this past week.”
Oregon coach Dan Lanning addressed the unique problem Browne presents to opposing defenses.
“Well, they certainly added some new wrinkles this past game. I know Coach (Ryan) Walters is a phenomenal coach and does a really good job, but what they’ve been able to do and how they were able to utilize Ryan Browne in the run game created a lot of different issues,” he said.
“And when there’s a coaching change, you’re trying to evaluate, okay, who you’re going to see, what’s going to carry over from the previous offense, what’s different and new now. So that’s part of our job to kind of figure that out, but they certainly present some new challenges, and will make it tough for us on Friday.”
When Browne hands the ball off, it’s usually to tailback Devin Mookobee. The junior all-conference honorable mention from a year ago leads the Boilermakers with 464 yards (77.4 ypg) and two touchdowns.
Purdue might be one of the few teams where the tight end is the leading receiver, but Max Klare is doing just that. He has 22 receptions on the season for 352 yards (58.9 ypg).
If they can contain Browne in the pocket, the Ducks might have success in bringing him down. Purdue has allowed 15 sacks this year.
Either way, Purdue’s offense resembles Michigan State with the quarterback being able to make plays with his legs. The Spartans had a tough time sustaining drives and if things don’t improve dramatically for the Boilermakers, they’ll have the same tough time as well.
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