Texas A&M is currently hosting star transfer tight end Max Klare after the former Purdue starter visited Texas
Texas A&M’s transfer portal success will hinge on adding playmakers at wide receiver and tight end, two areas that regressed during head coach Mike Elko’s first season despite adding several additions at both positions last offseason.
With OC Collin Klein slated to return for a second season with the program, his scheme depends on tight ends who can split outside or inline-block, which he thought he was getting from former Fresno State TE Tre Watson this season.
While Watson had his moments, they weren’t enough. Right after the regular season ended, the transfer portal presented several intriguing options, led by former Purdue tight end Max Klare.
During his sophomore season with the Boilermakers, Klare shot on the scene as the program’s best-receiving option, leading the team with 51 receptions, 685 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.
After visiting Texas this week, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz has confirmed that Klare made his way to College Station and is visiting the Aggies this weekend, as Elko is looking to land his third commitment from the portal after missing out on cornerback Jaylon Braxton, who committed to Ole Miss.
Klare would be an immediate upgrade for A&M’s passing game and provide QB Marcel Reed a dependable option on third down.
Former Purdue star tight end Max Klare, who visited Texas earlier this week, is visiting Texas A&M this weekend, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
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Ohio State football makes move for star transfer safety #GoBucks
Ohio State football is in the College Football Playoff, but with the transfer portal officially open, the coaching staff will be working double duty. The Buckeyes killed it in regard to the transfer portal last offseason and it looks like they are trying to dominate that cycle again.
Star safety, Dillon Thieneman, has entered the transfer portal after having another outstanding season for the Purdue Boilermakers as just a sophomore. A former three-star recruit from the state of Indiana, he has been an absolute star since arriving on campus.
During his two seasons in West Lafayette, Thieneman has accounted for 210 tackles and six interceptions. His entrance into the portal makes sense considering that Purdue as moved on from head coach, Ryan Walters. Although he is setting up a visit to Columbus, OSU will be competing with a number of schools for his services including Big Ten foe, the Oregon Ducks as well as the SEC’s LSU Tigers.
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The Boilermakers have a little history of upsetting a ranked opponent as the unranked home team.
Purdue football isn’t exactly known as a powerhouse program that opponents always fear playing. The Boilermakers’ last Big Ten championship was in 2000, and since the beginning of the 2023 season, they’re 5-13 and have won just one game in 2024 — their season opener against Indiana State.
Still, Purdue, and the Ross-Ade Stadium crowd, has a little history of pulling off stunning and wildly unexpected upsets in West Lafayette against ranked teams during an otherwise unremarkable regular season.
Most recently, the Boilermakers’ biggest wins against ranked teams have been on the road. During the 2022 season, they topped Minnesota and Illinois — both ranked No. 21 for each game — as the away team. But their occasional upsets as the home team are far more interesting, including an impressive 2018 run when they upset three ranked teams at home.
In Week 8 of the 2024 season, they host No. 2 Oregon, which is coming off a thrilling win over then-No. 2 Ohio State and had to travel two time zones for Friday night’s game at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Boilermakers are massive 29.5-point underdogs against the Ducks, per BetMGM, and they’ll likely lose. But the circumstances around this game could also perfectly lay the groundwork for another chaotic upset.
So ahead of Purdue’s game against No. 2 Oregon on Friday, here’s a look at every time the unranked Boilermakers upset an AP Poll-ranked opponent at home in the last 20 years.
Purdue 40, No. 5 Michigan State 29 | November 6, 2021
Nov 6, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell (16) drops back to pass the ball in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Boilermakers were tied with the Spartans, 21-21, early in the third quarter, but with the help of a touchdown and four second-half field goals, they were able to pull away and deliver Michigan State its first loss of the season. This was the second time that season Purdue beat a top-5 team; it upset No. 2 Iowa, 24-7, but that game was at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
Purdue 30, No. 23 Boston College 13 | September 22, 2018
Purdue center Kirk Barron celebrates after the Boilermakers defeated Boston College 30-13 Saturday, September 22, 2018, in Ross-Ade Stadium. (John Terhune/Journal & Courier)
A 16-point second quarter gave the Boilermakers a comfortable lead against the Eagles, whose only second-half score was a garbage-time touchdown run with 18 seconds left in the game.
Purdue 49, No. 2 Ohio State 20 | October 20, 2018
Purdue’s D.J. Knox runs for a touchdown as Purdue upsets Ohio State in West Lafayette on Saturday October 20, 2018. (Frank Oliver for the Journal & Courier)
On a mission to knock off the Buckeyes, Purdue powered to a 28-6 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. And while scoring on both sides picked up big time, the Boilermakers put up four fourth-quarter touchdowns to Ohio State’s two.
Purdue 38, No. 19 Iowa 36 | November 3, 2018
Terry Wright of Purdue with a touchdown reception at 2:26 in the third quarter against Iowa Saturday, November 3, 2018, at Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue defeated Iowa 38-36. (John Terhune/Journal & Courier)
The Boilermakers had a 21-17 lead at halftime, but clearly the Hawkeyes were putting up a fight. Purdue trailed only once — in the middle of the fourth quarter Iowa scored a touchdown with a failed two-point conversion to take a 36-35 lead. But the Boilermakers kicked a field goal with eight seconds left to win.
Purdue 21, No. 23 Illinois 14 | October 22, 2011
Oct 22, 2011; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Jason Ford (21) carries the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sandra Dukes-USA TODAY Sports
Not scoring once in the second half usually isn’t a recipe for an upset victory, but Purdue pulled it off here. The Boilermakers jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half and that was enough for a win.
Purdue 26, No. 7 Ohio State 18 | October 17, 2009
Sandra Dukes/USA TODAY Sports
The Boilermakers had a 23-7 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter in this one, and Ohio State tried to fight back but came up short.
Wisconsin offense reaches yardage significant milestone for first time since 2010
The Wisconsin Badgers have appeared nearly unbeatable in their past two games.
In their dominant 42-7 win over Rutgers on Saturday, UW topped 500 for the second consecutive Big Ten game for the first time since 2010. To put that into context, Bret Bielema served as head coach, Paul Chryst manned the sidelines as offensive coordinator and James White, Montee Ball and J.J. Watt wreaked havoc on the offensive and defensive ends of the gridiron.
UW notched 549 total yards against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday afternoon, a week after its 589-yard performance in the 52-6 win over the Purdue Boilermakers.
For the second straight game, UW’s running back unit dominated from start to finish. The group, headlined by workhorse running back Tawee Walker, accounted for 309 yards of offense against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.
Against Purdue, the group posted 236 total rush yards against a struggling defensive unit. Nonetheless, the yardage speaks to the emerging talent on Wisconsin’s offensive side of the ball.
Following the recent departure of Badger veteran Chez Mellusi, Walker has become a go-to option for offensive coordinator Phil Longo in his air-raid scheme. The senior transfer from Oklahoma combined to rush for 292 yards and six touchdowns against Purdue and Rutgers on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, respectively.
#Badgers with 500+ yards in back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time since 2010.
Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke has also blended splash plays with efficiency against the two Big Ten foes. He threw for 359 yards against Purdue and 240 vs. Rutgers and completed nearly 68% of his throws in the process.
Following some initial criticism during losses to No. 7 Alabama and USC, Wisconsin’s offense has appeared to discover a rhythm. The crew will return to the field on Oct. 19 against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Wisconsin wide receiver earns Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors
Wisconsin redshirt freshman wide receiver Trech Kekahuna was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday.
The honor comes just two days after Kekahuna torched the Purdue Boilermakers in UW’s 52-6 win at Camp Randall. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native accumulated six receptions for 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the blowout win before a jam-packed home crowd.
According to Wisconsin assistant director of brand communications Nate Jelinek, Kekahuna is the first Wisconsin wide receiver to earn a weekly conference distinction since 2008 (David Gilreath).
As if that weren’t enough, Kekahuna was the only Big Ten player to tally 100+ yards and a touchdown in Week 6. That’s in a conference featuring Oregon’s Tez Johnson, USC’s Zachariah Branch, and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Trech is the first Badger WR to earn a Big Ten offensive weekly award since David Gilreath in 2008.
He's the third Big Ten freshman WR to earn Freshman of the Week honors this fall. https://t.co/zJ24TVRTku
Kekahuna’s most memorable play came early in the third quarter when quarterback Braedyn Locke laced a ball over the middle of the field for a 69-yard touchdown strike to push Wisconsin’s lead to 28-6. He averaged over 22 yards per catch on Saturday, an indication of the type of downfield damage he can inflict on opposing defenses in the coming weeks.
The 5-foot-10 pass-catcher will look to build off his monumental day against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 12. The contest will serve as an excellent opportunity for Locke to lean on his playmakers before Wisconsin’s schedule turns challenging in late October and November.
Wisconsin lead running back reaches end zone three times against Purdue
Wisconsin senior running back Tawee Walker continued his dominance on the ground for UW on Saturday against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Walker, who recorded a pair of touchdowns in the Badgers’ Week 5 loss to the No. 13 USC Trojans, finished with 94 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns before a packed crowd at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.
The former Oklahoma running back’s final touchdown of the day encapsulated his performance for the entirety of Saturday’s game. On third down, Walker fielded a handoff from quarterback Braedyn Locke and powered through multiple Purdue defenders before crossing the goal line.
On the day, Walker averaged a stellar 4.9 yards per carry. As opposed to UW wide receivers Trech Kekahuna and Vinny Anthony II, who ripped off plays of 50+ yards against Purdue, Walker’s longest rush of Saturday was 17 yards.
Still, he captained a group responsible for 236 total rush yards against Purdue’s struggling defensive unit. UW’s offensive line prevented the Boilermakers from wrecking any type of havoc during the second half and enabled Walker and company to flourish.
While Wisconsin has utilized a committee of running backs throughout the entirety of 2024, Walker’s contributions will only increase going forward. UW veteran running back Chez Mellusi recently announced his departure from the program, creating an opportunity for Walker to become Wisconsin’s starting back for the rest of the year.
Wisconsin wide receiver explodes for career-best performance in win over Purdue
Wisconsin redshirt freshman wide receiver Trech Kekahuna posted his career-best output vs. the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday.
Kekahuna, who had recorded four receptions for 42 yards through his first four appearances of the 2024 campaign, shined with six receptions for 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 52-6 victory at Camp Randall Stadium.
His most impressive sequence arrived with roughly 12 minutes to spare in the third quarter when quarterback Braedyn Locke found the speedster for a 13-yard catch in the middle of the field. Kekahuna turned the snag into a 69-yard touchdown and extended Wisconsin’s lead to 28-6.
Kekahuna paced all Badger pass-catchers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns on the day. Part of his contribution was a product of Purdue’s weak secondary and an early injury to star wide receiver Will Pauling. But Kekahuna’s ability to create yards in open space should be utilized for the remainder of the season.
The Honolulu, Hawaii, native first flashed his offensive brilliance in Wisconsin’s final contest of 2023. Kekahuna recorded four catches for 64 yards when the Badgers squared off against LSU on Jan. 1, 2024, in the ReliaQuest Bowl. He is now showing further signs of growth in 2024.
Kekahuna and Wisconsin will continue its season against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Wisconsin quarterback captains dominant passing attack in win vs. Purdue
Wisconsin starting quarterback Braedyn Locke dominated during the Badgers’ 52-6 victory against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.
Locke, who saw his first action after starter Tyler Van Dyke went down with a season-ending injury in Week 3 against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, nearly doubled his passing yard output from a week ago.
Locke’s first stellar passing sequence arrived when he tossed a 52-yard bomb to wide receiver Vinny Anthony II for a touchdown towards the tail end of the first quarter. After tossing a pair of interceptions to Purdue’s Kyndrich Breedlove, Locke found his groove.
The redshirt sophomore led the Badgers on five scoring drives in the second half en route to a 52-6 victory over the Boilermakers. He connected on 69-yard and 25-yard scores to wide receiver Trech Kekahuna and leaned on playmaker C.J. Williams on multiple third-down passing plays.
While Purdue’s secondary is one of the weakest in the sport, the performance was unquestionably the best of Locke’s 2024 campaign thus far with the Badgers. He finished with 359 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a 180.8 passer rating.
Locke and company will return to the field against unranked Rutgers and Northwestern on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, respectively, before squaring off against No. 7 Penn State, Iowa, No. 6 Oregon in its ensuing three contests.
With questions looming about Locke’s passing capabilities for the remainder of the 2024 slate, he will look to continue the momentum he discovered against the Boilermakers against a collection of the conference’s most formidable opponents down the stretch.
Wisconsin reaches home game scoring milestone in win vs Purdue
Wisconsin football recorded its most points in a Big Ten home game since 2014 in its 52-6 victory over Purdue on Saturday.
The last time UW surpassed the 52-point mark at home came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2014 (59 points). Former UW running back legend Melvin Gordon recorded an FBS-record 408 rushing yards in the triumph. At the time, Nebraska held the No. 16 ranking in the country while Wisconsin boasted the Associated Press’ No. 20 position in the nation’s hierarchy.
The Badgers absolutely dominated the Boilermakers on both the offensive and defensive end in the blowout home victory. The win marks UW’s 18th consecutive triumph over Purdue and the most points against the Boilermakers since the Badgers’ 62-point output in 2011.
Wisconsin accumulated 597 combined passing and rushing yards on the day. Quarterback Braedyn Locke threw for 359 passing yards and three touchdowns on the day, and wide receiver Trech Kekahuna reeled in a career-best six passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Tawee Walker also led Wisconsin’s backfield with 94 rushing yards three touchdowns. He, alongside Dilin Jones, Cade Yacamelli, Darrion Dupree and Gideon Ituka, accounted for 234 rushing yards behind a sturdy offensive line.
While Purdue is far from the Big Ten’s best, the output is a big victory for the Badgers following a 38-21 debacle against the USC Trojans a weekend ago. The team will continue its journey towards bowl season against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Oct. 12.
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Purdue Boilermakers: Series history, all-time record
Wisconsin (2-2) will welcome Purdue (1-3) to Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CT. It will be the 91st all-time meeting between the two programs. The Badgers have had the upper hand to this point.
The Badgers have won 17 consecutive matchups dating back to 2004 and they own a 53-29-8 all-time record against the Boilermakers. The last time Purdue was able to capture a victory was 2003 when they edged Wisconsin 26-23.
Last season, the two teams squared off in West Lafayette and Wisconsin pulled off a 38-17 win. The Badgers relied heavily on their rushing attack with running back Braelon Allen leading the way with 119 yards and two scores on 16 carries. Additionally, quarterback Tanner Mordecai added 57 rushing yards and two scores on 14 rushes.
Purdue enters this week with a 1-3 record on the year, dropping their contest this past weekend 28-10 at home against Nebraska. The Boilermakers also fired their offensive coordinator Graham Harrell this week after averaging 12.7 points per game over their last three contests.
Wisconsin will enter Saturday’s game sporting a two-game losing streak after falling to USC 38-21 on the road in Week 5. The Boilermakers present Luke Fickell’s squad with arguably their easiest remaining opponent on their schedule. The Badgers will need to take advantage of the opportunity before conference play heats up.
