While Oregon fans are justifiably elated over the Ducks’ win against Ohio State this past Saturday, the Ducks have shifted their focus to Purdue.
In a wrinkle, the Boilermakers announced a quarterback change on Monday morning. Purdue’s Week 1 starter Hudson Card entered the concussion protocol before the Boilermakers’ Week 7 matchup against Illinois. Starting in his place was redshirt freshman Ryan Browne, who had Purdue’s offense humming better than it has all season.
On Monday, Purdue head coach Ryan Walters announced that although Card might be medically cleared for Friday’s game against Oregon, Browne will start, according to Indy Star reporter Nathan Baird.
“The way he played, it would be unfair not to,” Walters said.
#Purdue coach Ryan Walters said he's unsure if Hudson Card will be cleared for Friday, but Ryan Browne will start regardless:
"The way he played, it would be unfair not to. We’ll see about Hudson’s availability moving forward."— Nathan Baird (@nwbaird) October 14, 2024
Although Purdue lost to Illinois this weekend, it looked like a different team than the Boilermakers of the first six weeks. Through five games, Card had a 63.4 completion percentage and averaged less than 150 passing yards per game. This weekend, Browne completed 18 of 26 attempts for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Illinois defense is not on par with Oregon’s, but it is a quality defense, so Purdue’s offensive explosion this weekend shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Boilermakers also are known for ruining the seasons of unsuspecting top teams who travel to West Lafayette.
The Ducks still have the edge in this game, but the Browne-led Boilermakers aren’t a joke.
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