With college football season starting to creep up, we’re running down Indiana’s schedule to preview all 12 opponents for 2024.
Indiana closes the regular season, as usual, with the Old Oaken Bucket on the line against Purdue. The Boilermakers have beaten the Hoosiers in three straight Bucket games, and in five of the last six. Curt Cignetti will get his first taste of this rivalry at home, in what could be a decisive game for IU’s bowl hopes.
- Opponent: Purdue
- Date/Time/TV: Saturday, November 30, TBA
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.
- 2023 record/postseason result: 4-8, 3-6 Big Ten
Returning production, offense: 71 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (37th in the country out of 134)
Offensive outlook: Purdue finished in the middle of the pack both in the nation and in the Big Ten in total offense last year. Its offense was stronger on the ground than in the air — the Boilermakers ranked third in the conference with 169.1 yards per game in 2023.
Redshirt senior Hudson Card is back for his second year as Purdue’s quarterback after transferring in from Texas last year. Card was solid in 2023, completing 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,387 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 203 yards on 93 attempts with five touchdowns. The Boilermakers will hope Card can build on last season’s performance and take the next step this year.
But Card will be relying on a new-look receiving corps this year, as Purdue lost its four leading receivers from last season. All four players transferred away from West Lafayette — Deion Burks to Oklahoma, TJ Sheffield to UConn, Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen to South Florida, and tight end Garrett Miller to Texas A&M. Redshirt junior Jahmal Edrine suffered a season-ending injury last year during fall camp, but returns this year in a key role. Head coach Ryan Walters and his staff hit the portal for receivers, and brought in three — redshirt sophom*ores CJ Smith and De’Nylon Morrissette from Georgia, and redshirt senior Kam Brown from UCLA — that could be factors in the offense.
Purdue’s running game could be dangerous again this season, with redshirt junior Devin Mockobee leading the way again. He ranked sixth in the Big Ten with 67.6 yards per game in 2023, as he finished the campaign with 811 yards on 172 rushes with six touchdowns. Mockobee has caused IU problems during the last two Bucket games — in 2022, he rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 58 yards; he was less effective on the ground last season, but still caught a 38-yard touchdown pass. The Boilermakers also brought in redshirt senior Reggie Love III from the transfer portal out of Illinois. Love rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns when the Hoosiers faced the Fighting Illini last year.
PU has three returning starters on the offensive line in senior center Gus Hartwig and redshirt junior tackles Marcus Mbow and Mahamane Moussa. The team added five offensive line transfers in the offseason, including redshirt junior IU transfer Joshua Sales Jr.
Returning production, defense: 55 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (92nd in the country)
Defensive outlook:The Boilermakers ranked 69th in the country in total defense last year, but just 12th in the Big Ten. Their passing defense was the worst in the conference, as they allowed 241.5 passing yards per game.
Purdue has six returning starters from that unit. Sophom*ore safety Dillon Thieneman headlines that group, after racking up postseason honors last year. Thieneman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and he picked up two All-America selections, two freshman All-America nods, and an All-Big Ten second team selection. He tied for second in the Big Ten last year with six interceptions, and he added two forced fumbles, eight passes defended, two pass breakups, and two tackles for loss. Thieneman also finished with the second-highest overall Pro Football Focus grade in the country among safeties.
He’s joined in the secondary by returning senior Markevious Brown (three TFLs, one sack, two forced fumbles, six pass breakups). Junior Georgia transfer Nyland Green should step into a key role quickly for Purdue as well. PU needs to improve in coverage, as it finished with the third-worst PFF coverage grade in the nation last year.
Purdue saw its sacks leader, linebacker Nic Scourton, transfer to Texas A&M after last season. But fifth-year senior Kydran Jenkins returns after a solid season with 7.5 sacks and a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss — good for third in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers also have redshirt junior Yanni Karlaftis back alongside Jenkins.
Nose tackle Cole Brevard, at 6-foot-3 and 333 pounds, is a big load in the middle of Purdue’s defensive line. He’ll look to open up some rush lanes for redshirt sophom*ore defensive end CJ Madden, who transferred in from Georgia, and sophom*ore Will Heldt.
Special teams outlook: Senior kicker Ben Freehill is back after going 6 for 11 on field goals and 21 for 22 on extra points last season. But his job may not be secure with Purdue bringing in other options in UCLA transfer RJ Lopez and freshman Spencer Porath. Sophom*ore Keelan Crimmins transferred in from Mississippi State to take over punting duties in West Lafayette. Purdue will also have new kick and punt returners with Sheffield and Tyrone Tracy Jr. gone.
Overall Outlook: The Boilermakers were picked at the bottom of the Big Ten media poll for this season, and they have a challenging schedule with matchups against Notre Dame, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State. Walters has his work cut out for him in his second year at Purdue. With the tough schedule, a bowl appearance would be a good result for PU. There’s talent on the roster, but the Boilers will need steps forward in some key areas. If that doesn’t happen, it could be another tough season in West Lafayette.
Previous opponent outlooks:
Florida International
Western Illinois
UCLA
Charlotte
Maryland
Northwestern
Nebraska
Washington
Michigan State
Michigan
Ohio State
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