Matchup Preview: Purdue at Iowa
Purdue at Iowa, from a matchup perspective.
Time: Saturday, October 7, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Kinnick Stadium
Surface: Field Turf
Capacity: 69,250
2023 schedules/records: Purdue 2-3 (1-1 Big Ten); Iowa 4-1 (1-1 Big Ten)
Series Notes: The Big Ten West rivals meet for the 94th time on Saturday, as Purdue leads the all-time series by a 50-40-3 advantage. Since Kirk Ferentz took over at Iowa in 1999, the Hawkeyes have won 12 of the 20 matchups. Purdue trails 21-22-2 in Iowa City, where it won in 2021 when Iowa entered the game ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll. The Boilermakers and Hawkeyes, once protected rivals in the Big Ten “Leaders and Legends” divisional structure, played some epic games in recent memory, including a dramatic Purdue victory in Ross-Ade Stadium in 2018.
TV: Peacock (PxP Jac Collinsworth, Analyst Jason Garrett, Sidelines Zora Stephenson)
Radio: Purdue Sports Properties (PxP Tim Newton, Analyst Kelly Kitchel, Sidelines Mark Herrmann)
Line: Iowa -2.5, O/U 39
Pregame: First Look: Iowa, First and 10: Purdue at Iowa,
Moving coordinators from field to box proves fortuitous for Purdue, Ryan Walters, Purdue Air Raid offense grinding things out with strong run game, The 3-2-1: Purdue looks to rev engine entering key October, 100 Years of Purdue football in Ross-Ade: 1964-73
Purdue Roster | Purdue Game Notes
Iowa running game versus Purdue against the run
For decades, the Hawkeyes have looked to run behind a big, physical offensive line early and often. Over the past season-and-a-half, however, the Iowa offensive line’s push has yet to live up to the standards of the past. After struggling in 2022, the offensive line’s improvement remains questionable, as the Hawkeyes average just 3.8 yards per carry through five games.
Iowa’s top tailback, Kaleb Johnson, hopes to return this weekend after missing the previous three games with an injury. In Johnson’s absence, Leshon Williams earned the promotion to RB1, averaging just shy of six yards per carry. Kamari Moulton also factors into the run game, finding the end zone twice thus far. Despite looking to run the ball early and often, Iowa averages just 118 rushing yards per game this year. With questions around the availability of quarterback Cade McNamara on Saturday, the Hawkeyes will need a better performance in the run game.
Purdue sits 11th in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing just under 150 yards per game on the ground. One of the critical reasons for the struggle remains the lack of containment of opposing quarterbacks. On the game’s first play, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer kept it himself for a gain of 39 yards. Except Wisconsin, Purdue’s handled opposing running backs fairly well, but the quarterback run remains an area of vulnerability. Linebacker Yanni Karlaftis made the most of his first career start on Saturday and could continue to play a prominent role as a run-stopper should OC Brothers miss extended time with his injury.
Iowa passing game versus Purdue against the pass
The much-maligned Iowa passing game continues to look shaky at best this season. The Hawkeyes average a mere 127 yards per game through the air, ranking 125th nationally (out of 130 teams) in passing offense. Michigan transfer Cade McNamara came in to help revitalize the offense as part of a broad approach, but he suffered a leg injury early in last week’s win over Michigan State and could miss the remainder of the season. In his absence, backup Deacon Hill has completed just 15 of 35 attempts and will make his second-career start on Saturday.
Through five games, Iowa wide receivers have caught just 20 passes. The lack of playmakers on the outside remains a trend for the Hawkeyes, as the passing woes over the past three years made headlines nationwide. Tight ends Erick All stands as Iowa’s top receiver, which should make for an interesting matchup against Purdue’s defensive backs and linebackers in coverage.
Purdue opponents average a hair shy of 250 yards per game passing, though the past two games could be viewed as signs of progress. Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai did most of his damage against Purdue on the ground, while Altmyer turned in an average effort. In both losses, Purdue did dodge a few bullets when the opponents missed on open deep ball opportunities. The man-heavy scheme puts cornerbacks on islands, and Purdue needs to limit coverage busts. Whether Iowa could exploit those weaknesses, however, can best be described as a major question mark.
Purdue’s five sacks against Illinois gave a glimpse into what Ryan Walters wants his defense to become during his time in West Lafayette. Walters called a number of different blitz packages, causing confusion for Illinois’ offensive line. Expect to see Purdue bring pressure early and often on Saturday hoping to rattle Hill in his first start.
Purdue running game versus Iowa against the run
Through five games, Purdue’s success in the run game serves as the story of the year on offense. Tyrone Tracy continues to impress after moving to running back, scoring a touchdown in all five of Purdue’s games thus far. He leads Purdue in rushing, though he and Devin Mockobee sit neck-and-neck atop the stat sheet.
Mockobee fumbled for the sixth time of the season against Illinois, a surprising issue that needs a resolution. Purdue can ill-afford to turn the ball over in key situations, raising the question of whether Tracy will earn the majority of the carries moving forward. Dylan Downing looks solid in his limited reps, and Purdue showed a wrinkle when it got the ball to Deion Burks on a jet sweep. For the first time in a long time, the run game looks like a real strength for the Boilermakers.
Iowa’s stout defense holds opponents to just 3.6 yards per carry, though teams continue to run the ball repeatedly against Iowa. Penn State cracked the Hawkeyes’ run defense in the rain-soaked battle in Happy Valley, but past that, running the ball on Iowa looks like quite the challenge. Linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson continue the legacy of strong linebacker play in Iowa City, and the safeties on the back end sit among the nation’s best. While Purdue’s run game looks solid, this will serve as the biggest test yet.
Purdue passing game versus Iowa against the pass
Through five games, Hudson Card looks the part of a solid Big Ten quarterback but the big, breakthrough game eludes him. He’s completing 64% of his passes for 248 yards per game with five touchdowns and three interceptions, all of which came between the Syracuse and Wisconsin games. He’s not blessed with tons of time to work within the pocket, so it’s hard to criticize Card’s play.
The receiving corps remains a three-man crew, with Burks, Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen and TJ Sheffield taking nearly all of the reps out wide. Burks stands out as Purdue’s big play threat, while Yaseen’s emergence as a solid possession receiver gives Purdue a much-needed chain-mover on third down. Garrett Miller looks increasingly comfortable with each passing week in his return from a knee injury, which seems particularly important following a Max Klare injury versus Illinois.
Iowa opponents average just 180 yards per game through the air throwing into one of the country’s top pass defenses. The Hawkeyes start an elite cornerback combination in Cooper DeJean and Sebastian Castro, pairing them with dangerous safeties in Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte. Few corners in the nation match DeJean’s pick-six ability, something Purdue must avoid in order to succeed. Though Iowa limits opponents so well through the air, it’s surprising to see only three sacks in the book for the Hawkeye defense this season. Will they look to generate more pressure against a Purdue offense that likes to throw the ball?
Special teams
Is a kicker controversy brewing in West Lafayette? In the absence of starting kicker Ben Freehill, backup Julio Macias easily knocked through both of his attempts. Freehill missed a pair of field goal attempts and an extra point during non-conference play. If both kickers are available on Saturday, which number gets called?
Since the season-opener against Fresno State, Purdue’s return game looks more like it did in previous seasons. The Boilermakers average a mere eight yards per punt return and only have attempted to return six kickoffs on the season.
Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has yet another exemplary unit in Iowa City this year. Kicker Drew Stevens sits at eight-for-nine on field goals this season, while punter Tory Taylor could be the best in the nation. A multi-year game-changer for the Hawkeyes, Taylor can flip the field as well as anyone. And, to add to it, the return game remains strong. Last week, while clinging to a three-point lead, DeJean took a punt return all the way to seal the deal. He averages 14.2 yards per punt return this season, rounding out one of the top special teams units in America.
Intangibles
It’s hard to ignore the bizarre conversation around the Brian Ferentz contract overwhelming the season for Iowa. To retain his job for the 2024 season, Iowa must win seven games and average 25 points per game. While there’s plenty more to monitor around Iowa, does that constant conversation get tiring at some point?
The Hawkeyes will turn to a backup quarterback on Saturday with McNamara’s season ending early. How does that affect the psyche of the team? It’s impossible to predict, but the Hawkeyes can ill-afford a home loss as they hope to compete for a Big Ten West title.
Purdue should enter this one with some positive momentum after a big second half allowed it to cruise past Illinois. September didn’t play out as Boiler fans hoped, but a path to a bowl game still exists, albeit a fairly narrow one. How much of Purdue’s strong effort against the Illini came from Ryan Walters’ defensive play-calling mojo? He’ll call the plays again on Saturday as the Boilermakers look for their third win in their last four trips to Kinnick Stadium.
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