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Purdue

First and 10: Rutgers

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As we start the week, 10 items of interest as Purdue (2-5 overall; 0-4 Big Ten) plays host to Rutgers (3-4; 0-4) on Saturday (12 p.m. ET, BTN) for Homecoming.

• Purdue is 0-2 all-time vs. Rutgers. The Boilermakers haven’t played the Scarlet Knights since welcoming them during the 2020 Covid season, a 37-30 RU win. Backup QB Johnny Langan rallied Rutgers to a win. Langan completed four passes for 95 yards and ran for 95 yards on 21 carries. The Scarlet Knights also had a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD.

The schools met at Rutgers in 2017, when Purdue fell, 14-12, with the Boilermakers out gaining Rutgers 474-217 and having the ball for 85 plays, 30 more than RU. Still, Purdue lost.

• Will Ryan Browne be able to play? He took a big hit and left the Northwestern game with a left shoulder injury after completing only 5-of-10 passes for 31 yards. Malachi Singleton assumed command and hit 11-of-20 passes for 187 yards with a lost fumble and INT. He also ran 10 times for 20 yards.

• Purdue and Rutgers are two of five winless teams in the Big Ten. Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State are the others. All are 0-4. Wisconsin and Purdue have the worst overall records in the Big Ten: 2-5.

• Purdue has lost a program record 13 Big Ten games in a row. Boilermakers are 10-24 overall and 3-19 in the Big Ten since the start of the 2023 season. As a point of reference: Purdue was 3-32 in the Big Ten in four seasons under Darrell Hazell.

• Purdue is second-to-last in the nation in turnover margin (-11) with four takeaways and 15 turnovers. The Boilermakers had three giveaways last week and two takeaways.

• Purdue is coming off its fourth shutout in the last 13 games: 35-0 vs. Oregon; 45-0 at Ohio State; 66-0 at Indiana; 19-0 at Northwestern.

• Rutgers is coming off a 56-10 home loss to Oregon. The Scarlet Knights rank last in the Big Ten in total defense (437.4 ypg) and next-to-last in scoring defense (31.6 ppg). RU allows a whopping 7.8 yards per play. The pass defense is the Big Ten’s worst (261.3 ypg) and the rushing D is next-to-last (176.1 ypg).

Purdue’s defense also is struggling, ranking 16th (373.4 ypg) overall and 16th in scoring (27.9 ppg).

• Mani Powell is No. 2 in the Big Ten in tackles per game (9.3). He notched 20 at Northwestern.

• Purdue has 32 penalties in the last four games: 7 at Notre Dame; 8 vs. Illinois; 9 at Minnesota; 8 at Northwestern.

• The Boilers are averaging 16.0 points in Big Ten games. Only Wisconsin (5.0) is worse.

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