WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - November is when they play the games to remember, and the stakes are high for Purdue as the month dawns.
The Boilermakers are 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten with much to play for, clinging to Big Ten West title hopes coming off a loss at Michigan State. Four games remain, beginning with a visit from No. 19 Iowa (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium. Per usual, the Hawkeyes are tough and physical on both sides of the ball in Kirk Ferentz's 20th season on the sideline in Iowa City. Another Iowa trademark: It doesn't beat itself.
The good news for Purdue: Jeff Brohm has been excellent in November and December as a head coach, boasting an aggregate 19-2 mark. Last year, he showed his mettle when the pressure was turned up. Purdue needed wins in its last two games of 2017 to earn bowl eligibility, and Brohm delivered with a win at Iowa and vs. Indiana to go 3-1 in November; Purdue also toppled Illinois and lost at Northwestern before dumping Arizona in a December bowl. Before Brohm moved to West Lafayette, Purdue went four years without a win in November.
Prior to last year, Purdue had lost four in a row to Iowa and six of seven. The Boilermakers have lost the last four at home to the Hawkeyes, last beating Iowa in West Lafayette in 2007 by taking a 31-6 decision under Joe Tiller. The loser of this game figures to be out of the running the West Division, so the stakes are high.
Purdue is looking to gets its offense back on track after it sputtered in a 23-13 loss at Michigan State, ending the team's four-game winning streak. The Boilers had a season-low 339 yards and tallied just one TD vs. the Spartans in a 23-13 loss. Nothing worked, as quarterback David Blough endured his worst outing of the season with three interceptions and running back D.J. Knox never got going. The big plays that came to define this offense during the four-game winning streak were missing, thanks largely to a rugged MSU defense.
Speaking of big plays, the defense also needs to do more. The Boilermakers could use some negative plays, generating pressure and sacks. Notching a turnover or two also would be nice, setting the offense up with some short fields.
Here is a look at the key matchup, key player and key position for Purdue.
Key matchup: David Blough vs. the Iowa secondary. Blough is coming off a rough outing, hitting just 29-of-49 passes for 277 yards with no TDs and three picks. You know he is motivated to make amends and get back on a track after throwing for over 300 yards in the three previous games. He will go against an Iowa secondary that starts two freshmen and lacks depth. No doubt, Jeff Brohm will want to test the Hawkeyes deep early and often with passes to Isaac Zico and Rondale Moore. Brohm knows he can't beat Iowa without hitting some big pass plays, which waskey to Purdue's win last year in Kinnick Stadium.
Key player: DT Lorenzo Neal. The big fella is coming off a big game in East Lansing and needs to control the front and get some penetration to slow a decent Hawkeye rush game ... and then get after Hawkeye quarterback Nathan Stanley. He isn't coming off a good game in 30-24 loss at Penn State last week, hitting 18-of-49 passes for just 205 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. Stanley has a thumb injury that could be lingering. Purdue needs to get pressure on Stanley and try to force some bad throw and turnovers. The Boilers can't let Stanley work unfettered and hit passes all day to the dynamite tight end duo of Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson. FYI: Iowa has allowed a league-low nine sacks.
Key position: Offensive line. The unit didn't have its best moment last week in East Lansing. How bad was it? The Boilermakers rushed for must 62 yards vs. the Big Ten's No. 1 run defense. The sledding doesn't figure to be much easier this Saturday vs. a Hawkeye defense that is No. 2 in the Big Ten vs. the run (84.4 ypg). Yes, Purdue wants to pass early and often, but it needs some semblance of a rushing attack to keep a powerful Hawkeye d-line from T-ing off on David Blough. Iowa is third in the Big Ten with 25 sacks with studs Anthony Nelson, Parker Hesse, Sam Brincks and Matt Nelson.