Game Notes
PURDUE-NORTHWESTERN SERIES DATA
Purdue leads 50-32-1
Current Streak: Northwestern has won the last five meetings.
In Evanston: Purdue leads 27-19-1
First Meeting: Oct. 2, 1895 – Northwestern won 24-6 on the road.
Last Meeting: Aug. 30, 2018 – Northwestern won 31-27 on the road.
Noteworthy: True freshman Rondale Moore made his presence felt in his first collegiate game against Northwestern last season. Moore broke Otis Armstrong's 45-year old school record for all-purpose yards in game (311), finishing with 79 rushing yards, 109 receiving yards and 125 kickoff return yards for 312 all-purpose yards. Moore scored on a 32-yard pass from Elijah Sindelar and scampered for a score on a 76-yard rush in his Purdue debut.... In total, 82 of the 83 previous meetings between the two schools have been played on campus with the lone exception resulting in a 7-0 Purdue victory at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 28, 1931.
FOUR-MINUTE OFFENSE
The Boilermakers put on a clinic running their "four-minute offense" against Nebraska last week, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the first half and the game-winning touchdown with 1:08 left to play in the fourth quarter. Engineered by two different quarterbacks, both Jack Plummer (first half) and Aidan O'Connell (second half) posted impressive numbers during their respective drives. Plummer went 7 for 8 for 53 yards passing, including a 16-yard touchdown heave to Payne Durham, and had 19 yards rushing. Meanwhile, O'Connell went 6 for 6 for 62 yards passing on Purdue's 12-play game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Boilermakers have put together 27 touchdown drives over the course of the 2019 season and have had to move the ball 70 or more yards on 22 of them before reaching the end zone (81.5 percent). The Boilermakers have posted three 99-yard touchdown drives this season (at Nevada, vs. Minnesota and vs. Illinois).
NO PRESSURE
Nebraska picked off two Purdue passes and blocked a pair of punts last Saturday setting up Cornhusker drives that started at the Boilermakers' 2-, 46-, 47- and 34-yard lines. Despite the short fields and adversity, the Boilermaker defense limited Nebraska to a measly three points on the four possessions.
NEXT MAN UP
Should Jack Plummer be unavailable to start at Northwestern on Saturday, Aidan O'Connell will be the Boilermakers' third quarterback to make a start this season. Purdue has not started more than two quarterbacks in a season since lining up four different starting signal callers in 2010 (Robert Marve, Rob Henry, Justin Siller and Sean Robinson). O'Connell was Purdue's fourth-string QB last season behind David Blough, Elijah Sindelar and Nick Sipe.
AIDAN IS ALL ACES ON SCORING DRIVES
In his limited play at QB Aidan O'Connell has started a pair of scoring drives for Purdue - vs. Illinois and Nebraska. His numbers on the two? 12 for 12 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown.
vs. Illinois - 6 for 6, 65 yards passing, 11-yard TD pass
vs. Nebraska - 6 for 6, 62 yards passing (David Bell scored the game-winning touchdown on a nine-yard run)
KING OF THE FRESHMEN (FOR A WEEK)
King Doerue picked up his first Big Ten weekly honors, being named the conference's Freshman of the Week after his performance against Nebraska last Saturday. Doerue amassed 102 all-purpose yards against the Huskers, finishing with 71 yards rushing on 15 carries and 31 yards on five catches. He scored on a three-yard pass in the second quarter and on a seven-yard rush in the fourth. He is the fourth Boilermaker to be recognized with weekly honors this season, joining Elijah Sindelar (Offensive after Vanderbilt), Jack Plummer (Offensive after Maryland) and David Bell (Freshman after Maryland and Iowa).
CENTURY MARK
Including four times this season, at least one Purdue player has gone over 100 yards receiving in a game 17 times in the tenure of head coach Jeff Brohm (there have been four games with multiple players eclipsing the mark). In total, the 21 times that at a player has hauled in 100 or more yards receiving has been done in 35 games under Brohm's leadership at Purdue. As perspective, one would need to go back to the Ohio State game on Oct. 17, 2009, for Purdue receivers to equal that mark prior to Brohm's arrival (92 games).
Yards - Player and Opponent, Date (Receptions)
220 - Rondale Moore vs. Vanderbilt, 9/9/2019 (13)
197 - David Bell at Iowa, 10/19/2019 (13)
170 - Rondale Moore vs. Ohio State, 10/20/2018 (12)
149 - Gregory Phillips vs. Arizona, 12/27/2017 (14)
146 - Terry Wright vs. Iowa, 11/3/2018 (6)
141 - Rondale Moore at Indiana, 11/24/2018 (12)
140 - Brycen Hopkins vs. Maryland, 10/12/2019 (10)
138 - David Bell vs. Maryland, 10/12/2019 (9)
137 - Rondale Moore vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (11)
136 - Brycen Hopkins vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (5)
135 - Anthony Mahoungou vs. Iowa, 11/18/2017 (7)
130 - Jared Sparks at Northwestern, 11/11/2017 (11)
127 - Isaac Zico at Illinois, 10/13/2018 (5)
124 - Rondale Moore at Nevada, 8/30/2019 (11)
118 - Anthony Mahoungou vs. Arizona, 12/27/2017 (6)
114 - Rondale Moore vs. Wisconsin, 11/17/2018 (9)
110 - Rondale Moore vs. Boston College 9/22/2018 (8)
109 - Rondale Moore vs. Northwestern, 8/30/2018 (11)
103 - Brycen Hopkins at Nebraska, 9/29/2018 (5)
101 - Rondale Moore at Illinois, 10/13/2018 (4)
100 - Isaac Zico vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (4)
STRETCHING THE FIELD
The "healthy" Boilermakers feature four different receivers averaging 10 or more yards per reception this year (the number would rise to six when including the injured Jared Sparks and Rondale Moore).
PRECISION PASSING
Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer completed 33 of 41 passes for a school-record breaking 80.5 completion percentage on 40 or more passing attempts in a game against Maryland on Oct. 12. Curtis Painter held the previous 40-plus attempts high water mark with a 77.6 completion percentage (40 of 49) against Eastern Illinois in 2007. Plummer's effort against the Terrapins was the fifth-highest completion percentage in a game at Purdue with 20 or more passes attempted.
High Completion Percentage in a Game at Purdue (min. 20 attempts)
1 Kyle Orton vs. Ball State, 9/11/2004 - 88.5 (23-26)
2 Bob Griese vs. Notre Dame, 9/25/1965 - 86.4 (19-22)
3 Drew Brees vs. Minnesota, 10/3/1998 - 86.1 (31-36)
4 Mark Herrmann vs. Indiana, 11/22/1980 - 82.6 (19-23)
5 Jack Plummer vs. Maryland, 11/12/2019 - 80.5 (33-41)
HOPPING HOPKINS
Senior tight end Brycen Hopkins is turning in a fine final season at Purdue. The Nashville native is second nationally among all tight ends in total receptions (42), tied for second in receptions per game by tight ends (4.7), fourth in total receiving yards by the position (538) and fifth among TEs in receiving yards per game (59.8). His nine-game totals thus far are the most receptions and receiving yards by a tight end at Purdue since Dustin Keller finished the 2007 season with 68 catches for 881 yards. Hopkins hauled in 10 passes for 140 yards against Maryland on Oct. 12, both career highs. His reception total was the most by a Purdue tight end since Tim Stratton finished with 12 against Washington State in the 2001 Sun Bowl and his yardage total the most by a Boilermaker at his position since Dustin Keller had 150 vs. Central Michigan in the 2007 Motor City Bowl. Hopkins' 140 yards receiving vs. the Terrapins are the most in a game by any tight end in the nation, while his 10 receptions are tied for the most by tight ends.
A PAYNE IN THE END ZONE
Redshirt freshman Payne Durham has made the most of his eight receptions thus far, having scored a touchdown on half of them. His four TD catches places him in a tie with true freshman David Bell for the most scoring receptions on the team.
AERIAL ATTACK
With 420 yards passing against Maryland, Jack Plummer became the third Purdue quarterback to throw for at least that many yards in a game in Jeff Brohm's two-plus seasons as the Boilermakers' head coach. Purdue is only the second school in Big Ten history to boast two quarterbacks with 400-yard passing games in a season. Elijah Sindelar had 423 yards at Nevada and 509 yards vs. Vanderbilt, while Jack Plummer had the 420 yards against the Terrapins. Minnesota accomplished the rare feat in 1993. Purdue has passed for 300 or more yards in 14 games under Brohm's leadership. Sindelar's passing yards against Vanderbilt and Nevada remain the top two in a game by a Big Ten quarterback this season and rank second and 17th among all Football Bowl Subdivision QBs.
420+ Passing Yard Games Under Jeff Brohm
RINGING THE BELL
David Bell earned back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after the Maryland and Iowa games. He had nine receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland on Oct. 12, followed by 13 catches for 197 yards (most by a freshman in school history and eighth-most all-time) and a touchdown at Iowa on Oct. 19. Bell is the third Boilermaker to earn that conference recognition on multiple occasions, following Frankie Williams (twice in 2012) and Rondale Moore (three times in 2018).
Most Receiving Yards by a True Freshman at Purdue
1 David Bell - 197 at Iowa, Oct. 19, 2019
2 Rondale Moore - 170 vs. Ohio State, Oct. 20, 2018
3 DeAngelo Yancey - 146 vs. Nebraska, Oct. 12, 2013
4 Rondale Moore - 141 at Indiana, Nov. 24, 2018
5 David Bell - 138 vs. Maryland, Oct. 12, 2019
FABULOUS FROSH
Purdue has scored 18 touchdowns in its last seven games and the freshman class has had a hand in 17 of them. The lone exception being a seven-yard pass from Jack Plummer (RS-Freshman) to Zander Horvath vs. Minnesota.
YOU GOTTA LIKE THESE KIDS
Redshirt or true freshmen top the Boilermakers or share the team lead in a bushel basket of statistical categories, including rushing yards (King Doerue), passing yards (Jack Plummer), receptions (David Bell), receiving yards (Bell), total offense (Plummer), all-purpose yards (Bell), tackles for loss (George Karlaftis), sacks (Karlaftis), interceptions (Cory Trice) and punting (Brooks Cormier).
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Cory Trice's 37-yard pick-six against Maryland marked the fourth straight season Purdue has returned an interception for a touchdown. Trice also picked off another pass in the contest to become the first Boilermaker to have two interceptions in a game since Markus Bailey had a pair against Indiana in 2016.
Purdue Interceptions Returned for Touchdowns in the Last Four Years
2016 Gelen Robinson 78 yards vs. Eastern Kentucky
2017 Ja'Whaun Bentley 76 yards vs. Minnesota
2018 Markus Bailey 41 yards vs. Ohio State
2019 Cory Trice 37 yards vs. Maryland
KING-SIZE PERFORMANCE
Freshman running back King Doerue made his first start against Minnesota on Sept. 28 and rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries (4.7 average) and two touchdowns to go with four receptions for 32 yards and a score. He became the first true freshman with three touchdowns in a game for the Boilermakers since John Standeford against Northwestern at Northwestern on Oct. 14, 2000 (all receiving). Since then, two redshirt freshman have had three-touchdown games – Kory Sheets at Indiana in 2005 (all rushing) and Rob Henry vs. Minnesota in 2010 (all rushing).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Jeff Brohm's offense has utilized a number of Purdue's talented receivers this season. Paced by David Bell's team-high 51 receptions, 13 different Boilermakers have at least one catch on the year and 10 different players have scored at least one touchdown via the passing game thus far.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Including 13 starters, the Boilermakers have had 32 true or redshirt freshman play in the first seven games. WR Amad Anderson Jr. (R-Fr.), RB Alfred Armour (R-Fr.), WR David Bell (T-Fr.), OL Will Bramel (R-Fr.), RB King Doerue (T-Fr.), TE Payne Durham (R-Fr.), S Jalen Grahm (T-Fr.), DT Lawrence Johnson (R-Fr.), DE George Karlaftis (T-Fr.), OL Eric Miller (R-Fr.), QB Jack Plummer (R-Fr.), CB Cory Trice (R-Fr.) and WR Milton Wright (T-Fr.) have started for Purdue. CB Cam Allen (T-Fr.), LB Elijah Ball (R-Fr.), TE Kyle Bilodeau (T-Fr.), WR Jordan Bonner, P Brooks Cormier (T-Fr.), DL Jack Cravaack (R-Fr.), DE Branson Deen (R-Fr.), S Marvin Grant (T-Fr.), RB Da'Joun Hewitt (T-Fr.) OL Jimmy McKenna (R-Fr.), TE Garrett Miller (T-Fr.), CB Jordan Rucker (R-Fr.), LB Khali Saunders (T-Fr.), WR TJ Sheffield (T-Fr.), LB Jack Smith (R-Fr.), DB Kadin Smith (R-Fr.), DT Jack Sullivan (R-Fr.), WR Kory Taylor (R-Fr.) and LB Jacob Wahlberg (T-Fr.) have seen action in games as reserves and on special teams.
GOOD GOLLY, GEORGE
Freshman defensive end George Karlaftis paces Purdue with 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. His nine-game total for TFLs is tied with Cornel Jones' team-high of 12.5 in 13 games from last season and his sack total is the most by an individual at Purdue since Kawann Short finished 2012 with 7.0. He is fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally with an average of 1.4 tackles for loss per game and is 11th in the Big Ten with 0.7 sacks per game. Karlaftis came up with an interception and a sack against TCU, becoming the first Purdue true freshman to do so in a game since Torri Williams at Iowa on Nov. 6, 2004.
BEN'S BEEN BIG
Graduate transfer Ben Holt has been a revelation. Starting all nine games thus far, he has led the Boilermakers in tackles in six contests. His 17 tackles against TCU were the most in a game for a Boilermaker since Willie Fells had 21 in 1997. He currently sits second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with an average of 9.9 tackles per game.
MOVING THE CHAINS
David Bell and Brycen Hopkins have made the most of their receptions this season. For Bell, 35 of his 51 catches (67 percent) have been for a first down, touchdown or both. Hopkins is at 67 percent, having converted 28 of his 42 receptions into a first down or score.
FOCUS ON FAKASIIEIKI
Prior to this season, Semisi Fakasiieiki had recorded eight career tackles in 12 games (all last season after not playing in 2016 and 2017). Over the last four games, the defensive end-turned-linebacker has totaled 18 stops, including 2.5 for loss and one sack. Fakasiieiki had seven tackles against Illinois on Oct. 26 and five stops vs. Nebraska last weekend.
BOOTING IT
J.D. Dellinger booted a career-long 53-yard field goal against TCU. It is tied for the third-longest kick in Purdue history. Dellinger has made nine of 11 field goal attempts this season, and his career total of 29 field goals places solely in seventh in school annals. His two misses this season are from 42 and 52 yards out.
Dellinger also has recorded 28 touchbacks among his 42 kickoffs this season. For his career, Dellinger is 25 of 29 on field goal attempts up to 39 yards.
Purdue Longest Field Goals
59 – Carson Wiggs vs. Toledo, 2009
55 – Carson Wiggs vs. Ohio State, 2009
53 – Carson Wiggs at Ohio State, 2008
53 – Carson Wiggs vs. Minnesota, 2011
53 – Paul Griggs vs. Wisconsin, 2014
53 – J.D. Dellinger vs. TCU, 2019
Purdue Career Field Goals
1 Travis Dorsch (1998-2001) - 68
2 Carson Wiggs (2008-11) - 56
3 Ben Jones (2003-05) - 43
4 Jonathan Briggs (1985-87) - 36
5 Chris Summers (2006-09) - 31
Paul Griggs (2012-15) - 31
7 J.D. Dellinger (2016-) - 29
TOUCHDOWN TRIO
Purdue has had three quarterbacks throw a touchdown pass (Elijah Sindelar, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell) for the first time since the 2013 season (Danny Etling, Rob Henry and Austin Appleby).
TRENDING UP IN ATTENDANCE
Purdue's home-opening crowd of 50,506 on Sept. 7 against Vanderbilt was the largest to begin a season since 2008 when 51,476 Black and Gold faithful turned up to see Joe Tiller's Boilermakers knock off Northern Colorado 42-10. The following week against TCU saw a crowd of 60,037 show up to mark the largest crowd to witness a non-conference game at Ross-Ade since 61,127 fans attended the Boilermakers' Sept. 14, 2013, game against Notre Dame. The 52,296 homecoming crowd for the Maryland game Oct. 12 was an increase of 5,177 fans that took in homecoming vs. No. 23 Boston College last year.
In 2018, the Boilermakers attracted two capacity crowds of 60,716 at Ross-Ade Stadium – for the Ohio State and Iowa games – a first since 2007. Purdue's home attendance average of 51,120 was the highest since the 2008 season. Over the last three seasons, the Boilermakers have seen their attendance grow 33 percent (from 34,451 in 2016), tops in the country. Purdue was the only school to see its average increase by 3,000 from both 2016 to 2017 (nation-best 13,433) and from 2017 to 2018 (3,236). The trend appears to be on it's way to extending in 2019, with Purdue's faithful fanatics purchasing over 22,000 season tickets to go along with 10,575 student tickets.
ACADEMICS ARE JOB NO. 1
Five current Boilermakers have earned their bachelor's degrees: Markus Bailey (movement and sport sciences), Danny Carollo (selling and sales management), Matt McCann (building construction management technology), Elijah Sindelar (electrical engineering) and graduate transfer Ben Holt (interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on business at Western Kentucky). Bailey, Holt and McCann each are working on their master's degree in leadership this fall, while Sindelar is working on a master's in electrical engineering and Carollo is pursuing a minor in communication. Through the spring 2019 semester, the Boilermakers boasted a composite grade-point average of 2.93. Last season, a school-record 29 football players earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
#TYLERSTRONG
Prior to the Vanderbilt game Sept. 7, Purdue honored the legacy of Tyler Trent with the opening of the T-Squared Student Gate on the northeast side of Ross-Ade Stadium. Trent, who predicted the Boilermakers' historic 49-20 over No. 2 Ohio State last season, became a national inspiration with his fight for the advocacy of pediatric cancer treatment and research while battling osteosarcoma himself. He passed away Jan. 1, 2019, at the age of 20. Tyler's family, Tony (father), Kelly (mother), Blake (brother) and Ethan (brother), along with his best friend Josh Seals and Tyler Trent Courage and Resilience Award recipient Sean English, were the first to enter Ross-Ade through the re-named Trent Gate. Seals camped out with Tyler prior to the 2017 Michigan game when Tyler's battle with osteosarcoma first came to light.
TYLER TRENT TEAM CAPTAINS
Head coach Jeff Brohm announced the six 2019 Tyler Trent team captains after the first fall camp practice. Voted on by their teammates, offensive lineman Grant Hermanns, tight end Brycen Hopkins and quarterback Elijah Sindelar were named offensive captains, while linebacker Markus Bailey, safety Navon Mosley and tackle Lorenzo Neal were named from the defense. All of the 2019 captains are seniors, with Bailey, Neal and Sindelar voted to represent the team in back-to-back years. Brohm renamed the captaincy during the Boilermakers' spring game in April to honor the legacy of Purdue fan and 2018 captain Tyler Trent. Trent fought for the advocacy of pediatric cancer treatment and research while battling osteosarcoma himself. He passed away Jan. 1, 2019, at the age of 20.
PRO BOILERS
Ten Boilermakers have made National Football League opening-day 53-man rosters:
Ricardo Allen, S - Atlanta Falcons
Ja'Whaun Bentley, LB - New England Patriots
David Blough, QB - Detroit Lions
Drew Brees, QB - New Orleans Saints
Anthony Brown, CB - Dallas Cowboys
Dennis Kelly, T - Tennessee Titans
Ryan Kerrigan, LB - Washington Redskins
Raheem Mostert, RB - San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Pamphile, G - Tennessee Titans
Kawann Short, DT - Carolina Panthers
PURDUE-NORTHWESTERN SERIES DATA
Purdue leads 50-32-1
Current Streak: Northwestern has won the last five meetings.
In Evanston: Purdue leads 27-19-1
First Meeting: Oct. 2, 1895 – Northwestern won 24-6 on the road.
Last Meeting: Aug. 30, 2018 – Northwestern won 31-27 on the road.
Noteworthy: True freshman Rondale Moore made his presence felt in his first collegiate game against Northwestern last season. Moore broke Otis Armstrong's 45-year old school record for all-purpose yards in game (311), finishing with 79 rushing yards, 109 receiving yards and 125 kickoff return yards for 312 all-purpose yards. Moore scored on a 32-yard pass from Elijah Sindelar and scampered for a score on a 76-yard rush in his Purdue debut.... In total, 82 of the 83 previous meetings between the two schools have been played on campus with the lone exception resulting in a 7-0 Purdue victory at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 28, 1931.
FOUR-MINUTE OFFENSE
The Boilermakers put on a clinic running their "four-minute offense" against Nebraska last week, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the first half and the game-winning touchdown with 1:08 left to play in the fourth quarter. Engineered by two different quarterbacks, both Jack Plummer (first half) and Aidan O'Connell (second half) posted impressive numbers during their respective drives. Plummer went 7 for 8 for 53 yards passing, including a 16-yard touchdown heave to Payne Durham, and had 19 yards rushing. Meanwhile, O'Connell went 6 for 6 for 62 yards passing on Purdue's 12-play game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.
| Quarter | Starting Time | Yard line | Plays (R/P) | Yards | TOP | Score | Time Remaining |
| 2nd | 4:07 | Own 4 | 12 (4/8) | 96 | 4:00 | 14-10 | 0:14 |
| 4th | 4:21 | Own 18 | 12 (6/6) | 82 | 3:13 | 31-27 | 1:08 |
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Boilermakers have put together 27 touchdown drives over the course of the 2019 season and have had to move the ball 70 or more yards on 22 of them before reaching the end zone (81.5 percent). The Boilermakers have posted three 99-yard touchdown drives this season (at Nevada, vs. Minnesota and vs. Illinois).
| Length of TD Drive | Number of Times |
| 70-79 yards | 13 |
| 80-89 yards | 3 |
| 90-99 yards | 6 |
NO PRESSURE
Nebraska picked off two Purdue passes and blocked a pair of punts last Saturday setting up Cornhusker drives that started at the Boilermakers' 2-, 46-, 47- and 34-yard lines. Despite the short fields and adversity, the Boilermaker defense limited Nebraska to a measly three points on the four possessions.
| Nebraska Obtains Via | Yard Line | Ensuing Drive | How Drive Ended |
| Interception | Purdue 4 | 4 plays, -4 yards | Field Goal |
| Blocked Punt | Purdue 46 | 5 plays, 25 yards | Interception at Purdue 3-yard line |
| Interception | Purdue 47 | 3 plays, 0 yards | Punt |
| Blocked Punt | Purdue 34 | 4 plays, 4 yards | Downs |
NEXT MAN UP
Should Jack Plummer be unavailable to start at Northwestern on Saturday, Aidan O'Connell will be the Boilermakers' third quarterback to make a start this season. Purdue has not started more than two quarterbacks in a season since lining up four different starting signal callers in 2010 (Robert Marve, Rob Henry, Justin Siller and Sean Robinson). O'Connell was Purdue's fourth-string QB last season behind David Blough, Elijah Sindelar and Nick Sipe.
AIDAN IS ALL ACES ON SCORING DRIVES
In his limited play at QB Aidan O'Connell has started a pair of scoring drives for Purdue - vs. Illinois and Nebraska. His numbers on the two? 12 for 12 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown.
vs. Illinois - 6 for 6, 65 yards passing, 11-yard TD pass
vs. Nebraska - 6 for 6, 62 yards passing (David Bell scored the game-winning touchdown on a nine-yard run)
KING OF THE FRESHMEN (FOR A WEEK)
King Doerue picked up his first Big Ten weekly honors, being named the conference's Freshman of the Week after his performance against Nebraska last Saturday. Doerue amassed 102 all-purpose yards against the Huskers, finishing with 71 yards rushing on 15 carries and 31 yards on five catches. He scored on a three-yard pass in the second quarter and on a seven-yard rush in the fourth. He is the fourth Boilermaker to be recognized with weekly honors this season, joining Elijah Sindelar (Offensive after Vanderbilt), Jack Plummer (Offensive after Maryland) and David Bell (Freshman after Maryland and Iowa).
CENTURY MARK
Including four times this season, at least one Purdue player has gone over 100 yards receiving in a game 17 times in the tenure of head coach Jeff Brohm (there have been four games with multiple players eclipsing the mark). In total, the 21 times that at a player has hauled in 100 or more yards receiving has been done in 35 games under Brohm's leadership at Purdue. As perspective, one would need to go back to the Ohio State game on Oct. 17, 2009, for Purdue receivers to equal that mark prior to Brohm's arrival (92 games).
Yards - Player and Opponent, Date (Receptions)
220 - Rondale Moore vs. Vanderbilt, 9/9/2019 (13)
197 - David Bell at Iowa, 10/19/2019 (13)
170 - Rondale Moore vs. Ohio State, 10/20/2018 (12)
149 - Gregory Phillips vs. Arizona, 12/27/2017 (14)
146 - Terry Wright vs. Iowa, 11/3/2018 (6)
141 - Rondale Moore at Indiana, 11/24/2018 (12)
140 - Brycen Hopkins vs. Maryland, 10/12/2019 (10)
138 - David Bell vs. Maryland, 10/12/2019 (9)
137 - Rondale Moore vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (11)
136 - Brycen Hopkins vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (5)
135 - Anthony Mahoungou vs. Iowa, 11/18/2017 (7)
130 - Jared Sparks at Northwestern, 11/11/2017 (11)
127 - Isaac Zico at Illinois, 10/13/2018 (5)
124 - Rondale Moore at Nevada, 8/30/2019 (11)
118 - Anthony Mahoungou vs. Arizona, 12/27/2017 (6)
114 - Rondale Moore vs. Wisconsin, 11/17/2018 (9)
110 - Rondale Moore vs. Boston College 9/22/2018 (8)
109 - Rondale Moore vs. Northwestern, 8/30/2018 (11)
103 - Brycen Hopkins at Nebraska, 9/29/2018 (5)
101 - Rondale Moore at Illinois, 10/13/2018 (4)
100 - Isaac Zico vs. Missouri, 9/15/2018 (4)
STRETCHING THE FIELD
The "healthy" Boilermakers feature four different receivers averaging 10 or more yards per reception this year (the number would rise to six when including the injured Jared Sparks and Rondale Moore).
| Player | Rec-Yds | Avg/Rec |
| Milton Wright | 11-181 | 16.5 |
| Amad Anderson Jr. | 20-267 | 13.4 |
| David Bell | 51-676 | 13.3 |
| Brycen Hopkins | 42-538 | 12.8 |
PRECISION PASSING
Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer completed 33 of 41 passes for a school-record breaking 80.5 completion percentage on 40 or more passing attempts in a game against Maryland on Oct. 12. Curtis Painter held the previous 40-plus attempts high water mark with a 77.6 completion percentage (40 of 49) against Eastern Illinois in 2007. Plummer's effort against the Terrapins was the fifth-highest completion percentage in a game at Purdue with 20 or more passes attempted.
High Completion Percentage in a Game at Purdue (min. 20 attempts)
1 Kyle Orton vs. Ball State, 9/11/2004 - 88.5 (23-26)
2 Bob Griese vs. Notre Dame, 9/25/1965 - 86.4 (19-22)
3 Drew Brees vs. Minnesota, 10/3/1998 - 86.1 (31-36)
4 Mark Herrmann vs. Indiana, 11/22/1980 - 82.6 (19-23)
5 Jack Plummer vs. Maryland, 11/12/2019 - 80.5 (33-41)
HOPPING HOPKINS
Senior tight end Brycen Hopkins is turning in a fine final season at Purdue. The Nashville native is second nationally among all tight ends in total receptions (42), tied for second in receptions per game by tight ends (4.7), fourth in total receiving yards by the position (538) and fifth among TEs in receiving yards per game (59.8). His nine-game totals thus far are the most receptions and receiving yards by a tight end at Purdue since Dustin Keller finished the 2007 season with 68 catches for 881 yards. Hopkins hauled in 10 passes for 140 yards against Maryland on Oct. 12, both career highs. His reception total was the most by a Purdue tight end since Tim Stratton finished with 12 against Washington State in the 2001 Sun Bowl and his yardage total the most by a Boilermaker at his position since Dustin Keller had 150 vs. Central Michigan in the 2007 Motor City Bowl. Hopkins' 140 yards receiving vs. the Terrapins are the most in a game by any tight end in the nation, while his 10 receptions are tied for the most by tight ends.
A PAYNE IN THE END ZONE
Redshirt freshman Payne Durham has made the most of his eight receptions thus far, having scored a touchdown on half of them. His four TD catches places him in a tie with true freshman David Bell for the most scoring receptions on the team.
AERIAL ATTACK
With 420 yards passing against Maryland, Jack Plummer became the third Purdue quarterback to throw for at least that many yards in a game in Jeff Brohm's two-plus seasons as the Boilermakers' head coach. Purdue is only the second school in Big Ten history to boast two quarterbacks with 400-yard passing games in a season. Elijah Sindelar had 423 yards at Nevada and 509 yards vs. Vanderbilt, while Jack Plummer had the 420 yards against the Terrapins. Minnesota accomplished the rare feat in 1993. Purdue has passed for 300 or more yards in 14 games under Brohm's leadership. Sindelar's passing yards against Vanderbilt and Nevada remain the top two in a game by a Big Ten quarterback this season and rank second and 17th among all Football Bowl Subdivision QBs.
420+ Passing Yard Games Under Jeff Brohm
| Player | Yards (Rank at Purdue) | Opponent, Date |
| David Blough | 572 (1st) | vs. Missouri, Sept. 15, 2018 |
| Elijah Sindelar | 509 (t6th) | vs. Vanderbilt, Sept. 7, 2019 |
| Elijah Sindelar | 423 (18th) | at Nevada, Aug. 30, 2019 |
| Jack Plummer | 420 (19th) | vs. Maryland, Oct. 12, 2019 |
RINGING THE BELL
David Bell earned back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after the Maryland and Iowa games. He had nine receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland on Oct. 12, followed by 13 catches for 197 yards (most by a freshman in school history and eighth-most all-time) and a touchdown at Iowa on Oct. 19. Bell is the third Boilermaker to earn that conference recognition on multiple occasions, following Frankie Williams (twice in 2012) and Rondale Moore (three times in 2018).
Most Receiving Yards by a True Freshman at Purdue
1 David Bell - 197 at Iowa, Oct. 19, 2019
2 Rondale Moore - 170 vs. Ohio State, Oct. 20, 2018
3 DeAngelo Yancey - 146 vs. Nebraska, Oct. 12, 2013
4 Rondale Moore - 141 at Indiana, Nov. 24, 2018
5 David Bell - 138 vs. Maryland, Oct. 12, 2019
FABULOUS FROSH
Purdue has scored 18 touchdowns in its last seven games and the freshman class has had a hand in 17 of them. The lone exception being a seven-yard pass from Jack Plummer (RS-Freshman) to Zander Horvath vs. Minnesota.
| vs. TCU | Jack Plummer to Amad Anderson Jr., 54-yard pass |
| vs. Minnesota | King Doerue, 8-yard rush |
| King Doerue, 2-yard rush | |
| Jack Plummer to King Doerue, 13-yard pass | |
| at Penn State | Jack Plummer to Amad Anderson Jr., 15-yard pass |
| vs. Maryland | Jack Plummer to David Bell, 23-yard pass |
| King Doerue, 4-yard rush | |
| Jack Plummer to Milton Wright, 59-yard pass | |
| Cory Trice, 37-yard interception return | |
| Jack Plummer to David Bell, 8-yard pass | |
| at Iowa | Jack Plummer to David Bell, 7-yard pass |
| Jack Plummer to Payne Durham, 1-yard pass | |
| vs. Illinois | Aidan O'Connell to Payne Durham, 11-yard pass |
| vs. Nebraska | Jack Plummer to King Doerue, 3-yard pass |
| Jack Plummer to Payne Durham, 16-yard pass | |
| King Doerue, 7-yard rush | |
| David Bell, 9-yard rush |
YOU GOTTA LIKE THESE KIDS
Redshirt or true freshmen top the Boilermakers or share the team lead in a bushel basket of statistical categories, including rushing yards (King Doerue), passing yards (Jack Plummer), receptions (David Bell), receiving yards (Bell), total offense (Plummer), all-purpose yards (Bell), tackles for loss (George Karlaftis), sacks (Karlaftis), interceptions (Cory Trice) and punting (Brooks Cormier).
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Cory Trice's 37-yard pick-six against Maryland marked the fourth straight season Purdue has returned an interception for a touchdown. Trice also picked off another pass in the contest to become the first Boilermaker to have two interceptions in a game since Markus Bailey had a pair against Indiana in 2016.
Purdue Interceptions Returned for Touchdowns in the Last Four Years
2016 Gelen Robinson 78 yards vs. Eastern Kentucky
2017 Ja'Whaun Bentley 76 yards vs. Minnesota
2018 Markus Bailey 41 yards vs. Ohio State
2019 Cory Trice 37 yards vs. Maryland
KING-SIZE PERFORMANCE
Freshman running back King Doerue made his first start against Minnesota on Sept. 28 and rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries (4.7 average) and two touchdowns to go with four receptions for 32 yards and a score. He became the first true freshman with three touchdowns in a game for the Boilermakers since John Standeford against Northwestern at Northwestern on Oct. 14, 2000 (all receiving). Since then, two redshirt freshman have had three-touchdown games – Kory Sheets at Indiana in 2005 (all rushing) and Rob Henry vs. Minnesota in 2010 (all rushing).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Jeff Brohm's offense has utilized a number of Purdue's talented receivers this season. Paced by David Bell's team-high 51 receptions, 13 different Boilermakers have at least one catch on the year and 10 different players have scored at least one touchdown via the passing game thus far.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Including 13 starters, the Boilermakers have had 32 true or redshirt freshman play in the first seven games. WR Amad Anderson Jr. (R-Fr.), RB Alfred Armour (R-Fr.), WR David Bell (T-Fr.), OL Will Bramel (R-Fr.), RB King Doerue (T-Fr.), TE Payne Durham (R-Fr.), S Jalen Grahm (T-Fr.), DT Lawrence Johnson (R-Fr.), DE George Karlaftis (T-Fr.), OL Eric Miller (R-Fr.), QB Jack Plummer (R-Fr.), CB Cory Trice (R-Fr.) and WR Milton Wright (T-Fr.) have started for Purdue. CB Cam Allen (T-Fr.), LB Elijah Ball (R-Fr.), TE Kyle Bilodeau (T-Fr.), WR Jordan Bonner, P Brooks Cormier (T-Fr.), DL Jack Cravaack (R-Fr.), DE Branson Deen (R-Fr.), S Marvin Grant (T-Fr.), RB Da'Joun Hewitt (T-Fr.) OL Jimmy McKenna (R-Fr.), TE Garrett Miller (T-Fr.), CB Jordan Rucker (R-Fr.), LB Khali Saunders (T-Fr.), WR TJ Sheffield (T-Fr.), LB Jack Smith (R-Fr.), DB Kadin Smith (R-Fr.), DT Jack Sullivan (R-Fr.), WR Kory Taylor (R-Fr.) and LB Jacob Wahlberg (T-Fr.) have seen action in games as reserves and on special teams.
GOOD GOLLY, GEORGE
Freshman defensive end George Karlaftis paces Purdue with 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. His nine-game total for TFLs is tied with Cornel Jones' team-high of 12.5 in 13 games from last season and his sack total is the most by an individual at Purdue since Kawann Short finished 2012 with 7.0. He is fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally with an average of 1.4 tackles for loss per game and is 11th in the Big Ten with 0.7 sacks per game. Karlaftis came up with an interception and a sack against TCU, becoming the first Purdue true freshman to do so in a game since Torri Williams at Iowa on Nov. 6, 2004.
BEN'S BEEN BIG
Graduate transfer Ben Holt has been a revelation. Starting all nine games thus far, he has led the Boilermakers in tackles in six contests. His 17 tackles against TCU were the most in a game for a Boilermaker since Willie Fells had 21 in 1997. He currently sits second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with an average of 9.9 tackles per game.
MOVING THE CHAINS
David Bell and Brycen Hopkins have made the most of their receptions this season. For Bell, 35 of his 51 catches (67 percent) have been for a first down, touchdown or both. Hopkins is at 67 percent, having converted 28 of his 42 receptions into a first down or score.
FOCUS ON FAKASIIEIKI
Prior to this season, Semisi Fakasiieiki had recorded eight career tackles in 12 games (all last season after not playing in 2016 and 2017). Over the last four games, the defensive end-turned-linebacker has totaled 18 stops, including 2.5 for loss and one sack. Fakasiieiki had seven tackles against Illinois on Oct. 26 and five stops vs. Nebraska last weekend.
BOOTING IT
J.D. Dellinger booted a career-long 53-yard field goal against TCU. It is tied for the third-longest kick in Purdue history. Dellinger has made nine of 11 field goal attempts this season, and his career total of 29 field goals places solely in seventh in school annals. His two misses this season are from 42 and 52 yards out.
Dellinger also has recorded 28 touchbacks among his 42 kickoffs this season. For his career, Dellinger is 25 of 29 on field goal attempts up to 39 yards.
Purdue Longest Field Goals
59 – Carson Wiggs vs. Toledo, 2009
55 – Carson Wiggs vs. Ohio State, 2009
53 – Carson Wiggs at Ohio State, 2008
53 – Carson Wiggs vs. Minnesota, 2011
53 – Paul Griggs vs. Wisconsin, 2014
53 – J.D. Dellinger vs. TCU, 2019
Purdue Career Field Goals
1 Travis Dorsch (1998-2001) - 68
2 Carson Wiggs (2008-11) - 56
3 Ben Jones (2003-05) - 43
4 Jonathan Briggs (1985-87) - 36
5 Chris Summers (2006-09) - 31
Paul Griggs (2012-15) - 31
7 J.D. Dellinger (2016-) - 29
TOUCHDOWN TRIO
Purdue has had three quarterbacks throw a touchdown pass (Elijah Sindelar, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell) for the first time since the 2013 season (Danny Etling, Rob Henry and Austin Appleby).
TRENDING UP IN ATTENDANCE
Purdue's home-opening crowd of 50,506 on Sept. 7 against Vanderbilt was the largest to begin a season since 2008 when 51,476 Black and Gold faithful turned up to see Joe Tiller's Boilermakers knock off Northern Colorado 42-10. The following week against TCU saw a crowd of 60,037 show up to mark the largest crowd to witness a non-conference game at Ross-Ade since 61,127 fans attended the Boilermakers' Sept. 14, 2013, game against Notre Dame. The 52,296 homecoming crowd for the Maryland game Oct. 12 was an increase of 5,177 fans that took in homecoming vs. No. 23 Boston College last year.
In 2018, the Boilermakers attracted two capacity crowds of 60,716 at Ross-Ade Stadium – for the Ohio State and Iowa games – a first since 2007. Purdue's home attendance average of 51,120 was the highest since the 2008 season. Over the last three seasons, the Boilermakers have seen their attendance grow 33 percent (from 34,451 in 2016), tops in the country. Purdue was the only school to see its average increase by 3,000 from both 2016 to 2017 (nation-best 13,433) and from 2017 to 2018 (3,236). The trend appears to be on it's way to extending in 2019, with Purdue's faithful fanatics purchasing over 22,000 season tickets to go along with 10,575 student tickets.
ACADEMICS ARE JOB NO. 1
Five current Boilermakers have earned their bachelor's degrees: Markus Bailey (movement and sport sciences), Danny Carollo (selling and sales management), Matt McCann (building construction management technology), Elijah Sindelar (electrical engineering) and graduate transfer Ben Holt (interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on business at Western Kentucky). Bailey, Holt and McCann each are working on their master's degree in leadership this fall, while Sindelar is working on a master's in electrical engineering and Carollo is pursuing a minor in communication. Through the spring 2019 semester, the Boilermakers boasted a composite grade-point average of 2.93. Last season, a school-record 29 football players earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
#TYLERSTRONG
Prior to the Vanderbilt game Sept. 7, Purdue honored the legacy of Tyler Trent with the opening of the T-Squared Student Gate on the northeast side of Ross-Ade Stadium. Trent, who predicted the Boilermakers' historic 49-20 over No. 2 Ohio State last season, became a national inspiration with his fight for the advocacy of pediatric cancer treatment and research while battling osteosarcoma himself. He passed away Jan. 1, 2019, at the age of 20. Tyler's family, Tony (father), Kelly (mother), Blake (brother) and Ethan (brother), along with his best friend Josh Seals and Tyler Trent Courage and Resilience Award recipient Sean English, were the first to enter Ross-Ade through the re-named Trent Gate. Seals camped out with Tyler prior to the 2017 Michigan game when Tyler's battle with osteosarcoma first came to light.
TYLER TRENT TEAM CAPTAINS
Head coach Jeff Brohm announced the six 2019 Tyler Trent team captains after the first fall camp practice. Voted on by their teammates, offensive lineman Grant Hermanns, tight end Brycen Hopkins and quarterback Elijah Sindelar were named offensive captains, while linebacker Markus Bailey, safety Navon Mosley and tackle Lorenzo Neal were named from the defense. All of the 2019 captains are seniors, with Bailey, Neal and Sindelar voted to represent the team in back-to-back years. Brohm renamed the captaincy during the Boilermakers' spring game in April to honor the legacy of Purdue fan and 2018 captain Tyler Trent. Trent fought for the advocacy of pediatric cancer treatment and research while battling osteosarcoma himself. He passed away Jan. 1, 2019, at the age of 20.
PRO BOILERS
Ten Boilermakers have made National Football League opening-day 53-man rosters:
Ricardo Allen, S - Atlanta Falcons
Ja'Whaun Bentley, LB - New England Patriots
David Blough, QB - Detroit Lions
Drew Brees, QB - New Orleans Saints
Anthony Brown, CB - Dallas Cowboys
Dennis Kelly, T - Tennessee Titans
Ryan Kerrigan, LB - Washington Redskins
Raheem Mostert, RB - San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Pamphile, G - Tennessee Titans
Kawann Short, DT - Carolina Panthers