Game Notes
Purdue-Iowa Series Data Purdue leads 48-39-3 Current Streak: Iowa won the last meeting snapping a two-game Purdue streak. In West Lafayette: Purdue leads 28-17-1 First Meeting: Oct. 22, 1910 – Iowa won 16-0 in West Lafayette. Last Meeting: Oct. 19, 2019 – Iowa won 26-20 in Iowa City. Noteworthy: Senior kicker Spencer Evans booted a 25-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lead the Boilermakers to a 38-36 victory over the 19th-ranked Hawkeyes in Ross-Ade Stadium in 2018. Iowa was the third nationally ranked team Purdue knocked off that season (also No. 23 Boston College and No. 2 Ohio State). Senior wide receiver Terry Wright caught three touchdown passes and finished the contest with six receptions for 146 yards en route to being named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Evans took home B1G Special Teams Player of the Week honors ... Starting in 1961 and lasting until 1980, the Boilermakers won 20 consecutive games against the Hawkeyes, the longest winning streak by Purdue against any Big Ten team in school history.
Season Openers Purdue will begin its 133rd season Oct. 24 vs. Iowa. The Boilermakers are 76-50-6 in the first game of the season, but have dropped the last three straight. Due to the current CoVid-19 pandemic, the Boilermakers will open their season against a Big Ten opponent for the 18th time in school history. The Oct. 24 start date is the latest Purdue has had its first game in calendar year since 1918, when it opened the season with a 9-7 loss against DePauw on Oct. 26. Openers vs. Big Ten Opponents Oct. 8, 1892 – at Illinois, W 12-6* Oct. 14, 1893 – Indiana, W 64-0* Oct. 20, 1906 – at Chicago, L 0-39 Oct. 3, 1908 – at Chicago, L 0-39 Oct. 2, 1909 – at Chicago, L 0-40 Oct. 5, 1935 – at Northwestern, W 7-0 Sept. 27, 1947 – at Wisconsin, L 14-32 Sept. 24, 1949 – at Northwestern, L 6-20 Sept. 15, 1973 – at Wisconsin, W 14-13 Sept. 14, 1974 – Wisconsin, L 14-28 Sept. 13, 1975 – at Northwestern, L 25-31 Sept. 11, 1976 – Northwestern, W 31-19 Sept. 10, 1977 – at Michigan State, L 14-19 Sept. 16, 1978 – Michigan State, W 21-14 Sept. 8, 1979 – Wisconsin, W 41-20 Aug. 31, 1996 – at Michigan State, L 14-52 Aug. 30, 2018 – Northwestern, L 27-31 * denotes Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Open House The Boilermakers are 90-37-4 in home-opening games. They have won 20 of their last 22 home openers, including a 42-24 win over Vanderbilt last season and Jeff Brohm's first victory as the Boilermakers' head coach, a 44-21 primetime victory over Ohio in 2017.
Last Ride For Lorenzo After missing the entire 2019 season, fifth-year senior Lorenzo Neal returns for his final season with the Boilermakers. Prior to missing 2019, Neal had appeared in 32 career games at defensive tackle over three seasons with 29 starts. He enters the 2020 season 63 career tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Back-to-Back Rondale Moore (2018) and David Bell's (2019) back-to-back Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors are Purdue's first since Brian Fox and Eric Hunter were feted in 1988 and 1989, respectively, and merely the fifth time in conference history for players from the same school to be recognized in consecutive years (also Michigan's Steve Breaston and Mike Hart in 2003 and 2004, Wisconsin's Chris Borland and James White in 2009 and 2010, and Penn State's Deion Barnes and Christian Hackenberg in 2011 and 2012).
Back 4 Moore Rondale Moore opted out of the 2019 season in August, but had a change of heart and rejoined the Boilermakers in September. Moore, who missed all but four games last season, electrified college football as a true freshman in 2018. That season, he became merely the third player in Big Ten history to record 100 or more receptions, finishing with 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He broke the school record for all-purpose yards for both a game (313 vs. Northwestern) and in a season (2,215) en route to winning the 2018 Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player. He was named a consensus All-American in 2018, becoming the first true freshman in Big Ten history to be so honored. Moore in 2018 • Paul Hornung Award recipient as the nation's most versatile player. • First true freshman consensus All-American in Big Ten history. • First-team All-America by the Associated Press. • First-team All-America by Football Writers Association of America. • First-team All-America by ESPN.com. • First-team All-America by Sports Illustrated. • First-team All-America by CBS Sports. • Second-team All-America by the Sporting News. • First-team Freshman All-America by the Associated Press. • Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year. • Big Ten Freshman of the Year. • First-team All-Big Ten (wide receiver and special teams). • Four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. • Broke the school record for most all-purpose yards in a season (2,215). • Broke the school record for most all-purpose yards in a game (313). • Tied the school record for most 100-yard receiving games (7). • Caught 11 or more passes in a game six times. • Is merely the third player in Big Ten history with 100 or more receptions (114) in a season.
Moore Bell Rondale Moore and David Bell played in only four games together last season and never really had the time to impact the opposing defense's mindset. Bell found his stride in the Minnesota game, the same game that saw Moore go down for the year, finishing the final nine games of the year averaging 8.9 receptions and just under a 100 yards per game. In the nine-game stretch, Bell had six games over 100 yards receiving, including a season-high 197 yards at No. 23 Iowa, and caught six touchdown passes.
Brohms Away Despite having to utilize the talents of a number of different players over his first three seasons due to injury, head coach Jeff Brohm's offense has thrived regardless of who is available on any given Saturday. The Boilermakers have averaged 413.9 yards of total offense and 27.2 points per game in 38 games under Brohm's leadership. Despite having to use four different quarterbacks (David Blough, Elijah Sindelar, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell), collectively Brohm's three squads have passed for 3,000 yards each year, including 3,998 yards in 2018 alone.
Sophomore Sensations (Offense) The definition of sophomore in Greek is "Wise or Enlightened Fool", but Purdue's second-year class is anything but. As true or redshirt freshmen last year, the 2020 sophomore class includes 2019's leading rusher (King Doerue, 130 carries for 451 yards) and receiver (David Bell, 86 receptions for 1,035). The sophomores also accounted for 56 percent of Purdue's rushing touchdowns and 59 percent of the Boilermakers' receiving scores from a year ago.
Superb Sophomores (Defense) While not as numerous as the offense, Purdue's 2019 freshman class chipped in plenty on their own. Starting all 12 games as a true freshman, end George Karlaftis paced the Boilermakers with 17.0 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. Redshirt freshman Cory Trice and true freshman Cam Allen combined for four interceptions, including a team-high-tying three for Trice with one being returned 37 yards for a touchdown against Maryland.
Dependable Derrick Senior Derrick Barnes has been a mainstay in Purdue's defensive lineup each of his previous three seasons. He has appeared in 37 career games, including 25 starts, heading into 2020. He has been among the top tacklers on the team each of the last two seasons, finishing second with 63 stops last season and posting a career-high 92 tackles in 2018 to finish third for the Boilermakers. He tied for the team lead in sacks last season with George Karlaftis (7.5).
Many Happy Returns Cory Trice's 37-yard pick-6 against Maryland last year marked the fourth straight season Purdue has returned an interception for a TD. 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
Dandy Dellinger Kicker J.D. Dellinger enters his final season at Purdue third in school history in career field goal percentage and fifth in field goals made. Dellinger has connected on 33 of his 45 attempts as a Boilermaker (73.3 percent). As a junior last season, he was a career-best 13 of 16 on field goals, including a career-long 53-yarder against TCU. On kickoffs, Dellinger improved from seven touchbacks as a freshman to 40 last season. Purdue Career Field Goal Percentage 1. .765 (26-34) – Spencer Evans, 2017-18 2. .737 (56-76) – Carson Wiggs, 2008-11 3. .733 (33-45) – J.D. Dellinger, 2016-17, 2019-
Purdue Career Field Goals 1. 68 – Travis Dorsch, 1998-2001 2. 56 – Carson Wiggs, 2008-11 3. 43 – Ben Jones, 2003-05 4. 36 – Jonathan Briggs, 1985-87 5. 33 – J.D. Dellinger, 2016-17, 2019-
Aerial Attack With 420 yards passing against Maryland (Plummer) and 408 yards against Indian last season, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell became the third and fourth Purdue quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in a game in Jeff Brohm's first three seasons as the Boilermakers' head coach. Purdue is the only school in Big Ten history to boast three quarterbacks with 400-yard passing games in the same season. Elijah Sindelar had 423 yards at Nevada and 509 yards vs. Vanderbilt earlier in 2019. Purdue has passed for 300 or more yards in 16 games under Brohm's leadership. 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
Aidan O'Connell - 408 (25th) - vs. Indiana, Nov. 30, 2019
Honoring Morgan Burke The Boilermakers will honor the life and legacy of former vice president and director of athletics Morgan J. Burke with a sticker on the rear of their helmets this season. Burke passed away June 15 after a year-long battle with amyloidosis (a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein builds up in organs and interferes with their normal function). He was 68. Burke headed up Purdue athletics from 1993 to 2016. Burke is survived by his wife, Kate, three children – Joyce (husband Ryan), Morgan Jr. (wife Molly) and Patrick (wife Courtney) – and four grandchildren: Kate, Andrew, Parker June and Emily.
Purdue-Iowa Series Data Purdue leads 48-39-3 Current Streak: Iowa won the last meeting snapping a two-game Purdue streak. In West Lafayette: Purdue leads 28-17-1 First Meeting: Oct. 22, 1910 – Iowa won 16-0 in West Lafayette. Last Meeting: Oct. 19, 2019 – Iowa won 26-20 in Iowa City. Noteworthy: Senior kicker Spencer Evans booted a 25-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lead the Boilermakers to a 38-36 victory over the 19th-ranked Hawkeyes in Ross-Ade Stadium in 2018. Iowa was the third nationally ranked team Purdue knocked off that season (also No. 23 Boston College and No. 2 Ohio State). Senior wide receiver Terry Wright caught three touchdown passes and finished the contest with six receptions for 146 yards en route to being named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Evans took home B1G Special Teams Player of the Week honors ... Starting in 1961 and lasting until 1980, the Boilermakers won 20 consecutive games against the Hawkeyes, the longest winning streak by Purdue against any Big Ten team in school history.
Season Openers Purdue will begin its 133rd season Oct. 24 vs. Iowa. The Boilermakers are 76-50-6 in the first game of the season, but have dropped the last three straight. Due to the current CoVid-19 pandemic, the Boilermakers will open their season against a Big Ten opponent for the 18th time in school history. The Oct. 24 start date is the latest Purdue has had its first game in calendar year since 1918, when it opened the season with a 9-7 loss against DePauw on Oct. 26. Openers vs. Big Ten Opponents Oct. 8, 1892 – at Illinois, W 12-6* Oct. 14, 1893 – Indiana, W 64-0* Oct. 20, 1906 – at Chicago, L 0-39 Oct. 3, 1908 – at Chicago, L 0-39 Oct. 2, 1909 – at Chicago, L 0-40 Oct. 5, 1935 – at Northwestern, W 7-0 Sept. 27, 1947 – at Wisconsin, L 14-32 Sept. 24, 1949 – at Northwestern, L 6-20 Sept. 15, 1973 – at Wisconsin, W 14-13 Sept. 14, 1974 – Wisconsin, L 14-28 Sept. 13, 1975 – at Northwestern, L 25-31 Sept. 11, 1976 – Northwestern, W 31-19 Sept. 10, 1977 – at Michigan State, L 14-19 Sept. 16, 1978 – Michigan State, W 21-14 Sept. 8, 1979 – Wisconsin, W 41-20 Aug. 31, 1996 – at Michigan State, L 14-52 Aug. 30, 2018 – Northwestern, L 27-31 * denotes Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Open House The Boilermakers are 90-37-4 in home-opening games. They have won 20 of their last 22 home openers, including a 42-24 win over Vanderbilt last season and Jeff Brohm's first victory as the Boilermakers' head coach, a 44-21 primetime victory over Ohio in 2017.
Last Ride For Lorenzo After missing the entire 2019 season, fifth-year senior Lorenzo Neal returns for his final season with the Boilermakers. Prior to missing 2019, Neal had appeared in 32 career games at defensive tackle over three seasons with 29 starts. He enters the 2020 season 63 career tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Back-to-Back Rondale Moore (2018) and David Bell's (2019) back-to-back Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors are Purdue's first since Brian Fox and Eric Hunter were feted in 1988 and 1989, respectively, and merely the fifth time in conference history for players from the same school to be recognized in consecutive years (also Michigan's Steve Breaston and Mike Hart in 2003 and 2004, Wisconsin's Chris Borland and James White in 2009 and 2010, and Penn State's Deion Barnes and Christian Hackenberg in 2011 and 2012).
Back 4 Moore Rondale Moore opted out of the 2019 season in August, but had a change of heart and rejoined the Boilermakers in September. Moore, who missed all but four games last season, electrified college football as a true freshman in 2018. That season, he became merely the third player in Big Ten history to record 100 or more receptions, finishing with 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He broke the school record for all-purpose yards for both a game (313 vs. Northwestern) and in a season (2,215) en route to winning the 2018 Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player. He was named a consensus All-American in 2018, becoming the first true freshman in Big Ten history to be so honored. Moore in 2018 • Paul Hornung Award recipient as the nation's most versatile player. • First true freshman consensus All-American in Big Ten history. • First-team All-America by the Associated Press. • First-team All-America by Football Writers Association of America. • First-team All-America by ESPN.com. • First-team All-America by Sports Illustrated. • First-team All-America by CBS Sports. • Second-team All-America by the Sporting News. • First-team Freshman All-America by the Associated Press. • Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year. • Big Ten Freshman of the Year. • First-team All-Big Ten (wide receiver and special teams). • Four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. • Broke the school record for most all-purpose yards in a season (2,215). • Broke the school record for most all-purpose yards in a game (313). • Tied the school record for most 100-yard receiving games (7). • Caught 11 or more passes in a game six times. • Is merely the third player in Big Ten history with 100 or more receptions (114) in a season.
Moore Bell Rondale Moore and David Bell played in only four games together last season and never really had the time to impact the opposing defense's mindset. Bell found his stride in the Minnesota game, the same game that saw Moore go down for the year, finishing the final nine games of the year averaging 8.9 receptions and just under a 100 yards per game. In the nine-game stretch, Bell had six games over 100 yards receiving, including a season-high 197 yards at No. 23 Iowa, and caught six touchdown passes.
Brohms Away Despite having to utilize the talents of a number of different players over his first three seasons due to injury, head coach Jeff Brohm's offense has thrived regardless of who is available on any given Saturday. The Boilermakers have averaged 413.9 yards of total offense and 27.2 points per game in 38 games under Brohm's leadership. Despite having to use four different quarterbacks (David Blough, Elijah Sindelar, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell), collectively Brohm's three squads have passed for 3,000 yards each year, including 3,998 yards in 2018 alone.
Sophomore Sensations (Offense) The definition of sophomore in Greek is "Wise or Enlightened Fool", but Purdue's second-year class is anything but. As true or redshirt freshmen last year, the 2020 sophomore class includes 2019's leading rusher (King Doerue, 130 carries for 451 yards) and receiver (David Bell, 86 receptions for 1,035). The sophomores also accounted for 56 percent of Purdue's rushing touchdowns and 59 percent of the Boilermakers' receiving scores from a year ago.
Superb Sophomores (Defense) While not as numerous as the offense, Purdue's 2019 freshman class chipped in plenty on their own. Starting all 12 games as a true freshman, end George Karlaftis paced the Boilermakers with 17.0 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. Redshirt freshman Cory Trice and true freshman Cam Allen combined for four interceptions, including a team-high-tying three for Trice with one being returned 37 yards for a touchdown against Maryland.
Dependable Derrick Senior Derrick Barnes has been a mainstay in Purdue's defensive lineup each of his previous three seasons. He has appeared in 37 career games, including 25 starts, heading into 2020. He has been among the top tacklers on the team each of the last two seasons, finishing second with 63 stops last season and posting a career-high 92 tackles in 2018 to finish third for the Boilermakers. He tied for the team lead in sacks last season with George Karlaftis (7.5).
Many Happy Returns Cory Trice's 37-yard pick-6 against Maryland last year marked the fourth straight season Purdue has returned an interception for a TD. 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
Dandy Dellinger Kicker J.D. Dellinger enters his final season at Purdue third in school history in career field goal percentage and fifth in field goals made. Dellinger has connected on 33 of his 45 attempts as a Boilermaker (73.3 percent). As a junior last season, he was a career-best 13 of 16 on field goals, including a career-long 53-yarder against TCU. On kickoffs, Dellinger improved from seven touchbacks as a freshman to 40 last season. Purdue Career Field Goal Percentage 1. .765 (26-34) – Spencer Evans, 2017-18 2. .737 (56-76) – Carson Wiggs, 2008-11 3. .733 (33-45) – J.D. Dellinger, 2016-17, 2019-
Purdue Career Field Goals 1. 68 – Travis Dorsch, 1998-2001 2. 56 – Carson Wiggs, 2008-11 3. 43 – Ben Jones, 2003-05 4. 36 – Jonathan Briggs, 1985-87 5. 33 – J.D. Dellinger, 2016-17, 2019-
Aerial Attack With 420 yards passing against Maryland (Plummer) and 408 yards against Indian last season, Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell became the third and fourth Purdue quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in a game in Jeff Brohm's first three seasons as the Boilermakers' head coach. Purdue is the only school in Big Ten history to boast three quarterbacks with 400-yard passing games in the same season. Elijah Sindelar had 423 yards at Nevada and 509 yards vs. Vanderbilt earlier in 2019. Purdue has passed for 300 or more yards in 16 games under Brohm's leadership. 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
Aidan O'Connell - 408 (25th) - vs. Indiana, Nov. 30, 2019
Honoring Morgan Burke The Boilermakers will honor the life and legacy of former vice president and director of athletics Morgan J. Burke with a sticker on the rear of their helmets this season. Burke passed away June 15 after a year-long battle with amyloidosis (a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein builds up in organs and interferes with their normal function). He was 68. Burke headed up Purdue athletics from 1993 to 2016. Burke is survived by his wife, Kate, three children – Joyce (husband Ryan), Morgan Jr. (wife Molly) and Patrick (wife Courtney) – and four grandchildren: Kate, Andrew, Parker June and Emily.