WEST LAFAYETTE - No. 25 Purdue Football (4-2, 2-1) hosts Big Ten Conference foe Wisconsin (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday, Oct. 23, in front of what has already been announced as a sellout crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium. Head coach Jeff Brohm's Boilermakers will aim to keep the train rolling after the tremendous 24-7 win at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), the program's second-straight victory over an AP No. 2-ranked squad.
As announced on Sept. 22, Saturday's game against the Badgers will be a capacity crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium. Notably, the day is also Purdue's Hammer Down Cancer Game. The Boilermakers head into Saturday's game with a 4-2 record for the first time since the 2010 season. With a win against Wisconsin, Purdue would improve to 5-2 for the first time since 2007.
PURDUE - WISCONSIN SERIES HISTORY
• Purdue is 29-50-8 all-time against Wisconsin and will be looking for its first win in the series since 2003 on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Historically, the Boilermakers are 16-22-3 at home against the Badgers. The most recent home Purdue victory over Wisconsin dates back to the 1997 season, when the Boilers rolled the No. 24-ranked Badgers, 45-20 (Oct. 18, 1997).
• The Boilermakers and head coach Jeff Brohm came close to snapping its slide against the Badgers in 2018, dropping a triple overtime heart-breaker, 44-47 (Nov. 17, 2018).
• Interestingly, the Boilermakers have more ties, eight, vs. Wisconsin than any other opponent in school history. The series dates back to 1892 and is Purdue's fourth-longest contested matchup. Earlier first meetings include: Illinois (1890), Michigan (1890) and Indiana (1891).
RANKED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2007
• The Boilermakers are back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since the 2007 season, earning a No. 25 nod for the Week 8 (Oct. 17) edition of the poll. Back in the 2007 season, Purdue's 5-0 start to the season vaulted the Boilermakers to No. 23 in the Week 5 (Sept. 30, 2007) poll.
• For head coach Jeff Brohm, he previously led a squad into the Top 25 during his three-year tenure at Western Kentucky. His 2015 program made two appearances in the Top 25, earning the 25th slot for the Week 14 (Dec. 6, 2015) poll and finishing 24th in the season's final poll.
• All-time, Purdue is 3-0 when ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll. Most recently, Purdue won two games as the nation's No. 25 team during the 2004 season under Joe Tiller's guidance. Tiller's Boiler squad defeated Syracuse (51-0, Sept. 5, 2004) and Ball State (59-7, Sept. 11, 2004) during a 5-0 start to that campaign.
RING THE BELL
• If you hadn't heard Bell before the Iowa game, now you have. The junior WR from Indianapolis (Warren Central HS) torched the No. 2 Hawkeyes for 240 receiving yards (11 catches), the second-highest yardage total in team history, behind only Chris Daniels' 301 vs. Michigan State (October 16, 1999).
• Bell's effort against Iowa sets him as the eighth Boilermaker to have 200-plus receiving yards in a game and the first since Rondale Moore had 220 vs. Vanderbilt (September 7, 2019).
• Also within the Iowa game was a season-long 60-yard snag for Bell, which is the longest play from scrimmage for the Boilermakers in 2021. His longest is an 89-yard touchdown reception vs. Nebraska during the 2020 season (Dec. 5).
• Bell has surpassed 100 receiving yards in 14 of his 23 career games at Purdue, which ties the program record held previously solely by John Standeford.
• Bell started his 2021 campaign with a 134-yard, eight-catch effort vs. Oregon State (Sept. 4) and a 121-yard, six-catch, three-touchdown outing at UConn (Sept. 11).
• Bell missed the Minnesota (Oct. 2) game due to being in concussion protocol after taking a hit to his upper body in the second half at Notre Dame (Sept. 18).
• The Boilermaker star ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (135.8), and first in the Big Ten Conference.
• For his career, Bell is averaging 7.7 catches per game, 101.7 yards per game and 0.2 touchdown receptions per game. His 101.7 receiving yards per game is No. 1 in the NCAA FBS for active careers. His 7.7 receptions per game is currently the second-most for an active NCAA career, only trailing Western Kentucky's Jerreth Sterns (8.7).
• The three-TD game for Bell at UConn matched his career-high he set against Iowa last season (Oct. 24, 2020). He is just the second Purdue WR in school history with multiple three-TD reception games, joining Taylor Stubblefield (2001-04).
GOODBYE, NUMBER TWO
• With the win against No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), Purdue improved to 6-10 all-time against teams ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, and the Boilermakers have won two in a row, including the 49-20 win against second-ranked Ohio State on October 20, 2018
• The Boilermakers have 16 wins over top-five opponents when they are unranked, the most in the country.
• The Iowa win is Purdue's first against a top-2 foe on the road since a 31-20 victory at Notre Dame on September 28, 1974.
DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
• The Boilermakers have gotten tremendously stingy on defense, ranking fifth nationally in scoring defense (14.0) through six games this season. In the neighborhood with Purdue includes: Georgia (6.6), Clemson (12.5), Cincinnati (13.7) and Penn State (13.8).
• Brohm's squad is uniquely one of seven programs in the country to average more than 420.0 yards of total offense and less than 300.0 yards of total defense (Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Georgia, Iowa State, Liberty, NC State).
• The Boilermaker defense had four interceptions at Iowa (Oct. 16), the most since 2018, a four-INT game against Boston College (Sept. 22, 2018), and the four takeaways is the team's most since it had four at Wisconsin (Nov. 23, 2019).
• Purdue's defense is led by a new array of assistant coaches selected to join the Boilermaker staff by head coach Jeff Brohm during the offseason leading up to the 2021 season. Three new co-defensive coordinators were hired, Brad Lambert, previously at Marshall, and Ron English, previously at Florida. In his second stint on Purdue's staff, Mark Hagen was selected by Brohm and elevated to co-defensive coordinator.
• Lambert and English coach the linebacker and secondary groups, respectively, while Hagen returned to Purdue in 2021 to lead the defensive line. Brohm also added cornerbacks coach James Adams to his staff from Navy.
TWO B1G PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Junior WR David Bell and junior S Cam Allen were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, Oct. 18, with both honors coming on the heels of Purdue's win at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16).
• The dual awards have not landed in Purdue's hands together in the same week since the 2018 season. QB David Blough and LB Markus Bailey earned the honors following the Boilermakers' win over No. 2 Ohio State.
WE HAVE LIFT OFF
• Fifth-year senior QB Aidan O'Connell was fantastic in the win at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), throwing for 375 yards on 30-40-0 passing, including two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. O'Connell was recognized as one of the Davey O'Brien Award's "Great 8" quarterbacks on Monday, Oct. 18. The effort was the fourth 300-yard passing game for O'Connell in his Boilermaker career.
• For O'Connell, 375 yards would seem like a career-best type of performance, but the Boilermaker signal caller actually threw for a career-high 408 yards (28-49-1) and three touchdowns vs. Indiana to close the 2019 season (Nov. 30, 2019).
• O'Connell threw for an outstanding 357 yards on 33-51-1 passing, including one touchdown toss, in the setback to Minnesota (Oct. 2).
• With five career 300-yard passing games, junior QB Jack Plummer is tied for No. 8 in program history with Billy Dicken.
• The effort by O'Connell at Iowa (Oct. 16) was the 20th 300-yard passing performance during head coach Jeff Brohm's tenure with the Boilermakers.
300-YARD PASSING GAMES UNDER BROHM
David Blough - 7
Jack Plummer - 5
Aidan O'Connell - 4
Elijah Sindelar - 4
MORE BELL RINGING
• Junior WR David Bell has put together a Top 10 receiving career at Purdue, as he ranks in the school's all-time Top 10 for receptions (9th), receiving yards (8th) and receiving touchdowns (8th).
• Heading into 2021, WR David Bell was named to the watch lists for Maxwell Award (most outstanding player) and Biletnikoff Award (outstanding receiver). He was the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and also picked up first-team all-conference honors.
CAREER RECEPTIONS
4. Tim Stratton (1998-01) - 204
5. Greg Orton (2005-08) - 203
6. Rodney Carter (1982-85) - 181
7. Dave Young (1977-80) - 180
8. Rondale Moore (2018-20) - 178
9. David Bell (2019- ) - 177
10. Vinny Sutherland (1997-00) - 176
11. Chris Daniels (1996-99) - 170
CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
3. Dorien Bryant (2004-07) - 3,548
4. Brian Alford (1994-97) - 3,029
5. Vinny Sutherland (1997-00) - 2,370
6. Greg Orton (2005-08) - 2,356
7. DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) - 2,344
8. David Bell (2019- ) - 2,339
9. Dave Young (1977-80) - 2,316
10. Steve Griffin (1982-85) - 2,234
CAREER RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
5. Taylor Stubblefield (2001-04) - 21
Dorien Bryant (2004-07) - 21
7. DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) - 20
8. David Bell (2019- ) - 19
9. Jim Beirne (1965-67) - 17
Calvin Williams (1986-89) - 17
As announced on Sept. 22, Saturday's game against the Badgers will be a capacity crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium. Notably, the day is also Purdue's Hammer Down Cancer Game. The Boilermakers head into Saturday's game with a 4-2 record for the first time since the 2010 season. With a win against Wisconsin, Purdue would improve to 5-2 for the first time since 2007.
PURDUE - WISCONSIN SERIES HISTORY
• Purdue is 29-50-8 all-time against Wisconsin and will be looking for its first win in the series since 2003 on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Historically, the Boilermakers are 16-22-3 at home against the Badgers. The most recent home Purdue victory over Wisconsin dates back to the 1997 season, when the Boilers rolled the No. 24-ranked Badgers, 45-20 (Oct. 18, 1997).
• The Boilermakers and head coach Jeff Brohm came close to snapping its slide against the Badgers in 2018, dropping a triple overtime heart-breaker, 44-47 (Nov. 17, 2018).
• Interestingly, the Boilermakers have more ties, eight, vs. Wisconsin than any other opponent in school history. The series dates back to 1892 and is Purdue's fourth-longest contested matchup. Earlier first meetings include: Illinois (1890), Michigan (1890) and Indiana (1891).
RANKED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2007
• The Boilermakers are back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since the 2007 season, earning a No. 25 nod for the Week 8 (Oct. 17) edition of the poll. Back in the 2007 season, Purdue's 5-0 start to the season vaulted the Boilermakers to No. 23 in the Week 5 (Sept. 30, 2007) poll.
• For head coach Jeff Brohm, he previously led a squad into the Top 25 during his three-year tenure at Western Kentucky. His 2015 program made two appearances in the Top 25, earning the 25th slot for the Week 14 (Dec. 6, 2015) poll and finishing 24th in the season's final poll.
• All-time, Purdue is 3-0 when ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll. Most recently, Purdue won two games as the nation's No. 25 team during the 2004 season under Joe Tiller's guidance. Tiller's Boiler squad defeated Syracuse (51-0, Sept. 5, 2004) and Ball State (59-7, Sept. 11, 2004) during a 5-0 start to that campaign.
RING THE BELL
• If you hadn't heard Bell before the Iowa game, now you have. The junior WR from Indianapolis (Warren Central HS) torched the No. 2 Hawkeyes for 240 receiving yards (11 catches), the second-highest yardage total in team history, behind only Chris Daniels' 301 vs. Michigan State (October 16, 1999).
• Bell's effort against Iowa sets him as the eighth Boilermaker to have 200-plus receiving yards in a game and the first since Rondale Moore had 220 vs. Vanderbilt (September 7, 2019).
• Also within the Iowa game was a season-long 60-yard snag for Bell, which is the longest play from scrimmage for the Boilermakers in 2021. His longest is an 89-yard touchdown reception vs. Nebraska during the 2020 season (Dec. 5).
• Bell has surpassed 100 receiving yards in 14 of his 23 career games at Purdue, which ties the program record held previously solely by John Standeford.
• Bell started his 2021 campaign with a 134-yard, eight-catch effort vs. Oregon State (Sept. 4) and a 121-yard, six-catch, three-touchdown outing at UConn (Sept. 11).
• Bell missed the Minnesota (Oct. 2) game due to being in concussion protocol after taking a hit to his upper body in the second half at Notre Dame (Sept. 18).
• The Boilermaker star ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (135.8), and first in the Big Ten Conference.
• For his career, Bell is averaging 7.7 catches per game, 101.7 yards per game and 0.2 touchdown receptions per game. His 101.7 receiving yards per game is No. 1 in the NCAA FBS for active careers. His 7.7 receptions per game is currently the second-most for an active NCAA career, only trailing Western Kentucky's Jerreth Sterns (8.7).
• The three-TD game for Bell at UConn matched his career-high he set against Iowa last season (Oct. 24, 2020). He is just the second Purdue WR in school history with multiple three-TD reception games, joining Taylor Stubblefield (2001-04).
GOODBYE, NUMBER TWO
• With the win against No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), Purdue improved to 6-10 all-time against teams ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, and the Boilermakers have won two in a row, including the 49-20 win against second-ranked Ohio State on October 20, 2018
• The Boilermakers have 16 wins over top-five opponents when they are unranked, the most in the country.
• The Iowa win is Purdue's first against a top-2 foe on the road since a 31-20 victory at Notre Dame on September 28, 1974.
DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
• The Boilermakers have gotten tremendously stingy on defense, ranking fifth nationally in scoring defense (14.0) through six games this season. In the neighborhood with Purdue includes: Georgia (6.6), Clemson (12.5), Cincinnati (13.7) and Penn State (13.8).
• Brohm's squad is uniquely one of seven programs in the country to average more than 420.0 yards of total offense and less than 300.0 yards of total defense (Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Georgia, Iowa State, Liberty, NC State).
• The Boilermaker defense had four interceptions at Iowa (Oct. 16), the most since 2018, a four-INT game against Boston College (Sept. 22, 2018), and the four takeaways is the team's most since it had four at Wisconsin (Nov. 23, 2019).
• Purdue's defense is led by a new array of assistant coaches selected to join the Boilermaker staff by head coach Jeff Brohm during the offseason leading up to the 2021 season. Three new co-defensive coordinators were hired, Brad Lambert, previously at Marshall, and Ron English, previously at Florida. In his second stint on Purdue's staff, Mark Hagen was selected by Brohm and elevated to co-defensive coordinator.
• Lambert and English coach the linebacker and secondary groups, respectively, while Hagen returned to Purdue in 2021 to lead the defensive line. Brohm also added cornerbacks coach James Adams to his staff from Navy.
TWO B1G PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Junior WR David Bell and junior S Cam Allen were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, Oct. 18, with both honors coming on the heels of Purdue's win at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16).
• The dual awards have not landed in Purdue's hands together in the same week since the 2018 season. QB David Blough and LB Markus Bailey earned the honors following the Boilermakers' win over No. 2 Ohio State.
WE HAVE LIFT OFF
• Fifth-year senior QB Aidan O'Connell was fantastic in the win at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), throwing for 375 yards on 30-40-0 passing, including two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. O'Connell was recognized as one of the Davey O'Brien Award's "Great 8" quarterbacks on Monday, Oct. 18. The effort was the fourth 300-yard passing game for O'Connell in his Boilermaker career.
• For O'Connell, 375 yards would seem like a career-best type of performance, but the Boilermaker signal caller actually threw for a career-high 408 yards (28-49-1) and three touchdowns vs. Indiana to close the 2019 season (Nov. 30, 2019).
• O'Connell threw for an outstanding 357 yards on 33-51-1 passing, including one touchdown toss, in the setback to Minnesota (Oct. 2).
• With five career 300-yard passing games, junior QB Jack Plummer is tied for No. 8 in program history with Billy Dicken.
• The effort by O'Connell at Iowa (Oct. 16) was the 20th 300-yard passing performance during head coach Jeff Brohm's tenure with the Boilermakers.
300-YARD PASSING GAMES UNDER BROHM
David Blough - 7
Jack Plummer - 5
Aidan O'Connell - 4
Elijah Sindelar - 4
MORE BELL RINGING
• Junior WR David Bell has put together a Top 10 receiving career at Purdue, as he ranks in the school's all-time Top 10 for receptions (9th), receiving yards (8th) and receiving touchdowns (8th).
• Heading into 2021, WR David Bell was named to the watch lists for Maxwell Award (most outstanding player) and Biletnikoff Award (outstanding receiver). He was the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and also picked up first-team all-conference honors.
CAREER RECEPTIONS
4. Tim Stratton (1998-01) - 204
5. Greg Orton (2005-08) - 203
6. Rodney Carter (1982-85) - 181
7. Dave Young (1977-80) - 180
8. Rondale Moore (2018-20) - 178
9. David Bell (2019- ) - 177
10. Vinny Sutherland (1997-00) - 176
11. Chris Daniels (1996-99) - 170
CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
3. Dorien Bryant (2004-07) - 3,548
4. Brian Alford (1994-97) - 3,029
5. Vinny Sutherland (1997-00) - 2,370
6. Greg Orton (2005-08) - 2,356
7. DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) - 2,344
8. David Bell (2019- ) - 2,339
9. Dave Young (1977-80) - 2,316
10. Steve Griffin (1982-85) - 2,234
CAREER RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
5. Taylor Stubblefield (2001-04) - 21
Dorien Bryant (2004-07) - 21
7. DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) - 20
8. David Bell (2019- ) - 19
9. Jim Beirne (1965-67) - 17
Calvin Williams (1986-89) - 17