NASHVILLE - With its best season in 15 years, Purdue Football (8-4, 6-3 B1G) closes out the 2021 campaign with a trip to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. The Boilermakers will battle the Tennessee Volunteers (7-5, 4-4 SEC), Dec. 30, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The bowl bid marks the 20th bowl game in Purdue history, including the third in five seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm. Purdue has an all-time record of 10-9 in bowl games. The Boilermakers are making their second appearance in the Music City Bowl, having played in the 2018 version against Auburn.
A HISTORIC SEASON
• Purdue has won eight games for the first time since 2007 and has eight regular-season victories for the first time since 2006.
• Two of those victories were over previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), giving the Boilermakers two wins over Top 5 teams for the first time since 1960.
• Purdue has won four games away from home this season. To find a Purdue squad with more road wins, one must search back to 1943, when Elmer Burnham's band of Boilermakers went 9-0 on the season with a 5-0 away record.
• The Boilermakers now have five eight-win seasons since 2000, with the previous four, in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2007, all coming under coach Joe Tiller.
• Purdue finished with a record of 6-3 in Big Ten play, the most conference wins in a season since the 2003 team went 6-2.
• The Boilermakers tied for second in the Big Ten West, finishing in the division's top three for the third time in five seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm (2017, 2018, 2021).
• Purdue quarterbacks have completed a school-record 381 passes this season, surpassing the previous program mark of 377 set in 1998 led by Drew Brees (361).
• The Boilermakers have held four opponents to fewer than 10 points this season, the first time it has achieved the feat since 1978, when six opponents were held to single-digit point totals.
WHAT A WIN WOULD DO
• Purdue would end the season with a 9-4 record, the most wins in a season since 2003.
• The 2021 Boilermakers would tie for the second-most wins in program history, while becoming the 12th team in the program's 134-year history to record nine wins in a season.
• Purdue would win its fifth game away from home, accomplishing the feat for the first time since 1943.
• A victory would be Purdue's first in a bowl since a 38-35 win over Arizona in the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl, Jeff Brohm's first season guiding the Boilermakers.
ONE PREVIOUS MATCHUP
• The Boilermakers and Volunteers have only met once on the gridiron, and it occurred in a bowl game (1979 Bluebonnet Bowl).
• A 17-yard touchdown pass from Mark Herrmann to tight end Dave Young, a pair of consensus All-Americans, with less than a minute to play lifted Purdue to a 27-22 win over Tennessee in the final college football game of the decade
• Herrmann, who currently serves as the director of leadership and alumni engagement for the John Purdue Club, threw for 303 yards and was named the game's MVP.
• The win gave Purdue its 10th victory of the year (10-2), which still remains the most wins in a single season in program history.
BOWL HISTORY 24 YEARS AGO
• On this date 24 years ago (Dec. 30, 1997), No. 16 Purdue used a 20-point third quarter to capture a 33-20 victory over No. 24 Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.
• Purdue quarterback Billy Dicken threw for 325 yards, an Alamo Bowl record at the time, and rushed for a team-high 43 yards to earn offensive MVP honors.
• Backup quarterback Drew Brees, who would be named Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP one season later as part of a memorable Purdue career, attempted one pass in the game.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
• The Boilermakers have made their presence known all across the college football landscape this season. The following numbers are the most important to remember:
1: QB Aidan O'Connell is No. 1 in Big Ten in comp. pct. at 73.5.
2: Purdue has two Top-5 wins for the first time since 1960.
3: Bowl-eligible for third time under head coach Jeff Brohm.
4: Purdue has four wins away from home, the most in a
season since 1943.
7: O'Connell with 74.0+ pct. comp. in seven straight games.
10: S Cam Allen, #10, tied for third in Big Ten for INTs (4).
14: Past 7 games: 14 takeaways. Two total in first 5 games.
21: WR David Bell became the 21st consensus All-American
in Purdue history.
48: Bell and DE George Karlaftis earned All-America
accolades, giving Purdue 48 All-Americans all-time.
381: Purdue quarterbacks have completed a school-record
381 passes this season, surpassing the 1998 mark of 377.
1,286: Bell had 1,286 rec. yards in 2021, 2nd in Purdue history and just 21 yards away from the program record.
PURDUE ALL-AMERICANS
• Purdue junior WR David Bell and junior DE George Karlaftis were popular names on All-America teams from various outlets, becoming the 47th and 48th Boilermakers to earn All-America status.
• Bell was named First Team All-America from four (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation) of the five outlets recognized by the NCAA to just miss out on being a unanimous selection; however, the Purdue wide receiver became the 21st consensus All-American in Purdue history and the first Boilermaker since Rondale Moore in 2018.
• Bell is the only Purdue wide receiver to be named AFCA All-America throughout the program's 134-year history.
• Karlaftis also earned AFCA First Team All-America accolades, joining Bell as the first Boilermaker teammates to earn AFCA All-America honors since 1980 (Mark Herrmann, Dave Young).
• Karlaftis became the first defensive Boilermaker to earn All-America honors since Ryan Kerrigan (2010).
• Both Bell and Karlaftis announced earlier this month that they will forego the bowl game and their senior seasons, declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WATCH
• The Boilermakers have completed 381 passes on the season, snapping the previous school record (377) set in 1998.
• Purdue is 123 yards away from the school record of passing yards in a single season (4,208-1998).
• The Boilermakers are two passing first downs away from setting a new program best, eclisping the 204 first downs by passing in 1998.
• Purdue is averaging 340.4 passing yards per game, second in school history behind the 341.8 mark set in 1985; to set a new single-season record, the Boilermakers will have to throw for 360 yards against Tennessee.
• Fifth-year senior QB Aidan O'Connell is currently on pace to destroy the school record for completion percentage by a Purdue quarterback; the fifth-year senior has completed 73.5 percent of his passes (263-362), well above David Blough's record of 66.0 percent (305-462) in 2018.
• O'Connell's completion percentage is currently tied for the best in Big Ten history (Dan Persa, Northwestern – 2010)
• O'Connell is also on pace to set a new Purdue record for passing efficiency (156.7), surpassing Kyle Orton's 2004 season (151.1).
TENNESSEE BOILERMAKERS
• Three Boilermakers hail from the state of Tennessee and near the Music City area: WR TJ Sheffield (Thompson's Station), S Antonio Stevens (Nashville) and DE Joe Anderson (Murfreesboro). AIR IT OUT, AIDAN
• The most accurate passer, currently, in the Big Ten Conference is Purdue signal caller Aidan O'Connell. The fifth-year senior QB is completing 73.5 percent of his throws (289-393), while averaging 26.3 completions per game. His completion percentage ranks third nationally, while his completions per game sit fifth among quarterbacks.
• O'Connell earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the conference coaches and media, the first Purdue quarterback to be named to one of the first two All-Big Ten teams since Kyle Orton in 2004.
• Despite splitting time at points of the season, O'Connell has thrown for 3,177 yards (17th nationally) and 23 touchdowns (25th nationally).
• Over his last seven games, O'Connell is completing more than 75.0 percent of his pass attempts (.761, 223-293). Since the 2000 season, O'Connell is the only Purdue quarterback to string together three consecutive games above the 74.0-percent mark, let alone the current seven-game span.
• In games against Top 5 competition (at No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State, and at No. 4 Ohio State), O'Connell threw for 1,301 passing yards (433.7 avg.) and completed 110-of-146 pass attempts (.753). For those three games, O'Connell has a 9-0 TD-INT ratio.
• O'Connell passed for 423 yards in the win over Northwestern, Nov. 20, becoming just the sixth Purdue quarterback to have multiple 400-yard games in a single season. He joined Drew Brees, who accomplished the feat three times in his historic career (1998-2000), as well as Boilermaker quarterbacks Jim Everett (1985), Curtis Painter (2006), David Blough (2016) and Elijah Sindelar (2019).
• The gunslinger has produced five 300-yard games, the first Purdue quarterback to accomplish the feat since Blough in 2016.
NATIONAL LEADERS
• Completing 72.2 percent of passes, Purdue leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country.
• The Boilermakers limit making penalties, committing a conference-low 53 (4.4 per game) that is the seventh-fewest nationwide.
• Purdue's passing offense ranks eighth in the country and second in the Big Ten with 340.4 yards per game.
• Opponents have only been able to convert 5 of 16 fourth down attempts for a .312 conversion rate, putting the Boilermakers sixth nationally in defending fourth downs.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT DEFENSE
• While Jeff Brohm's offense gets the majority of the attention, the Purdue defense has stepped up during the first season under co-defensive coordinators Brad Lambert, Ron English and Mark Hagen.
• The Boilermakers have allowed only 20.5 points per game to rank 19th nationally, holding four opponents to single digits.
• Purdue also ranks 13th in first down defense (207), 16th in red zone defense (.744) and 21st in passing yards allowed (194.6 ypg).
• The Boilermakers defense has scored a pair of touchdowns this season as well with a Jalen Graham's pick-six at Nebraska (Oct. 30) and a George Karlaftis scoop-and-score against Wisconsin (Oct. 23).
• Allen has four interceptions on the season, ranking third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
CONSISTENT STARTERS
• One credit to Purdue's success can be attributed to the consistencies in the starting lineups. On the offensive side of the ball, five Boilermakers have started every game.
• Milton Wright has started every game at wide receiver, hauling in 57 catches for 732 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
• Spencer Holstege (LG), Gus Hartwig (C) and Tyler Witt (RG) have started all 12 games at their respective positions. Eric Miller has 12 starts as well, with 11 of them coming at right tackle and the other at left tackle for Greg Long. Meanwhile, Long has made 11 starts protecting the quarterback's blind side.
• The Boilermakers will miss George Karlaftis, who started all 12 contests, but six other Purdue defenders have started every game: DT Lawrence Johnson, LB Jaylan Alexander, LB Jalen Graham, CB Dedrick Mackey, SS Cam Allen and FS Marvin Grant.
• DT Branson Deen and LB Kieren Douglas have 11 starts under their belts this season, while CB Jamari Brown and DE Kydran Jenkins have 10 apiece.
BOILER GRADS
• Five Boilermakers earned their diplomas this month: LB Jaylan Alexander (Selling & Sales Management), TE Payne Durham (Selling & Sales Management), DE George Karlaftis (Retail Management), OL Eric Miller (General Management) and CB Cory Trice (Communication).
BOILERMAKER BLOOD
• With several members of his family graduating as Boilermakers, Purdue WR Jackson Anthrop bleeds the Old Gold and Black and the bowl game will be his final game in a Purdue uniform.
• The West Lafayette, Indiana, native ranks third on the team in catches (48), receiving yards (496) and receiving TDs (5).
• His parents (John and Jana) are Purdue graduates as well as two brothers, two aunts and two uncles.
• His father played basketball at Purdue from 1977-80, his brother Danny played football for the Boilermakers from 2012-15, and his brother Jade played basketball for Purdue (2010-13).
The bowl bid marks the 20th bowl game in Purdue history, including the third in five seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm. Purdue has an all-time record of 10-9 in bowl games. The Boilermakers are making their second appearance in the Music City Bowl, having played in the 2018 version against Auburn.
A HISTORIC SEASON
• Purdue has won eight games for the first time since 2007 and has eight regular-season victories for the first time since 2006.
• Two of those victories were over previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), giving the Boilermakers two wins over Top 5 teams for the first time since 1960.
• Purdue has won four games away from home this season. To find a Purdue squad with more road wins, one must search back to 1943, when Elmer Burnham's band of Boilermakers went 9-0 on the season with a 5-0 away record.
• The Boilermakers now have five eight-win seasons since 2000, with the previous four, in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2007, all coming under coach Joe Tiller.
• Purdue finished with a record of 6-3 in Big Ten play, the most conference wins in a season since the 2003 team went 6-2.
• The Boilermakers tied for second in the Big Ten West, finishing in the division's top three for the third time in five seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm (2017, 2018, 2021).
• Purdue quarterbacks have completed a school-record 381 passes this season, surpassing the previous program mark of 377 set in 1998 led by Drew Brees (361).
• The Boilermakers have held four opponents to fewer than 10 points this season, the first time it has achieved the feat since 1978, when six opponents were held to single-digit point totals.
WHAT A WIN WOULD DO
• Purdue would end the season with a 9-4 record, the most wins in a season since 2003.
• The 2021 Boilermakers would tie for the second-most wins in program history, while becoming the 12th team in the program's 134-year history to record nine wins in a season.
• Purdue would win its fifth game away from home, accomplishing the feat for the first time since 1943.
• A victory would be Purdue's first in a bowl since a 38-35 win over Arizona in the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl, Jeff Brohm's first season guiding the Boilermakers.
ONE PREVIOUS MATCHUP
• The Boilermakers and Volunteers have only met once on the gridiron, and it occurred in a bowl game (1979 Bluebonnet Bowl).
• A 17-yard touchdown pass from Mark Herrmann to tight end Dave Young, a pair of consensus All-Americans, with less than a minute to play lifted Purdue to a 27-22 win over Tennessee in the final college football game of the decade
• Herrmann, who currently serves as the director of leadership and alumni engagement for the John Purdue Club, threw for 303 yards and was named the game's MVP.
• The win gave Purdue its 10th victory of the year (10-2), which still remains the most wins in a single season in program history.
BOWL HISTORY 24 YEARS AGO
• On this date 24 years ago (Dec. 30, 1997), No. 16 Purdue used a 20-point third quarter to capture a 33-20 victory over No. 24 Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.
• Purdue quarterback Billy Dicken threw for 325 yards, an Alamo Bowl record at the time, and rushed for a team-high 43 yards to earn offensive MVP honors.
• Backup quarterback Drew Brees, who would be named Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP one season later as part of a memorable Purdue career, attempted one pass in the game.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
• The Boilermakers have made their presence known all across the college football landscape this season. The following numbers are the most important to remember:
1: QB Aidan O'Connell is No. 1 in Big Ten in comp. pct. at 73.5.
2: Purdue has two Top-5 wins for the first time since 1960.
3: Bowl-eligible for third time under head coach Jeff Brohm.
4: Purdue has four wins away from home, the most in a
season since 1943.
7: O'Connell with 74.0+ pct. comp. in seven straight games.
10: S Cam Allen, #10, tied for third in Big Ten for INTs (4).
14: Past 7 games: 14 takeaways. Two total in first 5 games.
21: WR David Bell became the 21st consensus All-American
in Purdue history.
48: Bell and DE George Karlaftis earned All-America
accolades, giving Purdue 48 All-Americans all-time.
381: Purdue quarterbacks have completed a school-record
381 passes this season, surpassing the 1998 mark of 377.
1,286: Bell had 1,286 rec. yards in 2021, 2nd in Purdue history and just 21 yards away from the program record.
PURDUE ALL-AMERICANS
• Purdue junior WR David Bell and junior DE George Karlaftis were popular names on All-America teams from various outlets, becoming the 47th and 48th Boilermakers to earn All-America status.
• Bell was named First Team All-America from four (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation) of the five outlets recognized by the NCAA to just miss out on being a unanimous selection; however, the Purdue wide receiver became the 21st consensus All-American in Purdue history and the first Boilermaker since Rondale Moore in 2018.
• Bell is the only Purdue wide receiver to be named AFCA All-America throughout the program's 134-year history.
• Karlaftis also earned AFCA First Team All-America accolades, joining Bell as the first Boilermaker teammates to earn AFCA All-America honors since 1980 (Mark Herrmann, Dave Young).
• Karlaftis became the first defensive Boilermaker to earn All-America honors since Ryan Kerrigan (2010).
• Both Bell and Karlaftis announced earlier this month that they will forego the bowl game and their senior seasons, declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WATCH
• The Boilermakers have completed 381 passes on the season, snapping the previous school record (377) set in 1998.
• Purdue is 123 yards away from the school record of passing yards in a single season (4,208-1998).
• The Boilermakers are two passing first downs away from setting a new program best, eclisping the 204 first downs by passing in 1998.
• Purdue is averaging 340.4 passing yards per game, second in school history behind the 341.8 mark set in 1985; to set a new single-season record, the Boilermakers will have to throw for 360 yards against Tennessee.
• Fifth-year senior QB Aidan O'Connell is currently on pace to destroy the school record for completion percentage by a Purdue quarterback; the fifth-year senior has completed 73.5 percent of his passes (263-362), well above David Blough's record of 66.0 percent (305-462) in 2018.
• O'Connell's completion percentage is currently tied for the best in Big Ten history (Dan Persa, Northwestern – 2010)
• O'Connell is also on pace to set a new Purdue record for passing efficiency (156.7), surpassing Kyle Orton's 2004 season (151.1).
TENNESSEE BOILERMAKERS
• Three Boilermakers hail from the state of Tennessee and near the Music City area: WR TJ Sheffield (Thompson's Station), S Antonio Stevens (Nashville) and DE Joe Anderson (Murfreesboro). AIR IT OUT, AIDAN
• The most accurate passer, currently, in the Big Ten Conference is Purdue signal caller Aidan O'Connell. The fifth-year senior QB is completing 73.5 percent of his throws (289-393), while averaging 26.3 completions per game. His completion percentage ranks third nationally, while his completions per game sit fifth among quarterbacks.
• O'Connell earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the conference coaches and media, the first Purdue quarterback to be named to one of the first two All-Big Ten teams since Kyle Orton in 2004.
• Despite splitting time at points of the season, O'Connell has thrown for 3,177 yards (17th nationally) and 23 touchdowns (25th nationally).
• Over his last seven games, O'Connell is completing more than 75.0 percent of his pass attempts (.761, 223-293). Since the 2000 season, O'Connell is the only Purdue quarterback to string together three consecutive games above the 74.0-percent mark, let alone the current seven-game span.
• In games against Top 5 competition (at No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State, and at No. 4 Ohio State), O'Connell threw for 1,301 passing yards (433.7 avg.) and completed 110-of-146 pass attempts (.753). For those three games, O'Connell has a 9-0 TD-INT ratio.
• O'Connell passed for 423 yards in the win over Northwestern, Nov. 20, becoming just the sixth Purdue quarterback to have multiple 400-yard games in a single season. He joined Drew Brees, who accomplished the feat three times in his historic career (1998-2000), as well as Boilermaker quarterbacks Jim Everett (1985), Curtis Painter (2006), David Blough (2016) and Elijah Sindelar (2019).
• The gunslinger has produced five 300-yard games, the first Purdue quarterback to accomplish the feat since Blough in 2016.
NATIONAL LEADERS
• Completing 72.2 percent of passes, Purdue leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country.
• The Boilermakers limit making penalties, committing a conference-low 53 (4.4 per game) that is the seventh-fewest nationwide.
• Purdue's passing offense ranks eighth in the country and second in the Big Ten with 340.4 yards per game.
• Opponents have only been able to convert 5 of 16 fourth down attempts for a .312 conversion rate, putting the Boilermakers sixth nationally in defending fourth downs.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT DEFENSE
• While Jeff Brohm's offense gets the majority of the attention, the Purdue defense has stepped up during the first season under co-defensive coordinators Brad Lambert, Ron English and Mark Hagen.
• The Boilermakers have allowed only 20.5 points per game to rank 19th nationally, holding four opponents to single digits.
• Purdue also ranks 13th in first down defense (207), 16th in red zone defense (.744) and 21st in passing yards allowed (194.6 ypg).
• The Boilermakers defense has scored a pair of touchdowns this season as well with a Jalen Graham's pick-six at Nebraska (Oct. 30) and a George Karlaftis scoop-and-score against Wisconsin (Oct. 23).
• Allen has four interceptions on the season, ranking third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
CONSISTENT STARTERS
• One credit to Purdue's success can be attributed to the consistencies in the starting lineups. On the offensive side of the ball, five Boilermakers have started every game.
• Milton Wright has started every game at wide receiver, hauling in 57 catches for 732 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
• Spencer Holstege (LG), Gus Hartwig (C) and Tyler Witt (RG) have started all 12 games at their respective positions. Eric Miller has 12 starts as well, with 11 of them coming at right tackle and the other at left tackle for Greg Long. Meanwhile, Long has made 11 starts protecting the quarterback's blind side.
• The Boilermakers will miss George Karlaftis, who started all 12 contests, but six other Purdue defenders have started every game: DT Lawrence Johnson, LB Jaylan Alexander, LB Jalen Graham, CB Dedrick Mackey, SS Cam Allen and FS Marvin Grant.
• DT Branson Deen and LB Kieren Douglas have 11 starts under their belts this season, while CB Jamari Brown and DE Kydran Jenkins have 10 apiece.
BOILER GRADS
• Five Boilermakers earned their diplomas this month: LB Jaylan Alexander (Selling & Sales Management), TE Payne Durham (Selling & Sales Management), DE George Karlaftis (Retail Management), OL Eric Miller (General Management) and CB Cory Trice (Communication).
BOILERMAKER BLOOD
• With several members of his family graduating as Boilermakers, Purdue WR Jackson Anthrop bleeds the Old Gold and Black and the bowl game will be his final game in a Purdue uniform.
• The West Lafayette, Indiana, native ranks third on the team in catches (48), receiving yards (496) and receiving TDs (5).
• His parents (John and Jana) are Purdue graduates as well as two brothers, two aunts and two uncles.
• His father played basketball at Purdue from 1977-80, his brother Danny played football for the Boilermakers from 2012-15, and his brother Jade played basketball for Purdue (2010-13).