WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Coming off a big win at No. 21 Minnesota, Purdue Football remains away from home for its third road game in four contests. The Boilermakers (3-2, 1-1 B1G) head to Maryland (4-1, 1-1 B1G) for a cross-divisional matchup. Kickoff is set for noon on BTN (Oct. 8).
B1G WINS AWAY FROM HOME
• Playing on the road in Big Ten play hasn't fazed Purdue lately. The Boilermakers have won five of their past six conference games away from home.
• Two of those victories were over ranked teams. Purdue beat No. 2 Iowa 24-7 last season (Oct. 16, 2021), while knocking off No. 21 Minnesota last week.
• Last season, Purdue went 4-1 in B1G games away from home, which included a neutral site win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Boilermakers ended the 2021 campaign with five victories away from Ross-Ade Stadium, their most since 1943.
LAST TIME WE MET MARYLAND
• The Boilermakers and Terrapins last met three seasons ago (Oct. 12, 2019), the only time in the Jeff Brohm era, with Purdue claiming a 40-14 Homecoming victory in West Lafayette.
• Jack Plummer threw for a career-high 420 yards and three scores.
• Pro Boilers David Bell (Cleveland Browns) and Brycen Hopkins (Los Angeles Rams) each produced 100-yard receiving games; the tight end Hopkins caught 10 passes for 140 yards, while true freshman Bell tallied nine receptions for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• On the defensive side of the ball, freshman Cory Trice made two interceptions and returned one of them for a pick six.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting six wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 20-10 win at No. 21 Minnesota last week.
• Five of the six wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• Last season, Purdue knocked off 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.
• The Boilermakers beat three ranked teams during the 2018 campaign, Brohm's second season, for the most victories over ranked teams in a single-season since 2003.
• Prior to Brohm's arrival in West Lafayette in 2017, Purdue only won two out of 27 games against AP-ranked teams over the previous 10 seasons.
ALLEN NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• After recording a pair of interceptions to help Purdue earn a 20-10 victory at No. 21 Minnesota, senior safety Cam Allen was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
• Allen earned the accolade for the second time in his career. His other weekly award came following a two-interception game against a ranked opponent as well, Purdue's win over No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16, 2021).
• The Bluefield, Virginia, native now has a B1G-leading three interceptions on the season, ranking fifth nationally.
• Allen's big game pushed him into Purdue's Top 10 for career interceptions; with 10 picks as a Boilermaker, Allen is one away from jumping into a tie for third on the all-time list.
JONES ADDED TO BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has gotten his Purdue career off to a strong start, ranking second nationally in receptions per game (9.4) and receiving touchdowns (7) while ranking third in receiving yards (588).
• It's safe to say Jones enjoys the Purdue offense. After making 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns during the entire 2021 season, it only took him three games to surpass last year's totals with the Hawkeyes.
• Jones' 47 receptions are most by a Big Ten player through the first five games since 2000, ahead of fellow Boilermaker David Bell (43 – 2020) and Minnesota's Eric Decker (43 – 2009).
• Jones ranks among the nation's best in several statistical categories, earning him an addition to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
SO CLOSE
• While Purdue is 3-2 on the season, the Boilermakers are 64 seconds away from being 5-0.
• Both losses came to teams that are currently ranked and unbeaten.
• No. 10 Penn State scored a go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds to go to leave West Lafayette with a season-opening victory (Sept. 1)
• In the first road game of the season, the Boilermakers suffered a heartbreaking loss to now-No. 21 Syracuse after the Orange found the end zone with just seven seconds left in the ballgame.
• Three of Purdue's five games have been decided by four points-or-less.
WALK-ONS RUNNING
• With starting running back King Doerue missing the last three games due to injury, a pair of walk-ons have taken over the backfield.
• Dylan Downing and Devin Mockobee have rushed for 485 yards this season, including 338 yards over the past three weeks with Doerue out of the lineup.
• Downing ran for a career-high 113 yards in the win over FAU, the first 100-yard game of his career.
• One week later, Mockobee led the way with 112 yards on the ground that included a pair of rushes totaling 70 yards that resulted in a touchdown and clinched Purdue's victory over No. 21 Minnesota.
• Downing and Mockobee's performances gave the Boilermakers different 100-yard rushers in consecutive games for the first time since 2017 when Markell Jones recorded 217 yards in a win over Indiana and D.J. Knox added 101 yards in a Foster Farms Bowl victory (vs. Arizona).
FAST STARTS
• Whether it's the beginning of the game or coming out of the locker room, Purdue has gotten off to fast starts.
• The Boilermakers are outscoring the opposition 47-3 in the opening quarter.
• Purdue has scored a touchdown on three of its five opening drives.
• On the other side of the ball, Purdue's defense has forced a fumble and four three-and-outs by the opposition to kick off games.
RED ZONE, END ZONE
• The Boilermakers have been successful in the red zone this season, scoring 19 out of 20 times for a 95 percent rate and ranking 13th in the country.
• Even better, 17 of those 19 red zone scores have been touchdowns (89%).
DON'T MOCK HIM
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 249 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a staggering 6.7 yards per carry.
• In his Purdue debut, Mockobee rushed for a team-high 78 yards and a touchdown against Indiana State.
• Two weeks later versus FAU, he caught four passes out of the backfield to match Charlie Jones with the team high in receiving yards (59) for the contest.
• Mockobee had his biggest game as a Boilermaker at No. 21 Minnesota, recording a career-high 112 yards rushing on only 11 carries to average 10.2 yards per rush. Late in the fourth quarter with Purdue ahead by three points, Mockobee broke free for a 68-yard run and motored into the end zone from two yards out on the following play to put the game on ice.
• Mockobee became the first Purdue freshman to rush for 100 yards since Brian Lankford-Johnson in 2016 (127 yards at Illinois – Oct. 8, 2016).
• The 68-yard rush at Minnesota was the longest run by a Boilermaker since Rondale Moore scampered 76 yards against Northwestern (Aug. 30, 2018).
PICKS CENTRAL
• The Purdue defense has recorded seven interceptions through the first five games, ranking third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally.
• Two of the interceptions have been returned for touchdowns, one by Chris Jefferson against Penn State and the other by Cam Allen versus Indiana State.
• Allen leads the way with three interceptions, while Jefferson is close behind with two.
• With 15 interceptions for his career (13 at Findlay, 2 at Purdue), Jefferson ranks second on the NCAA active career list across all divisions.
• Allen has 10 as a Boilermaker, ranking 10th in program history.
• As a whole, the Purdue secondary has 42 career interceptions.
STRENGTH ON THE LINE
• Purdue veteran offensive line has been a major factor for success on that side of the ball.
• The Boilermakers allow only three tackles-for-loss per game, a Big Ten best and the fourth-fewest in the nation.
• The o-line has surrendered only 1.2 sacks per game, ranking third in the conference and 28th nationally.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig (C), Spencer Holstege (LG), and Eric Miller (LT) have started the past 20 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 23 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (21) and Miller (20).
YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT
• Purdue has produced one of the best red zone defenses in the country. With opponents scoring only 64 percent of the time in the area, the Boilermakers rank second in the Big Ten and eighth in the country.
• The defense also is efficient in getting off the field with a third down defense that ranks 16th nationwide. Opponents are converting 28 percent of the time on third down.
• The Boilermakers have done a good job of limiting the run, surrendering less than 100 yards per game (98.6) and only 2.9 yards per rush.
• In the win over No. 21 Minnesota, Purdue held the Golden Gophers to 44 rushing yards on 26 carries; Minnesota entered the contest with the nation's No. 2 rushing attack with 294.5 yards per game.
B1G WINS AWAY FROM HOME
• Playing on the road in Big Ten play hasn't fazed Purdue lately. The Boilermakers have won five of their past six conference games away from home.
• Two of those victories were over ranked teams. Purdue beat No. 2 Iowa 24-7 last season (Oct. 16, 2021), while knocking off No. 21 Minnesota last week.
• Last season, Purdue went 4-1 in B1G games away from home, which included a neutral site win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Boilermakers ended the 2021 campaign with five victories away from Ross-Ade Stadium, their most since 1943.
LAST TIME WE MET MARYLAND
• The Boilermakers and Terrapins last met three seasons ago (Oct. 12, 2019), the only time in the Jeff Brohm era, with Purdue claiming a 40-14 Homecoming victory in West Lafayette.
• Jack Plummer threw for a career-high 420 yards and three scores.
• Pro Boilers David Bell (Cleveland Browns) and Brycen Hopkins (Los Angeles Rams) each produced 100-yard receiving games; the tight end Hopkins caught 10 passes for 140 yards, while true freshman Bell tallied nine receptions for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• On the defensive side of the ball, freshman Cory Trice made two interceptions and returned one of them for a pick six.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting six wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 20-10 win at No. 21 Minnesota last week.
• Five of the six wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• Last season, Purdue knocked off 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.
• The Boilermakers beat three ranked teams during the 2018 campaign, Brohm's second season, for the most victories over ranked teams in a single-season since 2003.
• Prior to Brohm's arrival in West Lafayette in 2017, Purdue only won two out of 27 games against AP-ranked teams over the previous 10 seasons.
ALLEN NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• After recording a pair of interceptions to help Purdue earn a 20-10 victory at No. 21 Minnesota, senior safety Cam Allen was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
• Allen earned the accolade for the second time in his career. His other weekly award came following a two-interception game against a ranked opponent as well, Purdue's win over No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16, 2021).
• The Bluefield, Virginia, native now has a B1G-leading three interceptions on the season, ranking fifth nationally.
• Allen's big game pushed him into Purdue's Top 10 for career interceptions; with 10 picks as a Boilermaker, Allen is one away from jumping into a tie for third on the all-time list.
JONES ADDED TO BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has gotten his Purdue career off to a strong start, ranking second nationally in receptions per game (9.4) and receiving touchdowns (7) while ranking third in receiving yards (588).
• It's safe to say Jones enjoys the Purdue offense. After making 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns during the entire 2021 season, it only took him three games to surpass last year's totals with the Hawkeyes.
• Jones' 47 receptions are most by a Big Ten player through the first five games since 2000, ahead of fellow Boilermaker David Bell (43 – 2020) and Minnesota's Eric Decker (43 – 2009).
• Jones ranks among the nation's best in several statistical categories, earning him an addition to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
SO CLOSE
• While Purdue is 3-2 on the season, the Boilermakers are 64 seconds away from being 5-0.
• Both losses came to teams that are currently ranked and unbeaten.
• No. 10 Penn State scored a go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds to go to leave West Lafayette with a season-opening victory (Sept. 1)
• In the first road game of the season, the Boilermakers suffered a heartbreaking loss to now-No. 21 Syracuse after the Orange found the end zone with just seven seconds left in the ballgame.
• Three of Purdue's five games have been decided by four points-or-less.
WALK-ONS RUNNING
• With starting running back King Doerue missing the last three games due to injury, a pair of walk-ons have taken over the backfield.
• Dylan Downing and Devin Mockobee have rushed for 485 yards this season, including 338 yards over the past three weeks with Doerue out of the lineup.
• Downing ran for a career-high 113 yards in the win over FAU, the first 100-yard game of his career.
• One week later, Mockobee led the way with 112 yards on the ground that included a pair of rushes totaling 70 yards that resulted in a touchdown and clinched Purdue's victory over No. 21 Minnesota.
• Downing and Mockobee's performances gave the Boilermakers different 100-yard rushers in consecutive games for the first time since 2017 when Markell Jones recorded 217 yards in a win over Indiana and D.J. Knox added 101 yards in a Foster Farms Bowl victory (vs. Arizona).
FAST STARTS
• Whether it's the beginning of the game or coming out of the locker room, Purdue has gotten off to fast starts.
• The Boilermakers are outscoring the opposition 47-3 in the opening quarter.
• Purdue has scored a touchdown on three of its five opening drives.
• On the other side of the ball, Purdue's defense has forced a fumble and four three-and-outs by the opposition to kick off games.
RED ZONE, END ZONE
• The Boilermakers have been successful in the red zone this season, scoring 19 out of 20 times for a 95 percent rate and ranking 13th in the country.
• Even better, 17 of those 19 red zone scores have been touchdowns (89%).
DON'T MOCK HIM
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 249 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a staggering 6.7 yards per carry.
• In his Purdue debut, Mockobee rushed for a team-high 78 yards and a touchdown against Indiana State.
• Two weeks later versus FAU, he caught four passes out of the backfield to match Charlie Jones with the team high in receiving yards (59) for the contest.
• Mockobee had his biggest game as a Boilermaker at No. 21 Minnesota, recording a career-high 112 yards rushing on only 11 carries to average 10.2 yards per rush. Late in the fourth quarter with Purdue ahead by three points, Mockobee broke free for a 68-yard run and motored into the end zone from two yards out on the following play to put the game on ice.
• Mockobee became the first Purdue freshman to rush for 100 yards since Brian Lankford-Johnson in 2016 (127 yards at Illinois – Oct. 8, 2016).
• The 68-yard rush at Minnesota was the longest run by a Boilermaker since Rondale Moore scampered 76 yards against Northwestern (Aug. 30, 2018).
PICKS CENTRAL
• The Purdue defense has recorded seven interceptions through the first five games, ranking third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally.
• Two of the interceptions have been returned for touchdowns, one by Chris Jefferson against Penn State and the other by Cam Allen versus Indiana State.
• Allen leads the way with three interceptions, while Jefferson is close behind with two.
• With 15 interceptions for his career (13 at Findlay, 2 at Purdue), Jefferson ranks second on the NCAA active career list across all divisions.
• Allen has 10 as a Boilermaker, ranking 10th in program history.
• As a whole, the Purdue secondary has 42 career interceptions.
STRENGTH ON THE LINE
• Purdue veteran offensive line has been a major factor for success on that side of the ball.
• The Boilermakers allow only three tackles-for-loss per game, a Big Ten best and the fourth-fewest in the nation.
• The o-line has surrendered only 1.2 sacks per game, ranking third in the conference and 28th nationally.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig (C), Spencer Holstege (LG), and Eric Miller (LT) have started the past 20 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 23 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (21) and Miller (20).
YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT
• Purdue has produced one of the best red zone defenses in the country. With opponents scoring only 64 percent of the time in the area, the Boilermakers rank second in the Big Ten and eighth in the country.
• The defense also is efficient in getting off the field with a third down defense that ranks 16th nationwide. Opponents are converting 28 percent of the time on third down.
• The Boilermakers have done a good job of limiting the run, surrendering less than 100 yards per game (98.6) and only 2.9 yards per rush.
• In the win over No. 21 Minnesota, Purdue held the Golden Gophers to 44 rushing yards on 26 carries; Minnesota entered the contest with the nation's No. 2 rushing attack with 294.5 yards per game.