WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After a crucial B1G road win at No. 21 Illinois, Purdue Football returns to West Lafayette for the final home game of the 2022 season. The Boilermakers welcome Northwestern to Ross-Ade Stadium with kickoff set for noon on FS1.
Purdue enters the game contest tied atop the B1G West alongside Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota at 4-3. Saturday's contest will be the final game at Ross-Ade Stadium for a plethora of Boilermakers. Purdue has 27 seniors on its roster.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Aidan O'Connell threw for 423 yards, leading Purdue to a 32-14 victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Field last season.
• Milton Wright hauled in eight receptions for 213 yards and three touchdowns, earning career highs in all three categories.
• Pro Boilers David Bell (Browns) made 12 catches for 101 yards, while George Karlaftis (Chiefs) added two tackles-for-loss, a sack and a blocked field goal.
• Mitchell Fineran drained four field goals in the win.
KEEPING THE CANNON
• Purdue kept the Cannon Trophy for the third year in a row and increased its chances of winning the Big Ten West with a 31-21 victory at No. 21 Illinois, becoming bowl eligible along the way.
• The Boilermakers improved to 3-1 on the B1G road this season, while beating a ranked team for the seventh time under Jeff Brohm.
• Aidan O'Connell went 25-40 for 237 yards with three touchdown passes, finding tight end Payne Durham seven times for 70 yards and a pair of TDs.
• T.J. Sheffield made six catches for a team-high 72 yards, while Charlie Jones added 66 yards and a touchdown to go over 1,000 receiving yards for the year.
• Devin Mockobee rushed for 106 yards on 28 carries and a score, his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
• Linebacker Kieren Douglas made a late fourth-quarter interception with the help of a tip from Lawrence Johnson.
• Purdue won in Memorial Stadium for the sixth straight time.
SUCCESS VS. NATION'S BEST
• Illinois came into the Cannon Trophy game with the nation's No. 1 scoring (10.4) and total defense (232.2 ypg). The Purdue offense put up 31 points on 379 total yards to earn the win; both marks were the most surrendered by the Fighting Illini all season long.
• On the other side of the ball, the Purdue defense limited Chase Brown to 98 yards on the ground. Brown entered the game as the nation's leading rusher, going over the 100-yard mark in every contest and averaging 149 yards per game.
CHAMPAYNE
• With the Cannon Trophy and B1G West implications on the line, Payne Durham came through in the clutch at No. 21 Illinois. The tight end hauled in a team-high seven catches for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Boilermakers win 31-21 in Champaign.
• Durham's toe-tapping touchdown in the third quarter gave Purdue its first lead of the game before he put the Boilermakers ahead for good in the fourth with a 12-yard touchdown.
• The two-touchdown day was Durham's fourth multi-touchdown game of his career and the second of the season.
B1G OUTLOOK
• The Boilermakers earned a big win over No. 21 Illinois to secure a spot atop the Big Ten West.
• Purdue is tied with Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota at 4-3 with two conference games remaining for each team.
• Collecting wins over Illinois and Minnesota, Purdue owns tiebreakers over those teams. With Minnesota and Iowa battling this weekend, a Golden Gopher win and a Purdue victory would put the Boilermakers in control of their own destiny to the championship game in Indianapolis.
• The Boilermakers have finished second in the Big Ten West twice under head coach Jeff Brohm (2018, 2021), seeking their first divisional title since the conference went to the divisional format in 2011.
O'CONNELL NAMED FINALIST FOR BURLSWORTH TROPHY
• Aidan O'Connell has been named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, the Burlsworth Foundation announced Tuesday (Nov. 15). Awarded to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on, O'Connell joins Stetson Bennett (Quarterback – Georgia) and Carlton Martial (Linebacker – Troy) as the three finalists up for the award.
• Beginning his career as a walk-on and eighth on the quarterback depth chart, Aidan O'Connell worked his way up to the starting role and didn't stop there. The sixth-year QB has etched his name in the school record books, and he continued to rise up the career charts this season.
• O'Connell already ranks in the program's Top 10 in several career categories: completion percentage (1st – 676.8%), 500-yard games (T1st – 2), 400-yard games (2nd – 5), 300-yard games (2nd – 13), touchdown passes (6th – 61), passing completions (6th – 760) and passing yards (6th – 8,404).
• Aidan O'Connell paces the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense. Completing 28.2 passes per game, he sits fourth in the country. His 297.2 passing yards per game rank 13th nationally.
• O'Connell has kept up his game against conference opponents, throwing for an average of 291.4 yards in B1G games to lead the league. He is the only quarterback to throw for more than 2,000 yards in Big Ten play this season.
• In his 13 300-yard games over his career, O'Connell has eclipsed 350 yards in 12 of them.
CATCHING RARE AIR
• Charlie Jones joined former Purdue wide receiver David Bell (2021) as the only Big Ten receivers since 2000 to haul in 85 or more passes through their first 10 games of a season.
• Jones, Bell and Mario Manningham (Michigan - 2007) make up the only B1G receivers since 2000 to reach 1,000 yards in 10 games.
• This season, Jones is one of three wide receivers nationwide with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, including the only one in the Big Ten.
• Ranking in the nation's top six in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this year, Jones is only one of three wide receivers to crack the top 10 in all three categories.
• Since 2000, only five Big Ten receivers have tallied 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns through the first 10 games of the season: Jones, Braylon Edwards (Michigan - 2004), Charles Rodgers (Michigan State - 2001, 2002), Austin Carr (Northwestern - 2016) and Marvin McNutt (Iowa - 2011).
ALL ABOARD THE MOCK TRAIN
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 732 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
• In regards to freshman running backs throughout Purdue history, Mockobee ranks third in yards and attempts as well as fourth in touchdowns.
• Mockobee's 81.3 yards per game on the ground rank third nationally among freshman running backs, leading the B1G, and his seven touchdowns rank seventh.
• He has produced four 100-yard games this season, the most ever by a Purdue freshman.
• All four of Devin Mockobee's 100-yard games this season have come in Big Ten games, increasing his output to 99.2 yards per game in conference action.
• In the win over No. 21 Illinois, Mockobee outgained the nation's leading rusher Chase Brown. The Boilermaker ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, while the Purdue defense held Brown under 100 yards for the first time this season (98).
WELCOME HOME, RICARDO
• Purdue will welcome back home Ricardo Allen this week as the honorary captain.
• Allen was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree at safety for the Boilermakers, totaling 250 tackles and 14.5 stops behind the line.
• His 13 career interceptions rank second in Purdue history.
• Following four years as a starter in West Lafayette, Allen played eight seasons in the NFL (2014-2020 - Atlanta & 2021 - Cincinnati).
• He announced his retirement from the league after reaching the Super Bowl with the Bengals last season.
• Allen currently serves as a special teams assistant for the Miami Dolphins.
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 3.80 tackles-for-loss per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig, Spencer Holstege, and Eric Miller have started the past 25 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 28 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (26) and Miller (25).
• Facing the nation's best defense in No. 21 Illinois (232.2 yards per game), the Purdue line did not allow a sack and helped the offense rack up 379 yards for the most allowed by the Fighting Illini this season.
• In the win over Nebraska, the line paved the way for 217 rushing yards, the most by a Purdue offense in four years.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting seven wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 31-24 win at No. 21 Illinois.
• Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Four of the victories have been on the road, including a pair this season at Minnesota and Illinois; both teams were ranked No. 21 heading into their game against Purdue.
• Three of those wins 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.
BOWLING ON THE HORIZON
• With the victory over No. 21 Illinois, Purdue became bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm.
• Taking the Boilermakers to another bowl game, Brohm joins Joe Tiller as the only coaches in Purdue history to make four bowl appearances in their first six years guiding the program.
• The last time Purdue went to four bowls over a six-year span, Tiller led the Boilermakers for four appearances in five years (2003-2007). In 12 seasons under Tiller, Purdue reached 10 bowls, including a Rose Bowl trip during the 2000 campaign.
Purdue enters the game contest tied atop the B1G West alongside Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota at 4-3. Saturday's contest will be the final game at Ross-Ade Stadium for a plethora of Boilermakers. Purdue has 27 seniors on its roster.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Aidan O'Connell threw for 423 yards, leading Purdue to a 32-14 victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Field last season.
• Milton Wright hauled in eight receptions for 213 yards and three touchdowns, earning career highs in all three categories.
• Pro Boilers David Bell (Browns) made 12 catches for 101 yards, while George Karlaftis (Chiefs) added two tackles-for-loss, a sack and a blocked field goal.
• Mitchell Fineran drained four field goals in the win.
KEEPING THE CANNON
• Purdue kept the Cannon Trophy for the third year in a row and increased its chances of winning the Big Ten West with a 31-21 victory at No. 21 Illinois, becoming bowl eligible along the way.
• The Boilermakers improved to 3-1 on the B1G road this season, while beating a ranked team for the seventh time under Jeff Brohm.
• Aidan O'Connell went 25-40 for 237 yards with three touchdown passes, finding tight end Payne Durham seven times for 70 yards and a pair of TDs.
• T.J. Sheffield made six catches for a team-high 72 yards, while Charlie Jones added 66 yards and a touchdown to go over 1,000 receiving yards for the year.
• Devin Mockobee rushed for 106 yards on 28 carries and a score, his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
• Linebacker Kieren Douglas made a late fourth-quarter interception with the help of a tip from Lawrence Johnson.
• Purdue won in Memorial Stadium for the sixth straight time.
SUCCESS VS. NATION'S BEST
• Illinois came into the Cannon Trophy game with the nation's No. 1 scoring (10.4) and total defense (232.2 ypg). The Purdue offense put up 31 points on 379 total yards to earn the win; both marks were the most surrendered by the Fighting Illini all season long.
• On the other side of the ball, the Purdue defense limited Chase Brown to 98 yards on the ground. Brown entered the game as the nation's leading rusher, going over the 100-yard mark in every contest and averaging 149 yards per game.
CHAMPAYNE
• With the Cannon Trophy and B1G West implications on the line, Payne Durham came through in the clutch at No. 21 Illinois. The tight end hauled in a team-high seven catches for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Boilermakers win 31-21 in Champaign.
• Durham's toe-tapping touchdown in the third quarter gave Purdue its first lead of the game before he put the Boilermakers ahead for good in the fourth with a 12-yard touchdown.
• The two-touchdown day was Durham's fourth multi-touchdown game of his career and the second of the season.
B1G OUTLOOK
• The Boilermakers earned a big win over No. 21 Illinois to secure a spot atop the Big Ten West.
• Purdue is tied with Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota at 4-3 with two conference games remaining for each team.
• Collecting wins over Illinois and Minnesota, Purdue owns tiebreakers over those teams. With Minnesota and Iowa battling this weekend, a Golden Gopher win and a Purdue victory would put the Boilermakers in control of their own destiny to the championship game in Indianapolis.
• The Boilermakers have finished second in the Big Ten West twice under head coach Jeff Brohm (2018, 2021), seeking their first divisional title since the conference went to the divisional format in 2011.
O'CONNELL NAMED FINALIST FOR BURLSWORTH TROPHY
• Aidan O'Connell has been named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, the Burlsworth Foundation announced Tuesday (Nov. 15). Awarded to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on, O'Connell joins Stetson Bennett (Quarterback – Georgia) and Carlton Martial (Linebacker – Troy) as the three finalists up for the award.
• Beginning his career as a walk-on and eighth on the quarterback depth chart, Aidan O'Connell worked his way up to the starting role and didn't stop there. The sixth-year QB has etched his name in the school record books, and he continued to rise up the career charts this season.
• O'Connell already ranks in the program's Top 10 in several career categories: completion percentage (1st – 676.8%), 500-yard games (T1st – 2), 400-yard games (2nd – 5), 300-yard games (2nd – 13), touchdown passes (6th – 61), passing completions (6th – 760) and passing yards (6th – 8,404).
• Aidan O'Connell paces the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense. Completing 28.2 passes per game, he sits fourth in the country. His 297.2 passing yards per game rank 13th nationally.
• O'Connell has kept up his game against conference opponents, throwing for an average of 291.4 yards in B1G games to lead the league. He is the only quarterback to throw for more than 2,000 yards in Big Ten play this season.
• In his 13 300-yard games over his career, O'Connell has eclipsed 350 yards in 12 of them.
CATCHING RARE AIR
• Charlie Jones joined former Purdue wide receiver David Bell (2021) as the only Big Ten receivers since 2000 to haul in 85 or more passes through their first 10 games of a season.
• Jones, Bell and Mario Manningham (Michigan - 2007) make up the only B1G receivers since 2000 to reach 1,000 yards in 10 games.
• This season, Jones is one of three wide receivers nationwide with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, including the only one in the Big Ten.
• Ranking in the nation's top six in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this year, Jones is only one of three wide receivers to crack the top 10 in all three categories.
• Since 2000, only five Big Ten receivers have tallied 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns through the first 10 games of the season: Jones, Braylon Edwards (Michigan - 2004), Charles Rodgers (Michigan State - 2001, 2002), Austin Carr (Northwestern - 2016) and Marvin McNutt (Iowa - 2011).
ALL ABOARD THE MOCK TRAIN
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 732 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
• In regards to freshman running backs throughout Purdue history, Mockobee ranks third in yards and attempts as well as fourth in touchdowns.
• Mockobee's 81.3 yards per game on the ground rank third nationally among freshman running backs, leading the B1G, and his seven touchdowns rank seventh.
• He has produced four 100-yard games this season, the most ever by a Purdue freshman.
• All four of Devin Mockobee's 100-yard games this season have come in Big Ten games, increasing his output to 99.2 yards per game in conference action.
• In the win over No. 21 Illinois, Mockobee outgained the nation's leading rusher Chase Brown. The Boilermaker ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, while the Purdue defense held Brown under 100 yards for the first time this season (98).
WELCOME HOME, RICARDO
• Purdue will welcome back home Ricardo Allen this week as the honorary captain.
• Allen was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree at safety for the Boilermakers, totaling 250 tackles and 14.5 stops behind the line.
• His 13 career interceptions rank second in Purdue history.
• Following four years as a starter in West Lafayette, Allen played eight seasons in the NFL (2014-2020 - Atlanta & 2021 - Cincinnati).
• He announced his retirement from the league after reaching the Super Bowl with the Bengals last season.
• Allen currently serves as a special teams assistant for the Miami Dolphins.
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 3.80 tackles-for-loss per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig, Spencer Holstege, and Eric Miller have started the past 25 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 28 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (26) and Miller (25).
• Facing the nation's best defense in No. 21 Illinois (232.2 yards per game), the Purdue line did not allow a sack and helped the offense rack up 379 yards for the most allowed by the Fighting Illini this season.
• In the win over Nebraska, the line paved the way for 217 rushing yards, the most by a Purdue offense in four years.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting seven wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 31-24 win at No. 21 Illinois.
• Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Four of the victories have been on the road, including a pair this season at Minnesota and Illinois; both teams were ranked No. 21 heading into their game against Purdue.
• Three of those wins 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.
BOWLING ON THE HORIZON
• With the victory over No. 21 Illinois, Purdue became bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm.
• Taking the Boilermakers to another bowl game, Brohm joins Joe Tiller as the only coaches in Purdue history to make four bowl appearances in their first six years guiding the program.
• The last time Purdue went to four bowls over a six-year span, Tiller led the Boilermakers for four appearances in five years (2003-2007). In 12 seasons under Tiller, Purdue reached 10 bowls, including a Rose Bowl trip during the 2000 campaign.