WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With the first month in the books and the regular season one-third of the way complete, Purdue Football hits the road to begin October. After three straight non-conference games, the Boilermakers return to Big Ten play, traveling to Minnesota for a noon kickoff on ESPN2 (Oct. 1).
The Boilermakers have won three of their five opening road B1G games under Jeff Brohm, including a 24-7 victory over No. 2 Iowa last season (Oct. 16, 2021).
Purdue is coming off a 28-26 win over FAU in its 100th Homecoming game, closing out the non-conference portion of the schedule.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting five wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed four 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.
• Purdue is 5-9 against AP-ranked teams.
• 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.
CHUCK'S SIZZLIN' START
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has gotten his Purdue career off to a strong start, leading the nation in receptions per game (10.2) and receiving touchdowns (7) while ranking third in receiving yards (533).
• 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' 41 receptions are most by a Big Ten player through the first four games since 2000.
• Along with being the country's leader in receptions and touchdown catches, Jones ranks among the nation's best in several other statistical categories.
RECEIVER U
• With 41 receptions, Charlie Jones is one of only four B1G receivers since 2000 to haul in at least 33 catches over the first four games. Three of those four receivers were Boilermakers in a Jeff Brohm offense.
• After Jones, David Bell caught 39 passes to start the 2020 season; now a member of the Cleveland Browns, Bell was a 2021 consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist.
• Minnesota's Eric Decker hauled in 35 receptions in 2009 to break up the list of Boilermakers, while Rondale Moore rounds out the top four with 33 catches to begin the 2018 season. Another All-American wide receiver for Purdue, Moore currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals.
• Jones joined Taylor Stubblefield as the only receivers from the Big Ten to record seven touchdown catches in the first four games of a season. Stubblefield, currently the wide receivers coach at Penn State, was a consensus All-American in 2004.
WALK-ONS RUNNING
• While Aidan O'Connell has gone from a former walk-on to one of the best quarterbacks in the country, another pair of walk-ons are becoming a factor in the Purdue offense.
• With starting running back King Doerue missing the last two games due to injury, a pair of walk-ons have taken over the backfield.
• Dylan Downing and Devin Mockobee have rushed for 341 yards this season, including 194 yards over the past two weeks with Doerue out of the lineup.
• Both Boilermakers are averaging over five yards per rush, with Mockobee at 5.3 and Downing closely behind at 5.1.
• Downing ran for a career-high 113 yards in Saturday's win over FAU, the first 100-yard game of his career; meanwhile, Mockobee caught four passes out of the backfield for a team-high 59 yards receiving.
• Downing's century game against FAU was the first time a Boilermaker rusher topped 100 yards since Zander Horvath tallied 101 yards against Rutgers in 2020.
• Against Indiana State, Mockobee made his Purdue debut by rushing for 78 yards and his first career touchdown.
SO CLOSE
• While Purdue is 2-2 on the season, the Boilermakers are 64 seconds away from being 4-0.
• Both losses came to teams that are currently ranked and unbeaten.
• No. 12 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. 25 Syracuse after the Orange found the end zone with just seven seconds left in the ballgame.
• Three of Purdue's four games have been decided by four points-or-less.
RED ZONE, END ZONE
• The Boilermakers have been successful in the red zone this season, scoring 16 out of 17 times for a 94 percent rate and ranking 23rd in the country.
• Even better, 15 of those 16 red zone scores have been touchdowns (94%).
• Conversely on defense, the Boilermakers rank 25th in the country with opponents scoring just 72.7% of their trips inside the Purdue 20.
• Opponents are 8-of-11 from the red zone with seven touchdowns, one field goal, one turnover on downs and two interceptions.
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 37-3 in the opening quarter.
• Purdue's defense has forced a fumble and a trio of three-and-outs by the opposition to kick off games.
• Coming out for the second half, Purdue has scored a touchdown on three of its four opening drives; meanwhile, the defense has forced a three-and-out on all four of the opposition's first second-half drives.
BURTON OFF THE BENCH
• With All-B1G quarterback Aidan O'Connell unavailable due to injury, fellow sixth-year senior Austin Burton heard his name called to start as Purdue's quarterback versus FAU.
• The start was Burton's first since Oct. 5, 2019 when he was UCLA's starting quarterback against Oregon State.
• The Newton, Massachusetts, native completed 72.4 percent of his passes (21-of-29) for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
• Two of Burton's three touchdown passes were to his roommate, Charlie Jones.
• Burton didn't seem to have much rust, marching the Boilermakers down the field on the opening drive by completing all six of his passes that resulted in a touchdown toss to Jones.
ANOTHER PICK FOR CHRIS
• Safety Chris Jefferson has had a nose for the football this season, recording two interceptions to rank second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.
• In the season opener, he took an interception 72 yards to the house to give Purdue the lead in the fourth quarter; it was the longest pick six by a Boilermaker since 2017.
• Jefferson's pick six was the second of his career, following a 92-yard score when he played at Findlay against Walsh in the spring of 2021. He finished the spring campaign as the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team AP Division II All-America.
• He added another crucial interception in the red zone against FAU, returning it 55 yards into opposing territory.
• Jefferson now has 15 interceptions for his career.
• Breaking up 1.5 passes per game, Jefferson ranks 13th in the country.
BOILERMAKER CONNECTIONS
• Wide receiver Hayden Parise from Purdue attended Rockhurst High School and Minnesota wide receiver Daniel Jackson attended Bishop Miege High School. Both receivers from Kansas City, Mo., high schools have previously played each other in football.
• Purdue linebacker Scotty Humpich and Minnesota defensive back both hail from Louisville, Kentucky.
• Purdue cornerback Jamari Brown (Kentucky) and Minnesota defensive back Beanie Bishop (WKU) both previously played for colleges in Kentucky before transferring to their current schools.
• Purdue defensive lineman Cole Brevard and Minnesota long snapper Austin Sullivan are both transfers from Penn State.
• Purdue offensive lineman Daniel Johnson and Minnesota kicker Matthew Trickett both played at Kent State together from 2018-20.
The Boilermakers have won three of their five opening road B1G games under Jeff Brohm, including a 24-7 victory over No. 2 Iowa last season (Oct. 16, 2021).
Purdue is coming off a 28-26 win over FAU in its 100th Homecoming game, closing out the non-conference portion of the schedule.
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting five wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed four 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.
• Purdue is 5-9 against AP-ranked teams.
• 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.
CHUCK'S SIZZLIN' START
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has gotten his Purdue career off to a strong start, leading the nation in receptions per game (10.2) and receiving touchdowns (7) while ranking third in receiving yards (533).
• 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' 41 receptions are most by a Big Ten player through the first four games since 2000.
• Along with being the country's leader in receptions and touchdown catches, Jones ranks among the nation's best in several other statistical categories.
RECEIVER U
• With 41 receptions, Charlie Jones is one of only four B1G receivers since 2000 to haul in at least 33 catches over the first four games. Three of those four receivers were Boilermakers in a Jeff Brohm offense.
• After Jones, David Bell caught 39 passes to start the 2020 season; now a member of the Cleveland Browns, Bell was a 2021 consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist.
• Minnesota's Eric Decker hauled in 35 receptions in 2009 to break up the list of Boilermakers, while Rondale Moore rounds out the top four with 33 catches to begin the 2018 season. Another All-American wide receiver for Purdue, Moore currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals.
• Jones joined Taylor Stubblefield as the only receivers from the Big Ten to record seven touchdown catches in the first four games of a season. Stubblefield, currently the wide receivers coach at Penn State, was a consensus All-American in 2004.
WALK-ONS RUNNING
• While Aidan O'Connell has gone from a former walk-on to one of the best quarterbacks in the country, another pair of walk-ons are becoming a factor in the Purdue offense.
• With starting running back King Doerue missing the last two games due to injury, a pair of walk-ons have taken over the backfield.
• Dylan Downing and Devin Mockobee have rushed for 341 yards this season, including 194 yards over the past two weeks with Doerue out of the lineup.
• Both Boilermakers are averaging over five yards per rush, with Mockobee at 5.3 and Downing closely behind at 5.1.
• Downing ran for a career-high 113 yards in Saturday's win over FAU, the first 100-yard game of his career; meanwhile, Mockobee caught four passes out of the backfield for a team-high 59 yards receiving.
• Downing's century game against FAU was the first time a Boilermaker rusher topped 100 yards since Zander Horvath tallied 101 yards against Rutgers in 2020.
• Against Indiana State, Mockobee made his Purdue debut by rushing for 78 yards and his first career touchdown.
SO CLOSE
• While Purdue is 2-2 on the season, the Boilermakers are 64 seconds away from being 4-0.
• Both losses came to teams that are currently ranked and unbeaten.
• No. 12 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. 25 Syracuse after the Orange found the end zone with just seven seconds left in the ballgame.
• Three of Purdue's four games have been decided by four points-or-less.
RED ZONE, END ZONE
• The Boilermakers have been successful in the red zone this season, scoring 16 out of 17 times for a 94 percent rate and ranking 23rd in the country.
• Even better, 15 of those 16 red zone scores have been touchdowns (94%).
• Conversely on defense, the Boilermakers rank 25th in the country with opponents scoring just 72.7% of their trips inside the Purdue 20.
• Opponents are 8-of-11 from the red zone with seven touchdowns, one field goal, one turnover on downs and two interceptions.
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 37-3 in the opening quarter.
• Purdue's defense has forced a fumble and a trio of three-and-outs by the opposition to kick off games.
• Coming out for the second half, Purdue has scored a touchdown on three of its four opening drives; meanwhile, the defense has forced a three-and-out on all four of the opposition's first second-half drives.
BURTON OFF THE BENCH
• With All-B1G quarterback Aidan O'Connell unavailable due to injury, fellow sixth-year senior Austin Burton heard his name called to start as Purdue's quarterback versus FAU.
• The start was Burton's first since Oct. 5, 2019 when he was UCLA's starting quarterback against Oregon State.
• The Newton, Massachusetts, native completed 72.4 percent of his passes (21-of-29) for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
• Two of Burton's three touchdown passes were to his roommate, Charlie Jones.
• Burton didn't seem to have much rust, marching the Boilermakers down the field on the opening drive by completing all six of his passes that resulted in a touchdown toss to Jones.
ANOTHER PICK FOR CHRIS
• Safety Chris Jefferson has had a nose for the football this season, recording two interceptions to rank second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.
• In the season opener, he took an interception 72 yards to the house to give Purdue the lead in the fourth quarter; it was the longest pick six by a Boilermaker since 2017.
• Jefferson's pick six was the second of his career, following a 92-yard score when he played at Findlay against Walsh in the spring of 2021. He finished the spring campaign as the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team AP Division II All-America.
• He added another crucial interception in the red zone against FAU, returning it 55 yards into opposing territory.
• Jefferson now has 15 interceptions for his career.
• Breaking up 1.5 passes per game, Jefferson ranks 13th in the country.
BOILERMAKER CONNECTIONS
• Wide receiver Hayden Parise from Purdue attended Rockhurst High School and Minnesota wide receiver Daniel Jackson attended Bishop Miege High School. Both receivers from Kansas City, Mo., high schools have previously played each other in football.
• Purdue linebacker Scotty Humpich and Minnesota defensive back both hail from Louisville, Kentucky.
• Purdue cornerback Jamari Brown (Kentucky) and Minnesota defensive back Beanie Bishop (WKU) both previously played for colleges in Kentucky before transferring to their current schools.
• Purdue defensive lineman Cole Brevard and Minnesota long snapper Austin Sullivan are both transfers from Penn State.
• Purdue offensive lineman Daniel Johnson and Minnesota kicker Matthew Trickett both played at Kent State together from 2018-20.