WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With non-conference games in the books, Purdue Football begins Big Ten play with a Friday night matchup under the lights of Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers host Wisconsin in the first conference game under head coach Ryan Walters. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
QUICK HITS
• In 135 seasons of Purdue Football, the Boilermakers have never hosted a Big Ten opponent on a Friday. This week's contest will be the 13th Friday game in school history.
• Purdue and Wisconsin have split the all-time matchups in September, winning three times apiece.
• Purdue is in the middle of a three-game homestand, as four of the Boilermakers' five September games are at home.
• The Boilermakers began the 2022 campaign 1-2 before winning seven of their next nine games and claiming the Big Ten West outright.
• The Purdue defense has forced an interception in seven straight games, dating back to last season's win over Illinois (Nov. 12, 2022).
• Purdue's Air Raid offense makes a Big Ten-best 24 completions per game and ranks second in passing offense with 275.0 yards per game.
• Purdue has had a different leading receiver in all three games this season: Deion Burks vs. Fresno State (152 yards), Max Klare at Virginia Tech (64 yards), Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen vs. Syracuse (114 yards).
• Freshman Dillon Thieneman leads the nation in solo tackles per game (8.7) alongside Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler.
TIME FOR B1G FOOTBALL
• Purdue enters conference play as the reigning Big Ten West champions, capturing the division title for the first time in school history in 2022.
• The Boilermakers have posted a 6-3 conference record each of the past two years, winning six B1G games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998 under Joe Tiller.
• The 12 Big Ten wins over the past two seasons are tied for the most in the West division alongside Iowa, while ranking third throughout the conference behind Michigan (17) and Ohio State (16).
• Purdue has won two of the past three conference openers (24-20 win over Iowa in 2020, 13-9 win over Illinois in 2021).
A DAUNTING SCHEDULE
• The Boilermakers wrapped up a difficult non-conference slate. After facing a Fresno State team that has won 12 straight games dating back to last season followed by a road trip to Lane Stadium to battle Virginia Tech, Purdue squared off against an ACC opponent for the second consecutive week in Syracuse.
• Fresno State and Syracuse remain unbeaten on the season with both teams sitting at 3-0 and outscoring their opposition a combined 250-93 (176-38 not including Purdue).
• Purdue was one of only five Power 5 teams to play non-conference games against Power 5 opponents in back-to-back weeks (Colorado, Pitt, Utah, Virginia Tech).
• In conference play, Purdue faces a pair of opponents who made the College Football Playoff last season; the Boilermakers host Ohio State (Oct. 14) and travel to Michigan (Nov. 4).
HONORARY CAPTAIN
• Mel Gray (1982-83) will serve as Purdue's honorary captain for Friday night's contest.
• In two seasons starting at tailback for the Boilermakers, Gray rushed for 1,765 yards to rank 18th in program history. He found the end zone 14 times on the ground, tied for the 14th most by a Boilermaker.
• As a member of the Detroit Lions (1989-94), Gray was a three-time First Team All-Pro and played in four Pro Bowls as a return specialist.
• Over his 12-year NFL career (169 games), he tallied more than 13,000 return yards (10,250 kicking, 2,753 punting) and produced nine touchdown returns.
• Gray also owns the third-most rushing yards in a game against Wisconsin by a Boilermaker, when he ran for 180 yards in 1982. That mark is still tied for 22nd in Purdue single-game history.
OPPONENT SNAPSHOT
• Wisconsin enters B1G play and Friday night's matchup with a 2-1 record with a road loss at Washington State (31-22) sandwiched in between home victories over Buffalo (38-17) and Georgia Southern (31-22).
• The Badgers are a perfect 12-for-12 in the red zone this season, nine of the opportunities resulting in touchdowns.
• Wisconsin tops the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (10) and yards per carry (5.71) with Chez Mellusi (267 yards, 6.7 ypc, 4 TDs) and Braelon Allen (255 yards, 7.1 ypc, 4 TDs) leading the ground attack.
• Junior safety Hunter Wohler averages 8.7 solo tackles per game to tie for the nation's best alongside Purdue freshman Dillon Thieneman.
• Luke Fickell is in his first season as Wisconsin's head coach after spending the past six seasons at Cincinnati.
MAMA, THERE GOES THAT THIENEMAN
• In just his first three games of his career, Dillon Thieneman has already become a leader on the Boilermaker defense.
• The Westfield, Indiana, native leads the nation in solo tackles, averaging 8.7 per game. Thieneman's 31 tackles are more than double his nearest teammate and rank fourth in the Big Ten (14th nationally).
• He became the first freshman in school history to record an interception in each of his first two games, his two INTs ranking ninth nationally and pacing the Big Ten alongside fellow Boilermaker Cam Allen.
• Thieneman has led Purdue in tackles in all three games (10 vs. Fresno State, 7 at Virginia Tech, 14 vs. Syracuse), while becoming the first Purdue freshman to record multiple double-digit tackle games since Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England Patriots) in 2014.
• His first career INT marked just the third time since 1996 that a Purdue true freshman made an interception in their debut (1999 - James Dunnigan vs. UCF, 2016 - Josh Hayes vs. Eastern Kentucky).
• Thieneman earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors following his first collegiate game.
OPENING DRIVES
• The Boilermakers have been successful on their opening drives this season, racking up 218 yards with three red zone appearances and a pair of touchdowns.
• Hudson Card is 11-of-13 for 183 yards and a touchdown, hitting seven different receivers.
• Purdue drove 92 yards on the first drive of 2023, capped off by an 84-yard pass from Card to Deion Burks.
• Starting the game against Virginia Tech, the Boilermakers marched 75 yards down the field; Card completed 4-of-6 passes for 54 yards, while Devin Mockobee rushed three times for 21 yards with a 15-yard touchdown run serving as the exclamation point.
• The Boilermakers got the ball inside the 5-yard line against Syracuse before getting stopped on fourth down.
ALLEN SOARING UP THE INT CHARTS
• With interceptions in each of the past two games, senior safety Cam Allen continues to soar up Purdue's all-time INT list.
• The Bluefield, Virginia, native hauled in his first INT of the season at Virginia Tech, helping the Boilermakers beat the Hokies in his return to his home state.
• Allen intercepted a pass versus Syracuse, the 12th of his career, to move into solo third in Purdue history and one away from Ricard Allen in second with 13.
• He passed several Boilermakers who recorded 11 career interceptions: Rod Woodson, Adrian Beasley, Jimmy Young, Marc Foster, Don Anderson and Bob Corby.
NO. 2 BECOMES A NO. 1 TARGET
• Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen recorded 127 receiving yards through his first three seasons as a Boilermaker, but he has become a primary target for quarterback Hudson Card.
• Yaseen has made 18 catches for 218 yards through the first three games of the season to eclipse his career total entering the 2023 campaign.
• He leads the Big Ten with 6.0 receptions per game.
• Yaseen recorded his first double-digit reception and 100-yard receiving game against Syracuse, setting career highs with 10 catches for 114 yards to pace the Purdue receiving corps.
QUICK HITS
• In 135 seasons of Purdue Football, the Boilermakers have never hosted a Big Ten opponent on a Friday. This week's contest will be the 13th Friday game in school history.
• Purdue and Wisconsin have split the all-time matchups in September, winning three times apiece.
• Purdue is in the middle of a three-game homestand, as four of the Boilermakers' five September games are at home.
• The Boilermakers began the 2022 campaign 1-2 before winning seven of their next nine games and claiming the Big Ten West outright.
• The Purdue defense has forced an interception in seven straight games, dating back to last season's win over Illinois (Nov. 12, 2022).
• Purdue's Air Raid offense makes a Big Ten-best 24 completions per game and ranks second in passing offense with 275.0 yards per game.
• Purdue has had a different leading receiver in all three games this season: Deion Burks vs. Fresno State (152 yards), Max Klare at Virginia Tech (64 yards), Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen vs. Syracuse (114 yards).
• Freshman Dillon Thieneman leads the nation in solo tackles per game (8.7) alongside Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler.
TIME FOR B1G FOOTBALL
• Purdue enters conference play as the reigning Big Ten West champions, capturing the division title for the first time in school history in 2022.
• The Boilermakers have posted a 6-3 conference record each of the past two years, winning six B1G games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998 under Joe Tiller.
• The 12 Big Ten wins over the past two seasons are tied for the most in the West division alongside Iowa, while ranking third throughout the conference behind Michigan (17) and Ohio State (16).
• Purdue has won two of the past three conference openers (24-20 win over Iowa in 2020, 13-9 win over Illinois in 2021).
A DAUNTING SCHEDULE
• The Boilermakers wrapped up a difficult non-conference slate. After facing a Fresno State team that has won 12 straight games dating back to last season followed by a road trip to Lane Stadium to battle Virginia Tech, Purdue squared off against an ACC opponent for the second consecutive week in Syracuse.
• Fresno State and Syracuse remain unbeaten on the season with both teams sitting at 3-0 and outscoring their opposition a combined 250-93 (176-38 not including Purdue).
• Purdue was one of only five Power 5 teams to play non-conference games against Power 5 opponents in back-to-back weeks (Colorado, Pitt, Utah, Virginia Tech).
• In conference play, Purdue faces a pair of opponents who made the College Football Playoff last season; the Boilermakers host Ohio State (Oct. 14) and travel to Michigan (Nov. 4).
HONORARY CAPTAIN
• Mel Gray (1982-83) will serve as Purdue's honorary captain for Friday night's contest.
• In two seasons starting at tailback for the Boilermakers, Gray rushed for 1,765 yards to rank 18th in program history. He found the end zone 14 times on the ground, tied for the 14th most by a Boilermaker.
• As a member of the Detroit Lions (1989-94), Gray was a three-time First Team All-Pro and played in four Pro Bowls as a return specialist.
• Over his 12-year NFL career (169 games), he tallied more than 13,000 return yards (10,250 kicking, 2,753 punting) and produced nine touchdown returns.
• Gray also owns the third-most rushing yards in a game against Wisconsin by a Boilermaker, when he ran for 180 yards in 1982. That mark is still tied for 22nd in Purdue single-game history.
OPPONENT SNAPSHOT
• Wisconsin enters B1G play and Friday night's matchup with a 2-1 record with a road loss at Washington State (31-22) sandwiched in between home victories over Buffalo (38-17) and Georgia Southern (31-22).
• The Badgers are a perfect 12-for-12 in the red zone this season, nine of the opportunities resulting in touchdowns.
• Wisconsin tops the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (10) and yards per carry (5.71) with Chez Mellusi (267 yards, 6.7 ypc, 4 TDs) and Braelon Allen (255 yards, 7.1 ypc, 4 TDs) leading the ground attack.
• Junior safety Hunter Wohler averages 8.7 solo tackles per game to tie for the nation's best alongside Purdue freshman Dillon Thieneman.
• Luke Fickell is in his first season as Wisconsin's head coach after spending the past six seasons at Cincinnati.
MAMA, THERE GOES THAT THIENEMAN
• In just his first three games of his career, Dillon Thieneman has already become a leader on the Boilermaker defense.
• The Westfield, Indiana, native leads the nation in solo tackles, averaging 8.7 per game. Thieneman's 31 tackles are more than double his nearest teammate and rank fourth in the Big Ten (14th nationally).
• He became the first freshman in school history to record an interception in each of his first two games, his two INTs ranking ninth nationally and pacing the Big Ten alongside fellow Boilermaker Cam Allen.
• Thieneman has led Purdue in tackles in all three games (10 vs. Fresno State, 7 at Virginia Tech, 14 vs. Syracuse), while becoming the first Purdue freshman to record multiple double-digit tackle games since Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England Patriots) in 2014.
• His first career INT marked just the third time since 1996 that a Purdue true freshman made an interception in their debut (1999 - James Dunnigan vs. UCF, 2016 - Josh Hayes vs. Eastern Kentucky).
• Thieneman earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors following his first collegiate game.
OPENING DRIVES
• The Boilermakers have been successful on their opening drives this season, racking up 218 yards with three red zone appearances and a pair of touchdowns.
• Hudson Card is 11-of-13 for 183 yards and a touchdown, hitting seven different receivers.
• Purdue drove 92 yards on the first drive of 2023, capped off by an 84-yard pass from Card to Deion Burks.
• Starting the game against Virginia Tech, the Boilermakers marched 75 yards down the field; Card completed 4-of-6 passes for 54 yards, while Devin Mockobee rushed three times for 21 yards with a 15-yard touchdown run serving as the exclamation point.
• The Boilermakers got the ball inside the 5-yard line against Syracuse before getting stopped on fourth down.
ALLEN SOARING UP THE INT CHARTS
• With interceptions in each of the past two games, senior safety Cam Allen continues to soar up Purdue's all-time INT list.
• The Bluefield, Virginia, native hauled in his first INT of the season at Virginia Tech, helping the Boilermakers beat the Hokies in his return to his home state.
• Allen intercepted a pass versus Syracuse, the 12th of his career, to move into solo third in Purdue history and one away from Ricard Allen in second with 13.
• He passed several Boilermakers who recorded 11 career interceptions: Rod Woodson, Adrian Beasley, Jimmy Young, Marc Foster, Don Anderson and Bob Corby.
NO. 2 BECOMES A NO. 1 TARGET
• Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen recorded 127 receiving yards through his first three seasons as a Boilermaker, but he has become a primary target for quarterback Hudson Card.
• Yaseen has made 18 catches for 218 yards through the first three games of the season to eclipse his career total entering the 2023 campaign.
• He leads the Big Ten with 6.0 receptions per game.
• Yaseen recorded his first double-digit reception and 100-yard receiving game against Syracuse, setting career highs with 10 catches for 114 yards to pace the Purdue receiving corps.