WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football closes out the 2024 campaign with the annual Old Oaken Bucket Game. The Boilermakers travel south to Bloomington for a Saturday night matchup against No. 10 Indiana. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
QUICK HITS
• While Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6, the Boilermakers also hold a 63-32-3 advantage when the Old Oaken Bucket is on the line. Saturday will mark the 99th time that the Bucket is up for grabs.
• The Boilermakers have won the past three matchups in the rivalry, their longest streak since rattling off five straight from 2002-06, including a 35-31 victory last season that was Purdue's 300th victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Saturday's contest marks the fourth time in the final six games of the season that Purdue faces a Top 10 team. The Boilermakers will play their fifth Top 10 team this season and are the only program in the country to have had to face four of the nation's current Top 5.
• Purdue has only faced a ranked Indiana team four times throughout history.
• The Boilermakers held Michigan State scoreless in the second half last week, one possession away from pulling off the biggest comeback in program history. Purdue trailed 24-3 at halftime before limiting the Spartans to zero points and 73 yards of total offense in the second half, including 0-for-7 on third down after the break.
• Hudson Card threw for a career-high 342 yards at Michigan State last week.
• One of the nation's leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in solo tackles (5.7 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 63 solo tackles, the most by any defensive back in the country.
• Thieneman's 94 total tackles are 21 more than the next Big Ten defensive back.
• Thieneman is two solo tackles away from being just the third defensive back over the past 20 seasons to record at least 65 solo tackles as a freshman and sophomore (Andrew Wingard - 2015-16 - Wyoming, Davonte Shannon - 2007-08 - Buffalo).
• Starting center Gus Hartwig has a 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, second best in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers, while not giving up a sack and allowing only one hit on the quarterback.
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins is the conference leader in sacks wearing a Big Ten uniform, recording 23.0 throughout his career to also rank sixth in Purdue history.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), ranking second among Big Ten tight ends and seventh nationally in receiving yards.
• Klare is on pace to become the first Purdue tight end to lead the team in receptions since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz hauled in 41 receptions (240 yards, four touchdowns) during the 2013 season.
• Running back Devin Mockobee is 55 yards away from being the eighth Boilermaker in program history to eclipse 2,500 career rushing yards. Mockobee ranks 10th all-time with 2,445 yards on the ground.
• Purdue is the only team in the country to have played at least four of the nation's current Top 5 teams (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
OLD OAKEN BUCKET HISTORY
• While Saturday's game will be the 126th meeting between the Boilermakers and Hoosiers, this year's matchup will be just the 99th edition of the Old Oaken Bucket Game.
• Since 1925, Purdue and Indiana have played annually for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Boilermakers lead the Bucket portion of the all-time series 63-32-3, including 18 wins in the last 26 showdowns that started at the beginning of the Joe Tiller era.
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups (game was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19).
• The Chicago alumni groups of both schools came up with the idea for a traveling trophy, and Russell Gray of Purdue and Clarence Jones of Indiana were given the task of finding an appropriate object. They recommended that "an old oaken bucket would be a most typical trophy from this state and should be taken from a well somewhere in Indiana." Purdue's Fritz Ernst and Whiley J. Huddle of Indiana found the fabled bucket, in a bad state of repair, covered with moss and mold, on the Bruner farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana.
• The Bruner farm was settled in the 1840s, and family lore suggests the bucket might have been used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his soldiers during their incursion into Indiana in 1863 during the Civil War.
• George Ade, distinguished humorist from Purdue, and Harry Kurrie, president of the Monon Railroad, representing Indiana, formally introduced the Old Oaken Bucket in 1925. The Boilermakers and Hoosiers subsequently battled to a 0-0 tie Nov. 21 at Ross-Ade Stadium, resulting in an "I-P" link being attached to the bucket.
• Throughout its history, the bucket has been kidnapped by partisans from both schools – a couple of times missing so long that it was given up as lost, only to turn up mysteriously just before or after the annual game.
KEEPING THE BUCKET
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups in the rivalry game, while keeping the Old Oaken Bucket for the past three seasons.
• The Boilermakers are looking to beat the Hoosiers for a fourth year in a row. The current three-game winning streak is Purdue's longest in the rivalry since rattling off five straight from 2002-06.
• Purdue has averaged 36.3 points per game over the last three matchups against Indiana, while holding the Hoosiers to 18.0 points per game.
• The Boilermakers won last year's season finale 35-31. Hudson Card led Purdue to the victory, recording 360 yards of offense (275 passing, 85 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) to become the first quarterback since Drew Brees (2000) to pass for at least 275 yards and rush for at least 85 yards in the same game. Dillon Thieneman picked off a pair of passes to set a new Purdue single-season record for INTs by a freshman (6).
THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
• Purdue entered the 2024 season as one of only two teams (Florida) in the country to have four preseason Top 10 teams on its schedule. Turns out, the slate proved to be even harder, perhaps one of the most difficult in college football history.
• The Boilermakers are the only team in the country to have four of the nation's Top 5 on their schedule (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
• Saturday's contest will be Purdue's sixth against a ranked team, including the fifth ranked in the current Top 10.
• Four of the Boilermakers' final six games on the schedule feature Top 10 teams. Three during the second half of the season were against Top 5 opponents.
SECOND HALF SHUTOUT
• Trailing 24-3 at the half against Michigan State last week, the Boilermakers did not give up and nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in program history before falling just short 24-17.
• The Purdue defense shut out the Spartans in the second half, limiting them to only 73 yards of total offense that included punts on five of six drives and an 0-for-7 rate on third down.
• It marked the fourth time that the Boilermakers have kept an opponent scoreless in a half this season (complete game shutout vs. Indiana State, first half vs. Nebraska).
• The defense held the Spartans to 293 yards of total offense throughout the game, the fewest surrendered since the season-opening win over Indiana State. That included only 159 yards, the lowest by a Big Ten opponent this season.
LEADING THE O-LINE
• Center Gus Hartwig and right tackle Marcus Mbow have been the leaders on Purdue's offensive line this season.
• Both Boilermakers have started all 11 games this season, bringing a total of 78 starts between the duo (Hartwig - 47, Mbow - 31).
• Hartwig has earned an 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, not allowing a sack and only surrendering one hit on the quarterback. His pass blocking grade ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers. Hartwig's 74.7 offensive grade ranks second in the conference and 16th nationally.
• Going up against No. 2 Oregon, Mbow earned a spot on the PFF National Team of the Week for battling the Ducks' difficult defensive line.
• Mbow has a 76.9 run blocking grade by PFF, ranking sixth among Big Ten tackles.
MAD MAX
• Max Klare has not missed a beat this season after his 2023 campaign was cut short due to injury.
• The sophomore tight end leads Purdue in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), on pace to become the first tight end to lead the Boilermakers in receiving since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz paced Purdue in 2013 (41 receptions).
• Klare ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in receiving yards by a tight end.
• Klare has led Purdue in receiving in eight of the team's 11 games this season.
• His 649 receiving yards rank seventh in a single season by a Purdue tight end and are the most since Brycen Hopkins' 830-yard season in 2019.
• He had his best game as a Boilermaker at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), hauling in six receptions for a career-high 133 yards. It marked the most receiving yards by a Purdue tight end since Payne Durham's 150-yard night in the 2021 season opener and the sixth most by a Boilermaker tight end since 1996. Klare added 76 yards after catch as part of his receiving total.
• Klare has made multiple catches in 16 straight games he has appeared in, having only played in 17 throughout his collegiate career.
• He already ranks 11th all-time in receiving yards by a Purdue tight end with 845 over two seasons.
• Klare was also tabbed to the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List ahead of the year.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• For the third straight season, Mockobee leads the Purdue rushing attack. The junior has recorded 666 yards with four rushing touchdowns to pace the Boilermakers in both categories.
• Mockobee sits ninth on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,445), passing legendary College Football Hall of Fame running back Leroy Keyes (2,094) against Nebraska (Sept. 28). He also sits 10th with 19 career rushing touchdowns, passing another College Football Hall of Famer (Otis Armstrong) by finding the end zone against Northwestern (Nov. 2).
• The junior is 55 yards away from becoming just the eighth Boilermaker in history to rack up 2,500 career rushing yards.
• With 11 carries for 102 yards at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), Mockobee became the seventh Boilermaker to produce at least eight 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He rushed for a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State (Sept. 21), becoming the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation's leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers' chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (94) and solo tackles (63), besting all Big Ten defensive backs in both categories.
• Thieneman's 5.7 solo tackles per game rank second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.
• His 63 solo tackles rank are the most by any defensive back in the country, and he is two solo stops away from becoming just the third DB over the past 20 years to record 65 solo tackles as a freshman and as a sophomore (Andrew Wingard - 2015-16 - Wyoming, Davonte Shannon - 2007-08 - Buffalo).
• Six tackles against Indiana would make Thieneman just the second Big Ten defensive back (since 2005) to make 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons as well as the fifth nationally to do it as a freshman and sophomore.
• Thieneman is one of only 26 Big Ten defensive backs over the past 20 seasons to record at least 50 solo tackles in two different seasons, including just the third to do it during both freshman and sophomore campaigns (Ricardo Allen - Purdue, Ibraheim Campbell - Northwestern).
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
HIGHWAY TO HELDT
• After recording only 12 tackles throughout his freshman season, sophomore rush end Will Heldt has made 54 tackles this season. He ranks second on the team in sacks (5.0) and tackles-for-loss (9.0).
• Heldt recorded his first career touchdown with a 16-yard scoop-and-score at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12).
• At Wisconsin (Oct. 5), Heldt recorded a career-high eight tackles to pace Purdue.
• Heldt started the season with a team-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the win over Indiana State.
• Prior to the season opener, Heldt's career high in tackles were two.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks sixth in Purdue history with 23.0 career sacks and 10th with 43.5 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (12.0) and sacks (6.5), while ranking second in tackles (78).
• Jenkins sacks per game (0.59) ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State (Sept. 21), recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.
QUICK HITS
• While Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6, the Boilermakers also hold a 63-32-3 advantage when the Old Oaken Bucket is on the line. Saturday will mark the 99th time that the Bucket is up for grabs.
• The Boilermakers have won the past three matchups in the rivalry, their longest streak since rattling off five straight from 2002-06, including a 35-31 victory last season that was Purdue's 300th victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Saturday's contest marks the fourth time in the final six games of the season that Purdue faces a Top 10 team. The Boilermakers will play their fifth Top 10 team this season and are the only program in the country to have had to face four of the nation's current Top 5.
• Purdue has only faced a ranked Indiana team four times throughout history.
• The Boilermakers held Michigan State scoreless in the second half last week, one possession away from pulling off the biggest comeback in program history. Purdue trailed 24-3 at halftime before limiting the Spartans to zero points and 73 yards of total offense in the second half, including 0-for-7 on third down after the break.
• Hudson Card threw for a career-high 342 yards at Michigan State last week.
• One of the nation's leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in solo tackles (5.7 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 63 solo tackles, the most by any defensive back in the country.
• Thieneman's 94 total tackles are 21 more than the next Big Ten defensive back.
• Thieneman is two solo tackles away from being just the third defensive back over the past 20 seasons to record at least 65 solo tackles as a freshman and sophomore (Andrew Wingard - 2015-16 - Wyoming, Davonte Shannon - 2007-08 - Buffalo).
• Starting center Gus Hartwig has a 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, second best in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers, while not giving up a sack and allowing only one hit on the quarterback.
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins is the conference leader in sacks wearing a Big Ten uniform, recording 23.0 throughout his career to also rank sixth in Purdue history.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), ranking second among Big Ten tight ends and seventh nationally in receiving yards.
• Klare is on pace to become the first Purdue tight end to lead the team in receptions since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz hauled in 41 receptions (240 yards, four touchdowns) during the 2013 season.
• Running back Devin Mockobee is 55 yards away from being the eighth Boilermaker in program history to eclipse 2,500 career rushing yards. Mockobee ranks 10th all-time with 2,445 yards on the ground.
• Purdue is the only team in the country to have played at least four of the nation's current Top 5 teams (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
OLD OAKEN BUCKET HISTORY
• While Saturday's game will be the 126th meeting between the Boilermakers and Hoosiers, this year's matchup will be just the 99th edition of the Old Oaken Bucket Game.
• Since 1925, Purdue and Indiana have played annually for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Boilermakers lead the Bucket portion of the all-time series 63-32-3, including 18 wins in the last 26 showdowns that started at the beginning of the Joe Tiller era.
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups (game was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19).
• The Chicago alumni groups of both schools came up with the idea for a traveling trophy, and Russell Gray of Purdue and Clarence Jones of Indiana were given the task of finding an appropriate object. They recommended that "an old oaken bucket would be a most typical trophy from this state and should be taken from a well somewhere in Indiana." Purdue's Fritz Ernst and Whiley J. Huddle of Indiana found the fabled bucket, in a bad state of repair, covered with moss and mold, on the Bruner farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana.
• The Bruner farm was settled in the 1840s, and family lore suggests the bucket might have been used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his soldiers during their incursion into Indiana in 1863 during the Civil War.
• George Ade, distinguished humorist from Purdue, and Harry Kurrie, president of the Monon Railroad, representing Indiana, formally introduced the Old Oaken Bucket in 1925. The Boilermakers and Hoosiers subsequently battled to a 0-0 tie Nov. 21 at Ross-Ade Stadium, resulting in an "I-P" link being attached to the bucket.
• Throughout its history, the bucket has been kidnapped by partisans from both schools – a couple of times missing so long that it was given up as lost, only to turn up mysteriously just before or after the annual game.
KEEPING THE BUCKET
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups in the rivalry game, while keeping the Old Oaken Bucket for the past three seasons.
• The Boilermakers are looking to beat the Hoosiers for a fourth year in a row. The current three-game winning streak is Purdue's longest in the rivalry since rattling off five straight from 2002-06.
• Purdue has averaged 36.3 points per game over the last three matchups against Indiana, while holding the Hoosiers to 18.0 points per game.
• The Boilermakers won last year's season finale 35-31. Hudson Card led Purdue to the victory, recording 360 yards of offense (275 passing, 85 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) to become the first quarterback since Drew Brees (2000) to pass for at least 275 yards and rush for at least 85 yards in the same game. Dillon Thieneman picked off a pair of passes to set a new Purdue single-season record for INTs by a freshman (6).
THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
• Purdue entered the 2024 season as one of only two teams (Florida) in the country to have four preseason Top 10 teams on its schedule. Turns out, the slate proved to be even harder, perhaps one of the most difficult in college football history.
• The Boilermakers are the only team in the country to have four of the nation's Top 5 on their schedule (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
• Saturday's contest will be Purdue's sixth against a ranked team, including the fifth ranked in the current Top 10.
• Four of the Boilermakers' final six games on the schedule feature Top 10 teams. Three during the second half of the season were against Top 5 opponents.
SECOND HALF SHUTOUT
• Trailing 24-3 at the half against Michigan State last week, the Boilermakers did not give up and nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in program history before falling just short 24-17.
• The Purdue defense shut out the Spartans in the second half, limiting them to only 73 yards of total offense that included punts on five of six drives and an 0-for-7 rate on third down.
• It marked the fourth time that the Boilermakers have kept an opponent scoreless in a half this season (complete game shutout vs. Indiana State, first half vs. Nebraska).
• The defense held the Spartans to 293 yards of total offense throughout the game, the fewest surrendered since the season-opening win over Indiana State. That included only 159 yards, the lowest by a Big Ten opponent this season.
LEADING THE O-LINE
• Center Gus Hartwig and right tackle Marcus Mbow have been the leaders on Purdue's offensive line this season.
• Both Boilermakers have started all 11 games this season, bringing a total of 78 starts between the duo (Hartwig - 47, Mbow - 31).
• Hartwig has earned an 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, not allowing a sack and only surrendering one hit on the quarterback. His pass blocking grade ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers. Hartwig's 74.7 offensive grade ranks second in the conference and 16th nationally.
• Going up against No. 2 Oregon, Mbow earned a spot on the PFF National Team of the Week for battling the Ducks' difficult defensive line.
• Mbow has a 76.9 run blocking grade by PFF, ranking sixth among Big Ten tackles.
MAD MAX
• Max Klare has not missed a beat this season after his 2023 campaign was cut short due to injury.
• The sophomore tight end leads Purdue in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), on pace to become the first tight end to lead the Boilermakers in receiving since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz paced Purdue in 2013 (41 receptions).
• Klare ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in receiving yards by a tight end.
• Klare has led Purdue in receiving in eight of the team's 11 games this season.
• His 649 receiving yards rank seventh in a single season by a Purdue tight end and are the most since Brycen Hopkins' 830-yard season in 2019.
• He had his best game as a Boilermaker at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), hauling in six receptions for a career-high 133 yards. It marked the most receiving yards by a Purdue tight end since Payne Durham's 150-yard night in the 2021 season opener and the sixth most by a Boilermaker tight end since 1996. Klare added 76 yards after catch as part of his receiving total.
• Klare has made multiple catches in 16 straight games he has appeared in, having only played in 17 throughout his collegiate career.
• He already ranks 11th all-time in receiving yards by a Purdue tight end with 845 over two seasons.
• Klare was also tabbed to the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List ahead of the year.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• For the third straight season, Mockobee leads the Purdue rushing attack. The junior has recorded 666 yards with four rushing touchdowns to pace the Boilermakers in both categories.
• Mockobee sits ninth on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,445), passing legendary College Football Hall of Fame running back Leroy Keyes (2,094) against Nebraska (Sept. 28). He also sits 10th with 19 career rushing touchdowns, passing another College Football Hall of Famer (Otis Armstrong) by finding the end zone against Northwestern (Nov. 2).
• The junior is 55 yards away from becoming just the eighth Boilermaker in history to rack up 2,500 career rushing yards.
• With 11 carries for 102 yards at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), Mockobee became the seventh Boilermaker to produce at least eight 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He rushed for a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State (Sept. 21), becoming the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation's leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers' chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (94) and solo tackles (63), besting all Big Ten defensive backs in both categories.
• Thieneman's 5.7 solo tackles per game rank second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.
• His 63 solo tackles rank are the most by any defensive back in the country, and he is two solo stops away from becoming just the third DB over the past 20 years to record 65 solo tackles as a freshman and as a sophomore (Andrew Wingard - 2015-16 - Wyoming, Davonte Shannon - 2007-08 - Buffalo).
• Six tackles against Indiana would make Thieneman just the second Big Ten defensive back (since 2005) to make 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons as well as the fifth nationally to do it as a freshman and sophomore.
• Thieneman is one of only 26 Big Ten defensive backs over the past 20 seasons to record at least 50 solo tackles in two different seasons, including just the third to do it during both freshman and sophomore campaigns (Ricardo Allen - Purdue, Ibraheim Campbell - Northwestern).
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
HIGHWAY TO HELDT
• After recording only 12 tackles throughout his freshman season, sophomore rush end Will Heldt has made 54 tackles this season. He ranks second on the team in sacks (5.0) and tackles-for-loss (9.0).
• Heldt recorded his first career touchdown with a 16-yard scoop-and-score at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12).
• At Wisconsin (Oct. 5), Heldt recorded a career-high eight tackles to pace Purdue.
• Heldt started the season with a team-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the win over Indiana State.
• Prior to the season opener, Heldt's career high in tackles were two.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks sixth in Purdue history with 23.0 career sacks and 10th with 43.5 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (12.0) and sacks (6.5), while ranking second in tackles (78).
• Jenkins sacks per game (0.59) ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State (Sept. 21), recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.