WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Football opened the 2025 season with a resounding 31-0 win over Ball State on Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium.
On a pristine, sunny afternoon with a high of 74 degrees, 53,994 fans enjoyed a well-rounded performance by the Boilermakers in head coach Barry Odom’s Purdue debut.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne excelled from the jump, protecting the ball and completing 69.2 percent of his passes with no turnovers. He finished 18-of-26 passing for a career-high 311 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with seven different receivers. Browne became the third Purdue quarterback in five seasons to throw for 300-plus yards in a season-opener.
Senior stalwart Devin Mockobee paced the offense with 104 all-purpose yards (59 rushing, 45 receiving) and a touchdown. He moved from ninth to seventh place on Purdue’s all-time rushing list (2,521 career rushing yards) and is now 73 yards away from tying Markell Jones for the No. 6 spot.
Mockobee housed his 20th career rushing score on a four-yard carry early in the second quarter, becoming the 10th Boilermaker to score 20 touchdowns on the ground.
Third-year Boilermaker Arhmad Branch led the aerial attack with a touchdown and 101 receiving yards, the most by a Purdue wide receiver since Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen had 114 against Syracuse on Sept. 16, 2023. He scored on just the second play from scrimmage on a 49-yard dime from Browne, setting the tone early.
Browne consistently found Georgia transfer Michael Jackson III, who had a game-high six catches, matching his career best in his Purdue debut. Jackson caught a 14-yard pass from Browne to score his first touchdown as a Boiler in the third quarter.
DEFENSE BLANKS THE CARDINALS
The Purdue defense held the Cardinals to 203 total yards and just 87 yards through the air. Ball State averaged just 3.9 yards per play.
Defensive back Tahj Ra-El, a fifth-year transfer from Memphis, led the team with seven tackles (all solos), including one for a loss. The Boilers made life difficult for the Cardinals all day, stuffing them behind the line for seven tackles for loss, including four sacks.
Breylon Charles and Sanders Ellis each picked up their first sacks as Boilermakers, while Jamarrion Harkless, CJ Madden and Mani Powell all combined for a half-sack each.
Powell, who was named to the Butkus Award watch list in July, followed Ra-El with five stops (three solos) in his Purdue debut.
SPECIAL TEAMS ROUNDUP
Sophomore kicker Spencer Porath converted his lone field goal attempt of the game, a 28-yard boot in the fourth quarter to put a bow on Purdue’s 31-0 victory.
Punter Jack McCallister, a transfer from Washington, impressed in his first game at Ross-Ade with three punts for 151 yards, an average of 50.3 per punt, all landing within the Ball State 20-yard line.
UP NEXT
After opening the Odom era with a victory, Purdue stays at Ross-Ade for its second game of the season next week. The Boilermakers host Southern Illinois (Sept. 6) under the lights. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on BTN.