WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Football cruised to a 34-17 win against Southern Illinois under the lights of Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday night.
The Boilermakers are 2-0 for the first time since 2021, making head coach Barry Odom the first Purdue coach to start his tenure 2-0 since Cleo O’Donnell in 1916.
Both offenses started hot, scoring touchdowns on the first four drives of the games to knot the score at 14-14 by the end of the first quarter.
But the Boilermaker defense found its footing and held strong from there on out. Purdue went on to score on six of its eight drives, with no punts for the first time since Sept. 24, 2016 (vs. Nevada).
MOCK TRAIN ROLLS
Senior running back Devin Mockobee rushed 32 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns, his first career game housing multiple rushing scores and the most rushing attempts of his career. Overall, it was his most productive rushing performance since the Oregon State game last season (Sept. 21, 2024), when he had 168 yards on 16 carries.
Mockobee continued his surge up the school career rushing charts, moving to No. 7 in attempts (551), No. 5 in yards (2,651), No. 9 in touchdowns (22) and tied for No. 4 in 100-yard rushing games (nine).
BROWNE POINTS
Quarterback Ryan Browne was an efficient 14-of-23 for 170 yards and two touchdowns through the air, spreading the ball around to nine different receivers.
The dual-threat sophomore also made the Salukis pay on the ground, keeping it nine times for 50 yards. Browne led Purdue’s offense to scores on six of their first seven drives and commanded the time of possession, 36:46 to SIU’s 23:14.
Tight end George Burhenn emerged to have his best game since Nov. 25, 2023. The sophomore led the Boilers with three catches for 48 yards. Arhmad Branch opened Purdue’s scoring and found the end zone for the second time this season on a 13-yard pass from Browne. He finished with two catches for 31 yards.
Georgia transfer Nitro Tuggle scored his first career touchdown near the end of the first quarter, catching a 29-yarder from Browne.
DEFENSE FIRMS UP
After two SIU scores to start the game, the Boilermaker defense bowed up and kept them out of the end zone the rest of the way.
CJ Nunnally IV registered two sacks, his third career multi-sack game and first as a Boilermaker. He did so on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter for a loss of 18 yards, forcing a 4th-and-28.
Charles Correa made the play that arguably spurred the defense into form, notching his first career sack on a 3rd-and-1 when the score was 14-14, forcing the Salukis’ first punt.
Tahj Ra-El led the defense for the second time in two games this season with seven tackles (all solos). The Boilers held SIU to just 81 yards rushing on 26 carries, an average of 3.1 per rush.
PORATH STAYS PERFECT
Kicker Spencer Porath was perfect again on Saturday night, converting both of his field goal attempts. He knocked through a 28-yarder and a 43-yarder, the latter the second-longest of his career. Porath is now 3-for-3 on the season.
UP NEXT
Purdue will stay home to open Big Ten Conference play next Saturday, hosting the USC Trojans for the first time since Sept. 25, 1976. Live on CBS, kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Single-game tickets are available here.