Barry Odom didn’t have to look far for evidence that Purdue is headed into a much tougher test in Week 2. After opening the season 1-0 for the second straight year, the Boilermakers now turn to Wake Forest on Saturday, and Odom made it clear this one carries real weight in West Lafayette.
A win could build plenty of momentum. A loss would leave Purdue scrambling before a trip West to face UCLA. That backdrop made Odom’s Week 2 press conference less about the opener and more about what comes next.
One of the biggest positives from Friday night against Indiana State came in the third quarter, when Purdue turned a sluggish first half into a 21-0 burst. Odom pointed to the response from his players - especially team captain Hudauri Hines - as a sign the locker room is moving in the right direction.
“I was getting ready to have a number of things to say, and Hudauri Hines grabbed me, one of our team-elected captains. He said, ‘Coach, we don't need to hear a word.
We've got it. Let us take it,’” Odom said.
“That shows signs of leadership, that shows signs of a good team, and the messaging was right.”
That kind of ownership has been hard to find around Purdue football in recent years, which is why the moment stood out. It was only Week 1, but the way the Boilermakers handled that stretch offered a little encouragement about the tone inside the program this fall.
On offense, Fame Ijeobi made a strong early case that he’s Purdue’s feature back. The Minnesota transfer ran for 87 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, good for 7.9 yards per carry. Odom said the production was only part of the story.
“He was really good in the pass protection game, which was important,” Odom said. “One of the best things Fame did was when he was not in the game, his leadership on the sideline was off the charts positive.
That was noticed by all. He has been that way since he walked in the door.
He's earned respect."
If Ijeobi keeps that level of play going while getting more touches, Purdue may have a real threat emerging in the backfield.
Odom was also asked about the bizarre finish in Ann Arbor, where Western Michigan appeared to stun Michigan before officials put one second back on the clock and Bryce Underwood found JJ Buchanan for the winning touchdown. The Big Ten later said its official clock still showed a second left when the ball was touched.
Odom said he didn’t know about that until Saturday night.
"I didn't until Saturday night," Odom said. "I do believe those in charge of orchestrating and officiating a game have to make decisions on all the information that they get.
And then it is their job to communicate that to us. I would assume that's what happened in Ann Arbor."
On the defensive side, Purdue’s opener left room for improvement. Kevin Kane’s return as defensive coordinator was one of the major storylines entering Week 1, but the Boilermakers allowed 19 points to Indiana State. Odom noted that 13 of those came in garbage time, yet he still wants sharper work from that unit.
“I think we'll be a lot better Week 2 than we were Week 1,” Odom said. “Fortunately, we had a lead that it didn't end up costing us a game, but, you know, good teams, good defenses, it doesn't matter the score, doesn't matter the opponent. You go finish the game the way you should.”
That defensive improvement will matter if Purdue wants to take a step forward from last season. Odom isn’t pretending Wake Forest is just another game, either. He said the staff had already been building toward this matchup before the opener even kicked off, using Wake Forest’s game against Akron as part of the early prep work.
“I thought our coaching staff did a nice job on having an initial game plan for Wake Forest, even before, you know, our Week 1 opponent,” Odom said. “We took their game versus Akron, and then added those things to what our initial game plan was in the offseason.”
That kind of planning lines up with the urgency around Saturday’s game. The coach-speak about taking things week by week may be standard, but Odom made it obvious that Wake Forest has been treated like a priority from the start.
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Purdue Gets Pulled Into A Big Ten Officiating Debate Fans Hate
A messy finish in the Big Ten has spilled into the broader conference conversation, and Purdue found itself in the middle of it through Barry Odom's reaction. After officials reviewed the final sequence in Western Michigan's game with Michigan and put one second back on the clock, the Wolverines got a chance to win it with a touchdown, a ruling the league later stood behind as part of its standard process.
Odom said he was caught off guard by the idea that the conference operates with an official clock beyond what fans see in the stadium. Even so, the Purdue coach stopped short of turning it into a larger complaint, expressing confidence in the Big Ten's leadership and in the officiating process, even as the episode fed the kind of frustration that always seems to trail close calls in this league. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues Goal Line Approach Already Gives Fans Something To Debate
Purdues season opener offered plenty to like in a 44-19 win over Indiana State, especially once the offense got near the stripe. The Boilermakers were efficient in scoring territory, turning every red-zone trip into points and showing the kind of sharp finishing that usually travels well as the schedule toughens.
Even with the production, the conversation already has a familiar fall theme to it: how much creativity is too much when the ball is sitting close to the goal line. Some of the play-calling choices near the end zone raised eyebrows, and there is a growing sense that getting Ijeboi more involved inside the 20-yard line could make Purdue even harder to defend when the field gets compressed. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues Secondary Faces An Early Test Fans Were Hoping To Avoid
Purdues season opener offered a reminder that the Boilermakers defense still has some sorting out to do before the schedule tightens. Against Indiana State, the secondary gave up multiple chunk gains and spent too much of the afternoon chasing the ball, with the kind of busts that can turn a comfortable lead into a real conversation about depth and communication.
The concern only grows with Wake Forest up next, because the issues werent limited to one isolated mistake or one late possession. Purdues back end was tested repeatedly, and the next step is proving it can clean up those coverage lapses before a more dangerous passing game gets the same kind of openings. [Read more 🡒]