Maryland heads to West Lafayette on Saturday afternoon still searching for its first Big Ten win, and Purdue has a little recent experience with that kind of frustration.
The Boilermakers were able to break out of a 19-game Big Ten skid on Oct. 3 with a 24-17 win over Illinois, then backed it up the next week with a 41-13 rout of Minnesota. That stretch has given Purdue (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) a sign of progress in Barry Odom’s second season.
Maryland (2-6, 0-5) is hoping for something similar under interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who took over on Oct. 21 after the departure of eight-year coach Mike Locksley. The Terrapins came close to ending their conference drought last week at home against Illinois, but a field goal on the final play sent them to a 20-17 loss and a sixth straight defeat overall.
Even in the loss, Maryland found a few positives. The Terps were flagged just once for 5 yards, a sharp change from some of the sloppier stretches that have hurt them this season.
“There were a lot less missed assignments. Obviously, the lack of penalties was encouraging,” Abdul-Rahim said.
“I think they’re definitely buying in. Our technique, detail and discipline was much improved.”
Quarterback Malik Washington also showed flashes against Illinois, though his production remains below what he delivered as a freshman last season. He finished 19 of 29 for 190 yards with one interception.
“I think he’s a little bit too hard on himself, and sometimes just doing your job is good enough,” Abdul-Rahim said.
Purdue enters after dropping consecutive winnable games to Washington and Penn State. Last week’s 31-17 loss to the Nittany Lions exposed some offensive issues, with Ryan Browne completing 10 of 29 passes for 142 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Boilermakers also haven’t gotten the same punch from Fame Ijeboi that they did against Minnesota. After piling up 195 rushing yards and three touchdowns in that win, he has managed 39 yards on 24 carries over Purdue’s last two games.
Odom said he expects Maryland to bring plenty of fight, especially after the way the Terrapins responded in Abdul-Rahim’s first game.
“Our attitude and our mindset, that’s gotta turn into your advantage,” Odom said. “And when you do that, you continually get better and then you find ways to win close games, which is what we’re going to have to do down the stretch.”
He also pointed to the way Maryland has handled its coaching change.
“You look at how their staff has navigated through the leadership change; it speaks volumes for what they’ve got inside their building,” Odom said.
In Other News...
Purdue Showed Promise In Vegas But One Debate Just Started
Purdues season opener in Las Vegas offered plenty to like, even in a 78-72 loss to No. 15 Gonzaga. Daniel Jacobsen gave the Boilermakers a strong debut with 22 points and seven rebounds, showing the kind of interior presence Purdue can build around as the schedule gets tougher.
The bigger question from the night was how often Purdue can get that version of Jacobsen on the floor when the games get physical. Foul trouble cut into his impact, and the Boilermakers also had to navigate a rough shooting night from deep while Gonzaga kept pressure on them at the line, leaving Purdue with a few obvious fixes before the next test. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Showed Real Promise And One Familiar Problem In Loss
No. 24 Purdue came out of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series with plenty to like, even in a 78-72 loss to No. 12 Gonzaga. The Boilermakers showed they can score with a top-15 opponent, and Daniel Jacobsen was a big part of that early, giving Purdue a strong inside presence while the game still felt very much up for grabs.
The problem was familiar for Purdue, which let Gonzaga turn whistles into points and momentum when the game tightened. Davis Fogles career-high 22 points helped the Bulldogs take control of the second half, and the Boilermakers were left sorting through a loss that showed real promise but also the kind of foul trouble that can change everything against elite competition. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Showed More Than Fans Expected In A Tough Gonzaga Test
Purdue left Las Vegas with plenty to build on after a season opener that tested Gonzaga from start to finish. The Boilermakers pushed a veteran-looking opponent in a 78-72 game that had the feel of an early measuring-stick night, with Gonzaga leaning on a balanced effort from Davis Fogle, Xaivian Lee, Izan Almansa and Braden Huff to keep control.
For Purdue, the bigger takeaway may be that it was in the fight deep into the second half and did not back down on a stage where the margin for error was thin. Gonzagas offense had enough answers to survive, but the Boilermakers showed they could make a high-level team work for every possession, which is exactly the sort of test that can pay off later in the season. [Read more 🡒]