Purdue’s trip to Iowa took an unexpected turn Friday when the FAA’s nationwide flight stoppage forced the Boilermakers to scrap their original travel plan.
Instead of flying to Iowa City for Saturday night’s game against No. 15 Iowa, Purdue will go by bus, according to Tom Dienhart of GoldandBlack.com. The team had already spent more than 75 minutes waiting on the tarmac before the decision was made to change course.
The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on NBC.
The FAA stoppage began at 3:45 p.m. ET on Friday.
The altered travel plan is a familiar one for Purdue, even if the program usually leans on flights for longer road trips. The Boilermakers bussed to Champaign for their Oct. 3 game against Illinois, and they also will travel by bus to Bloomington for the Old Oaken Bucket game against Indiana.
Purdue enters the matchup at 3-6 after dropping its last three games to Washington, Penn State and Maryland. Iowa comes in at 7-2 and is still eyeing a College Football Playoff berth. The Hawkeyes’ path to a 10-2 finish looks manageable, with Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska left on the schedule.
The timing at least works in Purdue’s favor. With a night kickoff in Iowa City, the Boilermakers still have plenty of time to get settled despite the change in plans.
Saturday’s meeting will be the first between Purdue and Iowa since the 2023 season, when the Hawkeyes beat the Boilermakers 20-14 at Kinnick Stadium.
The two programs used to see each other every year as Big Ten West opponents, and Iowa has taken the last two matchups. Even so, the series has stayed tight over the last 10 games, with the Hawkeyes holding a 6-4 edge.
Purdue also arrives with a defensive change hanging over the week. Barry Odom moved on from defensive coordinator Kevin Kane last week, and it remains to be seen whether that brings any new wrinkles on that side of the ball against Iowa.
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