Purdue gets Maryland at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday with a chance to stop the slide, and the setup is hard to ignore. The Terrapins have dropped six straight and are still looking for their first Big Ten win. For Barry Odom and the Boilermakers, the path back into the win column comes down to a few simple but demanding priorities.
Start with the run game, because Purdue’s offense has looked much better when Fame Ijeobi is involved and productive. The sophomore back has been bottled up in the Boilermakers’ last two losses, finishing with just 39 yards on 24 carries.
That’s not the version of the offense Purdue needs. Josh Henson and the Boilermakers have to find ways to get Ijeobi the ball in space, let him build momentum, and use his ability to run through contact.
When Purdue has won, Ijeobi has averaged 5.69 yards per carry. In losses, that number falls to 3.0.
That ties directly into the next issue: Purdue has to keep the offense on the field. Last week’s loss to Penn State featured a brutal number - just 16 minutes of possession for the Boilermakers.
That simply won’t cut it if Purdue wants a real shot at a win. Maryland has only won the time of possession battle twice this season, so there should be chances for both sides to move the ball.
The Boilermakers need to string together drives, make Maryland’s defense work, and avoid letting the game slip into a track meet where Purdue’s defense is left exposed.
And that defense could use all the help it can get. The best support Purdue can give that unit is an offense that controls the rhythm and keeps the sideline occupied. That means staying out of the kind of long-yardage situations that have haunted the Boilermakers all season.
Third downs have been a major problem. Purdue has been stuck behind the chains too often, and that has led to too many tough conversion spots.
Against Penn State, the Boilermakers went 2-for-11 on third down. Against Washington, they were 5-for-14.
Purdue currently has the worst third-down conversion rate in the Big Ten, which makes staying on schedule even more important.
Avoiding third down altogether isn’t realistic, but Purdue can make life easier by winning early downs and creating manageable second- and third-down situations. If the Boilermakers run the ball effectively, sustain drives, and keep themselves ahead of the chains, they’ll give themselves a much better chance to beat Maryland.
In Other News...
Purdue Just Let A Controlled Game Turn Into A Brutal Early Warning
Purdue spent enough of the night in a controlled, familiar kind of game that it should have been able to close the door. Instead, Valparaiso kept hanging around, got a standout effort from Rakim Chaney, and turned a matchup the Boilermakers expected to manage into something far more uncomfortable. For a program that usually leans on composure and structure, the loss was a jolt, especially with the kind of history attached to it.
Justus McNair delivered the game-winning basket in overtime, putting an exclamation point on a result that will linger well beyond one night. Matt Painters team is off to a rough start, and the bigger concern for Purdue is not just the record, but how a game that looked under control slipped away before it could be finished. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Suddenly Has A Backcourt Question Matt Painter Must Answer
Purdues season took an early jolt when Valparaiso walked out with an 83-80 double-overtime upset, a game that exposed how quickly a night can turn when the Boilermakers are not getting enough from the perimeter. The offense had chances to separate, but the shooting never really came around, and the missed opportunities piled up as the game stretched deeper into the evening.
Justus McNair was the difference for Valparaiso, pouring in 35 points and staying central to the action even after fouling out in double overtime. For Matt Painter, the larger concern is what this kind of loss says about Purdues backcourt balance and shot-making when games tighten, because the Boilermakers cant count on surviving nights when the outside touch disappears and the margin for error shrinks to almost nothing. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues Roster Overhaul Raised Big Concerns In A Brutal Opener
The first night of Purdues new-look season brought plenty of curiosity to Mackey Arena, where four new starters were making their debut and the Boilermakers were trying to sort out a reshaped rotation on the fly. For stretches, the ball security was encouraging and the energy fit the occasion, but the offense never quite settled in, and a 32-point first half underscored how much work remains for a group still learning how to play together.
Purdue did get notable individual production and some useful answers from the bench and rotation decisions, yet the second half exposed the same issue that lingered early: too many possessions stalled when the game tightened. With a roster overhaul already forcing adjustments, the opener served as a reminder that the Boilermakers may need time to turn talent into consistency, especially when the offense is asked to carry them through a rough patch. [Read more 🡒]