Purdue arrives at Friday night’s matchup with Washington at 3-3, and the Boilermakers’ first-half turnaround has been built around Barry Odom’s reset of the program.
Odom, now in his second year in West Lafayette, inherited a mess after a 2-10 season and made a point of being direct about it. Andrew Ledman of Hammer And Rails said Odom openly acknowledged how bad things had gotten, then set about fixing the roster as best he could with Purdue’s limited resources. That meant keeping key pieces in place, including starting quarterback Ryan Browne, who briefly explored a move to UNC before coming back, and then trying to patch the biggest holes across the roster rather than chase headline names.
The result has been gradual improvement rather than a dramatic overnight swing. Ledman pointed to noticeable upgrades in the wide receiver room and at running back, with the broader sense being that Purdue is better in a number of spots - just not yet deep enough to act like a finished product.
Browne has been one of the biggest reasons for that progress. He has thrown for 1,549 yards with 9 touchdowns and just 1 interception, a huge step forward from last season.
Ledman said the sophomore has stopped having to do so much on his own, thanks to better line play and a more complete supporting cast. Running back Fame Ijeboi has helped stabilize the ground game, while Purdue has three legitimate receiving threats in Asaad Waseem, Xavier Townsend, and Chauncey Magwood.
There is still one area where Browne can sharpen things up: the deep ball. Ledman said he has tended to overthrow receivers when they get behind the defense. Even so, Purdue’s offense has generally settled into a balanced rhythm, though last week’s win over Minnesota featured a run game the Gophers simply could not stop.
On the defensive side, Kevin Kane remains a complicated figure. Ledman did not soften the early-season criticism of the coordinator, calling out the frustration Purdue fans felt when Kane was brought back after his first stint under Ryan Walters.
But the tone has shifted some lately. Purdue’s defense has been better over the last two games, and Ledman said there is at least a chance the early struggles were partly a function of facing strong offenses.
The Boilermakers have mixed their fronts depending on the opponent, using some 4-3-4 looks against run-heavy teams like Minnesota. Purdue does not have a true star up front, but it does have enough depth to keep people fresh.
Linebackers Charles Correa and Jojo Hayden are the main names to know, with Winston Berglund also used in anticipated run situations. In the secondary, Don Saunders has played better of late at corner, Hudari Hines has been uneven, and Smily Bradford has been steady.
If there is one under-the-radar Purdue player worth circling, Ledman pointed to tight end George Burhenn. He has only 8 catches this season, but those grabs have produced 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Injury issues have limited him, but Ledman called him incredibly talented and underutilized.
Looking ahead, Purdue still has several winnable games on the slate, including Washington, struggling Penn State, Maryland, and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers also have road trips to Iowa and Indiana, matchups Ledman does not feel great about.
Still, he said a bowl berth is at least possible, and for Purdue that would feel like a miracle. His guess: 5-7.
As for Friday night, Ledman expects plenty of anger from Purdue fans, especially toward Walters. He noted how far the program had fallen after playing in the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan, and said the crowd will be relentless. His final read: Purdue does enough to get the win.
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