Purdue football vs. Indiana: Scouting report, prediction

On December 1, 2024By Littum

BLOOMINGTON − Nyland Green is new to the Indiana-Purdue football rivalry, but it didn’t take long for the cornerback transfer from Georgia to know what that means.

And now, in Green’s first Old Oaken Bucket game, the stakes are even higher than usual.

Indiana wins and Hoosiers probably going to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Purdue wins and Indiana is almost certainly out. Despite the reversed records, one wins Boilermakers betting on the latter against the 10-1 Hoosiers Saturday in Bloomington.

“Can’t they go? Good,” Green said. “If we can’t go, they can’t go. I don’t really care.”

Before coming to Purdue, Green played for two national championship teams.

Even if the 2024 season hasn’t gone as expected — for Purdue or for Green, who has battled injuries and played in just seven games — a win at Memorial Stadium to spoil Indiana’s dream season could atone for some of what has otherwise been a years to forget.

Scouting Purdue football’s opponent Indiana

Hoosier naysayers point to Indiana’s weak schedule8 and the fact that the only ranked team IU played resulted in last week’s loss at Ohio State. The Hoosiers have stated their case in the other 10 games with nine lopsided victories and are the fifth team currently in the College Football Playoff field that Purdue has faced this season.

How Curt Cignetti turned Indiana around in his first year as head coach was aided by a heavy haul from the transfer portal. The Hoosiers rank second in the Big Ten in average margin of victory behind only Ohio State.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke (2,478 passing yards, 21 TD, 4 INT) came as a fifth-year grad transfer from Ohio. Running backs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawson came through the portal, as did leading receivers Elijah Sarratt and Myles Price, all of whom helped revamp an offense that is averaging nearly 100 more yards per carry. match than a year ago.

Did the Purdue defense find something?

It was a confusing turn on Friday.

Purdue struggled to stop Michigan State for two quarters, then played lights out on defense for the final two quarters.

“I think we really started to put it together,” rush end Will Heldt said. “We really executed. D-line, backs and on the back end, especially. We really executed in the second half and that’s something we can build on.”

It’s just the fourth time this season Purdue has held a team scoreless for a half. Two were against Indiana State in a 49-0 win to open the season. The other was the first half against Nebraska on September 28.

Prediction: Indiana 48, Purdue football 14

The Hoosiers, with a win, are likely in the College Football Playoff. But after last week’s loss at Ohio State, don’t expect Indiana to leave anything to chance.

If IU gets a chance to pour it on a rival to make a statement, it will. Against the other four teams Purdue faced and expected to reach the College Football Playoff (Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State), the Boilermakers were outscored 195-17.

Having a lackluster performance against Purdue might not be a good look for a Hoosiers team that doesn’t have much in the way of quality wins.

A year ago, quarterback Hudson Card had his best game as a Boilermaker. He is coming off a solid showing at Michigan State. He will need to step up his performance from those contests for Purdue to have any hope.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.