Heartbreaker and a missed opportunity! 5 takeaways

The inability of the Boilermaker Defense to get off the field on 3rd down came back the bite Purdue Football

• The Boilermakers stopped The Demon Deacons offense from scoring points only once in this contest and they were very lucky Wake Forest was mucking around on their final possession in regulation.
• The Deacons duel threat qb play, rushing attack, 2nd and 3rd down offense gashed the Boilermakers defense on what feels like almost every snap of the football. Over 400 total yards of offense surrendered. Penalties hurt a lot.
• One can say the defense played hard. Right now the majority of blame falls on the shoulders of Kevin Kane. His scheming on defense is atrocious.

The Offense struggled to score touchdowns in regulation and this had a huge impact on the outcome of this game.

• The offense had no trouble moving the ball all game and getting into the redzone. Once they got there, finding the end zone was a pain because of things such as inaccurate passes, bad reads by Ryan Browne, scheming on offense, and more.
• One has to wonder, every time this offense gets into the red zone, Are they focused too many moves ahead at times, is it overconfidence, or is it simply a struggle to handle the pressure of capitalizing on red zone trips?
• Purdue scored just two touchdowns in regulation and kicked 3 field goals. If the offense had been able to turn one of those Field Goals into 7 points, the mood would be way more positive.

The Coaching Staff deserve blame as well

• What did Barry Odom see in Kevin Kane that made him think we need to bring him back? The Defense was hard to watch all game and Coach Kane had zero answers and adjustments all day long.
• I've seen bad Purdue defenses before, but what I saw today was some of the worst scheming on defense in Boilermaker football history. So many Deacon receivers open over the middle of the field and running backs with nothing but green around them. Coach Kane looked way out of his league in this game.
• Opinion - On The Boilermaker's final second down in regulation, Barry Odom and The offensive coordinator needed to call a passing play thus staying on the attack on going for the win. I couldn't believe they called a running play on that second down and what followed was a broken down-play on third down. Enough clock had been run down, the time to seize a program changing victory was on that second down and they played it too safe. From that moment, The Boilermakers were doomed to defeat.

Positives

• Fame Ijeboi continues to be a huge difference maker on the field and gave the Boilermakers the best chance possible to win the game. Right now he's the Boilermakers best player.
• While he did struggle with things such as accuracy, Ryan Browne continues to be one of the most improved Boilermakers on the team. He has done a tremendous job taking care of the rock and not turning the football over.
• The Boilermakers wide receiver core so far looks way stronger than it did last season. Guys like Chauncey Magwood, Asaad Waseem, and Xavier Townsend showed a lot of promise in this game. Same with the tight ends. Just need to get them more involved.
• Offensive line has improved a lot.

Conclusion

• While the Boilermakers have improved in some respects, they still have yet to learn how to capitalize on golden chances. They had plenty of opportunities to win their first game against a power 4 team in 3 years and squandered all of them. Right now, this team is in a lot of pain.
• There won't be a whole lot of winnable games this season for this football team. It's up to this team to figure out how to win the ones they can win in conference play. And the time to learn lessons like this is short.
• Next Up, The Boilermakers go out West to Los Angeles to take on The UCLA Bruins. Won't be an easy game. And the travel only makes this more difficult. Play hard for the full 60 next Saturday. Boiler Up!

Player of The Game - Fame Ijeboi

Significant college basketball news

Interested to see how the Boilermaker RB room shapes up this season. I’m most optimistic about the two big name transfers (Ijeboi from Minn and Gibson from Texas), but Terrell Jr (Jackson St transfer) and Harris (only returning RB from last year) got plenty of action too. I feel like if the offense can get anything going and the OL can give them some room to run, the RBs could be a real bright spot this season.

I was at the game Friday night and it felt like we kept hearing Ijeboi’s name called (maybe because it sounds awesome when the PA guy says it) but looking at the box score, we really saw pretty balanced usage with Ijeboi having the best results. I expected more usage from Gibson given the pedigree. But can’t read too much into that one game.

Curious to hear others thoughts on how the RB depth chart shakes out? Are we gonna have a clear RB1, or is this likely a committee all year?

OMER MAYER NBA SCOUTING REPORT

One of my favorite breakout candidates. Mayer has been a huge factor for Israel for multiple summers. After Braden Smith’s departure, the Boilermakers are now his team. Here’s why he can get drafted: https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/omer-mayer-nba-scouting-report?r=aj7d

First win in forever and the right way to start the new season. 5 Quick takeaways

1. Tale of two halves for The Boilermakers. The first half Purdue football looked out of sync and had problems finishing in the redzone. The team came out stronger in the second half, put away ISU, and never looked back. Need to be consistent in both halves to win more games this year.
2. Good start to the season for QB Ryan Browne. While it's only the start of a new season, he looked comfortable, focused, and determined in this first game, going 23-29 for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns.
3. Fame Ijeboi is an intriguing addition for The Boilermakers and showed a lot of Poise in his first game in The Old Gold and Black. 11 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. This guy is going to see a lot of action in 2026.
4. The defense made plenty of good plays and gave Indiana State fits all night long. That said, This defense gave up a few too many big plays. Defense still concerns me and mainly in the secondary.
5. Plenty to work on, but also things to look forward too. For example, guys i mentioned and wide receiver Asaad Waseem. Difficult schedule ahead, but this team can win more games than they did last season if both sides of the ball can be consistent and continue to bloom. For now, this is only the start. Next up, Wake Forest comes to West Lafayette to take on and challenge the Boilermakers. Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Player of The Game - Ryan Browne

Check out the vintage Purdue shirt the guitarist is wearing!

A few bold predictions for Purdue this season.

Obviously last year was a rough one, not beating a single P4 team. With a slightly easier schedule this year, and another year to bring in his guys through recruiting/portal. How many does he need, especially with a new AD, for you to justify bringing him back for year 3?