PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB David Blough continues to shine, as he picked apart an aggressive Illinois defense to throw for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Ohio State will present a bigger challenge, but it’s also noteworthy that Blough and the Boilermakers have 17 plays that have gone for 40 yards or more this season. That big-play potential can even things out in a hurry, and Ohio State has struggled to put opponents away all season. Another strong game from Blough will give Purdue true upset potential this week.
–RB D.J. Knox is coming off a 150-yard rushing game against Illinois, and he and Markell Jones will be relied upon to pick up yards on the ground again this week. When Purdue’s offense stays in balance, it seems to move the ball down the field at will. Play-action only leads to big plays when defenses have to respect the run, and Knox and Jones are making opponents do just that.
–S Jacob Thieneman had eight more tackles to lead the team against Illinois. His ability to race in and pressure the quarterback will be tested against Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, who has the speed to beat defenders to the corner and the arm to make them pay for shifting towards the pocket and letting receivers drop behind them.
–LB Cornel Jones has 11 tackles for loss, which leads the Big Ten. He had three more hits behind the line of scrimmage last week and will need to be at least as disruptive against the Buckeyes to help slow down the Ohio State offense.
SERIES HISTORY: Ohio State leads Purdue 40-14-2. The teams last met in 2013 with the Buckeyes winning 56-0.
QUOTE TO NOTE: ” I think in order to win football games, in order to play exciting football, in order to play a brand that people want to watch and play in, you’ve got to try to get big plays, and to do that you’ve got to be aggressive, and I think to do that you’ve got to be able to run the ball and throw play-action but you’ve got to be able to throw the ball vertically. You’ve got to be able to work it. We spend a lot of time, every practice we have, at the deep ball and throwing the ball vertically. Doesn’t happen just as easy as you think it would. You’ve got to work at it.” — Coach Jeff Brohm, on his offense’s propensity for big plays.
