The Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2) will look to bounce back from their lopsided loss to Ohio State when they host the Purdue Boilermakers (2-3) for Homecoming at 6:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Can Purdue score on offense?
The Gophers
will need to exorcise the demon that is Devin Mockobee. He has been a workhorse for the Purdue offense, grinding out 3.8 yards per carry on 81 carries this season. But Minnesota has lost two straight games to the Boilermakers, and Mockobee has played a critical role in both games. He rolled up 153 rushing yards and a touchdown in Purdue’s 49-30 win over the Gophers in 2023, and he put their 20-10 upset win over Minnesota in 2022 on ice with a 68-yard run to set up a touchdown in the final minutes of that game.
With how inconsistent the Gophers have been in stopping the run, Mockobee could be set up for a big day.
But running the ball has not been the Boilermakers’ strength on offense. Their offense this season runs through redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne, who is 107-of-172 (62.2%) for 1,338 passing yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He also has 40 carries for 99 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Purdue has picked up the tempo under offensive coordinator Josh Henson, who has opened up the passing game by incorporating more spread concepts, screens, and RPOs.
Browne loves to spread the football around, with eight pass catchers having recorded at least five receptions this season. Michael Jackson III leads the way with 32 receptions for 305 receiving yards and a touchdown, but Georgia transfer Nitro Tuggle has picked up steam of late and leads the team with three touchdown catches.
This is going to be yet another test for a Minnesota secondary that has struggled at times this season. Their young and inexperienced cornerbacks have struggled with their technique in zone coverage, and this defense lacks the pass rush necessary to allow them to play man coverage effectively.
Please tell me the Gophers will be able to score
Purdue ranks 76th nationally in run defense (149.2 rushing yards allowed per game), 105th in pass defense (248.4 passing yards allowed per game), and is tied for 108th in scoring defense (29.8 points allowed per game).
The Boilermakers loaded up on defensive backs from the transfer portal in the offseason — including sixth-year senior cornerback Tony Grimes (UNLV), fifth-year senior safety Myles Slusher (Colorado), and fifth-year senior safety Tahj Ra-El (Memphis) — but that seems to have had little impact on a secondary susceptible to giving up explosive pass plays. I’m not sure that defensive coordinator Mike Scherer has put them in a position to succeed with his schemes, but they also seem to be plagued by missed assignments and poor technique.
In other words, expect Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey to come out slingin’ on Saturday. Just last week, Illinois signal caller Luke Altmeyer tore up the Purdue defense to the tune of 390 passing yards, completing 86 percent of his passes and averaging 20.5 yards per completion.
The Boilermakers looked improved against the run against the Fighting Illini, limiting them to 2.9 yards per carry. Presumably, stopping the run was a point of emphasis during their bye week, which came after allowing Notre Dame to rack up 254 yards on the ground in a 56-30 loss in Week 4.
After facing perhaps the best defense in the country a week ago in Columbus, the Gophers should be able to breathe again when they take the field against a porous Purdue defense.
But who will score more points on Saturday?
This is as much of a “get right” game as the Gophers could ask for after getting blown off the field by the top-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus last week. I think Minnesota’s defense will struggle early, but the Gopher offense will keep pace and allow them to pull away in the second half. Minnesota 35, Purdue 21.
