Matchup Preview: Purdue-Iowa

Iowa at Purdue

Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Location: Ross-Ade Stadium

Surface: Natural Grass

Capacity: 57,236

2019 records: Iowa (10-3 overall, 6-3 Big Ten); Purdue (4-8; 3-6)

Series notes: Purdue leads the all-time series 48-39-3 after Iowa's 26-20 win in Kinnick on Oct. 19, 2019. Iowa finished last season ranked 15th in both the coaches and media polls..

Purdue has won the last two of the last three games in the series, taking the most recent meeting (2018) in Ross-Ade Stadium after Spencer Evans drilled a 25-yard field goal with eight seconds left for a 38-36 victory. The Hawkeyes had won four meetings in a row before Purdue's recent mini-run. The Boilermakers won 20 in a row vs. Iowa from 1961-80. Since then, Purdue is 9-23-1 vs. the Hawkeyes.

TV: BTN (Cory Provus, PBP; Anthony Herron, Analyst; Coley Harvey Sideline)

Early line: Iowa -3. Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, 3:30 ET, Ross-Ade Stadium (57,236)

Radio (Purdue): Sirius 138/XM 195/ Tunein.com (Tim Newton, play-by-play; Pete Quinn, analyst; Rob Blackman, studio host)

Pregame: Gold and Black Radio

Purdue roster | Purdue Schedule/Results | Purdue Game Notes (PDF)

Iowa roster | Iowa schedule/results | Iowa Game Notes (PDF)

Ross-Ade Stadium information/2020 plan and policies

Local Weather

More: First Look: Iowa | Gold and Black Radio podcast: Game week starts without Jeff Brohm | Brohm COVID-19 infection confirmed, likely won't be on sideline Saturday | GoldandBlack.com video: Jeff Brohm on COVID-19 diagnosis, Iowa and more | Opponent View: Iowa | Ready or not, Brian Brohm will call plays for first time Saturday vs. Iowa | Karlaftis "We're Excited" | Weekly Word: The absence of Jeff Brohm

Iowa has a stable of talented running backs and likely will use them. With a first-game starter at quarterback who has thrown only 11 passes in his college career, expect the Hawkeyes to pound the ball against new coordinator Bob Diaco's defense. Tyler Goodson (No. 15) came on late in the season to lead the team in rushing last year with 638 yards, the first true freshman in program history to do so. Yet, Goodson was limited to just six yards in five attempts in last year's 26-20 win over Purdue. Mekhi Sargent (10) was Iowa's leading rusher last year against the Boilermakers and will be in the mix as well. Keep your eye on Ivory Kelly-Martin (21) as well as he played in just three games last year after rushing for nearly 400 yards in 2018,.

This one is so tough call. Purdue has an experienced front, and linebacker Derrick Barnes will be in the spotlight in his new position at linebacker.

Spencer Petras (7) will get the nod at quarterback and the Hawkeyes' staff talks of being very confident in him. Interesting, in Iowa's two Big Ten title seasons under Kirk Ferentz, it was a first time quarterback to lead Iowa to a title.

Petras will benefit from one of the most talented receiving corps in the Ferentz Era. Iowa has its seven top receivers returning and 90 percent of last year's receiving yards. Purdue hopes to get some pressure up front with talented sophomore George Karlaftis leading the charge, in addition to a presumably healthy Lorenzo Neal.

Keep your eyes on Brandon Smith (12), speedster Ihmir Smith-Marsette (6), Indianapolis native Tyrone Tracy (3) and last year's team leader in receptions Nico Ragaini (89). Rising sophomore Sam Laporta (84) figures to carry on Iowa's rich tradition at tight end now that he is in the starting role.

Purdue figures to be solid in its secondary but Iowa gets the slight nod here.

Purdue struggled running the football last year with the least productive unit in the Big Ten, and it wasn't even close. It looks to improve this year from last season's 2.9 yards-per-carry average and will likely do so by committee.

Iowa has a proud defense and it typically starts with its physical ability to stop the run. Only Clemson has given up fewer points and touchdowns in the last three years. Iowa ranks sixth in yards per play allowed (4.8) and forced turnovers (76). The Hawkeyes gave up just 120.1 yards per game on the ground last year, sixth in the Big Ten.

Will it be Zander Horvath, who had Purdue's best individual performance with 164 rushing yards in the Bucket Game? Or will King Doerue emerge after gaining valuable experience as a true freshman? If healthy, will we see Rondale Moore out of the backfield? All good questions, and while the Boilermakers will be better on the ground, it seems likely it will be the short passing game that will serve as Purdue's ground attack.

While Jeff Brohm hasn't named a starter, and his brother Brian will be calling the plays, one can still assume that Purdue will do what has been successful against Iowa in the Brohm Era: throwing the ball downfield. With Jack Plummer at quarterback last year in Iowa City, Purdue managed just one pass play over 30 yards--a 54-yarder to David Bell -- though Plummer was 30-of-50 for 327 yards and two TDs. It is possible the Boilermaker brass will turn to junior Aidan O'Connell, as he showed the ability to go deep in his starting role late in the season.

Purdue has to hope its talented receivers perform at the expected level. Moore, presuming he is healthy, could be a huge factor. But the Boilermakers have a lot of options at receiver.

Iowa believes its strength on defense is in its back half of the unit. Over the last three seasons, the Hawkeyes’ 53 interceptions lead the nation. Despite replacing two starters in the secondary, the Hawkeyes still have talent. Yet, Iowa's pass rush doesn't figure to be as stout as last year, and the Boilermaker offensive line has enough experience to protect the quarterback. For Purdue to win, the Boilermakers must have the upper hand here. Both Plummer and O'Connell have thrown for over 400 yards in a game, a rarity in Big Ten annals in the same season, so either can do some serious damage downfield. We think they will.

Purdue will have its hand full keeping up in this category. Kicker Keith Duncan enters 2020 as Iowa’s all-time career leader in field goal percentage (84.4). He has made 38-of-45 career field goal attempts. He led the country with a Big Ten single-season record 29 field goals made in 2019, and was a consensus first-team All-American. Smith-Marsette is the top kick returner in Big Ten history averaging 29.9 yards in 45 returns.

Purdue figures to be solid with place-kicker J.D. Dellinger, as he ranks third in career field goals percentage and fifth all-time in field goals made. Yet, the Boilermakers will look to improve in its punt game from last year and are hoping for a big year out of Brooks Cormier. Moore, if healthy, figures to pay a role in the return game along with possibly speedy freshman Marcellus Moore (No. 14). He is an X factor that Purdue may need to exploit.

With limited practice time and all the distractions that have gone into this season, special teams play including tackling in this part of the game, will be key.

Iowa has won 18 of its last 19 season-opening games under Ferentz, so while these are turbulent times in the Hawkeyes program, the stability of the long-time Iowa coach is key. Let's face it, everything in the COVID world is turbulent, and added to the fact that Purdue will almost certainly be without its head coach on the sidelines for the first time in 52 years, things may be initially a bit unsettled for the Boilermakers.

To say anyone has an intangible advantage in a game played in an empty stadium is probably silly, but maybe the comfort of one's own surroundings will help Purdue. With the Iowa program's racial troubles over the summer, and the re-emergence of the topic this week, who knows where the Hawkeyes' focus will be.

Coach Jeff Brohm has said all along that the team that focuses best and can find a way to motivate itself in front of no fans, will have the best chance to be successful. That seems obvious, but still no less important.

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.