Purdue vs. Missouri

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, 7:30 p.m. ET, Ross-Ade Stadium (57,236)

Series: Purdue leads 7-2, and won last year 35-3 in Columbia. Purdue is 3-0 vs. the Tigers in Ross-Ade and 4-0 in games played in West Lafayette

TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin, play-by-play; Glen Mason, analyst; Elise Menaker, sideline)

Radio (Purdue): Sirius 135/ XM 196/ 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 | Purdue Depth Chart

Missourt roster | Missouri schedule/Results | Missouri Game Notes | Missouri depth Chart

Tickets (Attendance estimate near 50,000)

Local Weather

More: Brothers ready for this weekend | Purdue ready for more deep shots | Changes on offensive line | Number Crunching: 2018 Week 2 ($)

The Tigers have lamented that their ground game has yet to take off in 2018, but that might have more to do with how good quarterback Drew Lock has been in the passing game. New offensive coordinator Derek Dooley wants to be more of a grind-it-out offense (or at least ball control). Damarea Crockett is a former 1,000-yard rusher who had 73 yards last week against Wyoming. Purdue made Eastern Michigan one-dimensional last week by stuffing the run, but it wasn't quite enough to get the win as the Eagles were able to go up top enough to secure the upset. It stands to reason Purdue has to make the Tigers one-dimensional (aka stop the run) to have a chance in this one.

Purdue hasn't faced a top-10 overall NFL Draft pick at quarterback in his senior year since Notre Dame's Rick Mirer, in 1992, but Lock will likely break that streak next April. Lock had a bad game against Purdue last year hitting on just 12-of-28 passes for 133 yards, but since then he has been fantastic. The challenge for Purdue will be defending Lock's ability to hit the deep ball. Like Lock, fleet receiver Emanuel Hall is also a projected NFL first-rounder and is averaging 24.4 yards per catch so far this year, But watch out for fellow wideout Johnathan Johnson and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, as Lock targets them frequently. Purdue must pressure Lock, as he has yet to be sacked this year. If it can't apply the heat, it could be a long night for the Boilermakers.

The strength of the Mizzou defense is its defensive line. Missouri has given up just 94 and 88 rushing yards in its first two games and has held opponents under 125 yards in that category in seven of its last 15 outings. Purdue had its best team rushing performance since 2014 in its 20-19 loss to Eastern Michigan averaging 8.1 yards per attempt and gaining 347 yards, but struggled to seal the deal in the red zone. This category might be too close to call, but ultimately it may have the greatest impact on the game. One would think the Boilermakers will want to control the clock, and least to some extent to keep the Tigers' offense off the field. And to do that, it best be able to run the ball. And with Elijah Sindelar possibly being out, this is another reason for some level of ball control being at a premium for Purdue.

Missouri's pass rush will likely try to test Purdue's recently re-configured offensive line. The Tigers have recorded a sack in 15 straight games with five in two games in 2018. It has been able to pressure a couple of modest opponents in 2018, and has held those opponents (UT-Martin and Wyoming) to a combined 51 percent completions. The Purdue passing game made strides last week by not turning the ball over, but the poor weather conditions and its strength running the football didn't make for a big day numbers wise. The Boilermakers want to throw the ball downfield, but that strategy may change if Sindelar doesn't play. Considering the ideal game conditions Saturday, it will be a story-line to whether they choose, and are able, to do it.

Rondale Moore is a threat to do damage in the kick return game and Jackson Anthrop had an impressive return against Eastern Michigan. It is hard to judge where the Tigers are in the punt and kick return games due only two attempts to date, both punt returns. Place-kicker Tucker McCann has connected on a 50-plus yard field goal, but is just 1-of-3 from 40-49 yards. Purdue will stick with place-kicker Spencer Evans, who has shown a strong leg, but missed a critical extra point and field goal last week. For Purdue to win the game Saturday night, this needs to be a positive category, but for now, there is not enough data to show who has the edge.

This is a very difficult game to forecast. Will Purdue's frame of mind be angry after a couple of early-season losses, including a surprising one last week? Does Missouri use its 32-point loss at home to Purdue last year to enter the game with a huge chip on its shoulder? Purdue will need to get the crowd into the game early by having something good happen in the first quarter and use it to play again with confidence. If that occurs, it should be an interesting game that goes deep into the fourth quarter before it is decided. If it doesn't, Mizzou has a lot of factors on its side in this one.

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