Here's our eclectic look at 10 numbers that are surrounding Purdue football this week;

Zander Horvath has the third-most rushing yards in the Big Ten through two games (231), behind Minnesota junior Mohamed Ibrahim (347) and Maryland senior Jake Funk (256). He is also the first Purdue player since Edwin Watson in 1997 to rush for 100+ yards in three consecutive games. If Horvath makes it four straight, he will be the first to accomplish that feat since Mike Alstott did it in the first eight games of the 1995 season. Alsott's streak is the Purdue standard.

Purdue had 11 penalties for 94 yards in Saturday’s game against Illinois. Purdue only has 12 games since 2000 where they surpassed that amount, putting up a 6-6 record in those games. The most penalty yards a Purdue team has been assessed in a game (since 2000) is 118 in the 2002 Sun Bowl against Washington that the Boilers won 34-24.

Through each school’s first two games, David Bell has the third-most receiving yards of any Power 5 player in the country (behind Ole Miss junior Elijah Moore and Alabama junior Jaylen Waddle).

Since 2019, David Bell has eight 100+ receiving yard games, tied for second in the entire country with an array of eye-popping names including LSU first-round pick Justin Jefferson. His streak of five consecutive 100+ yard receiving games is the longest active streak in the country. The previous Purdue standard for consecutive 100-yard games? Rodney Carter (1985) and Keith Smith (200( with four each.

Purdue Jalen Graham returned a fumble for a touchdown last Saturday against Illinois. Since 2000, Purdue is 17-7 in games where they have scored a defensive touchdown (11-4 when scoring a pick six and 6-3 when scooping and scoring). The fumble recovery touchdown was the first for Purdue in a Big Ten game since 2011 against Iowa.

Aidan O’Connell threw for 376 yards, 2 touchdowns and no picks on an 82.9% completion percentage on Saturday. Such stats have only been bested three times this season, all by SEC QBs (Matt Corral of Ole Miss, Connor Bazelak of Missouri and Mac Jones of Alabama), and only 45 times in the entire country since 2000 - none of which where by Purdue QBs, making Saturday one of the finest Purdue QB performances in a long while.

On a side note, In the first half of their first two games, Illinois opponent QBs have completed 27 of 28 passes (96.42%). In eight quarters, Wisconsin's Graham Mertz and Purdue's O’Connell combined for 49 of 56 (.875).

Despite Horvath’s 100-yard performance, Purdue only totaled 84 rushing yards on Saturday. Since 2000, Purdue has rushed for 84 or fewer rushing yards 77 times, and is 14-63 in those games, good for an 18.18% winning percentage.

Purdue forced four turnovers against Illinois on Saturday, the third time they have done so in the Jeff Brohm Era and the second against a Big Ten opponent - the other being last year’s 45-24 loss to Wisconsin.

Graham recovered two fumbles in Saturday’s game, the first time any Purdue has done so in at least 20 years. He’s one of only 32 players (and one of only 3 Big Ten players) since 2000 to recover two fumbles and return at least one of them for a touchdown.

By this Saturday, it will be the number of days since Purdue has beaten Wisconsin in football, dating back to Oct. 18, 2003.

Griffin Herdegen, is a former GoldandBlack.com intern who now works as a financial analyst for Amazon.com and lives in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

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