Purdue football opponent first look: Northwestern edition

Purdue (3-7 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) is fresh off a convincing win over Minnesota this weekend, snapping a four-game skid in the process, but now have another challenge during a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern (5-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) next weekend.

Boiler Upload takes a first look at the Wildcats ahead of Saturday's matchup.

When, where, how to watch:

Where: Ryan Field (47,130 capacity), Evanston, Illinois.

When: November 18th at 12:00 pm. ET

TV: Big Ten Network (Broadcast team to be announced)

Betting odds: Purdue is a +1.5 underdog (-110) and the over/under is 48.5 points

This Northwestern team isn't supposed to be where they are to this point. Granted, 5-5 is no National Championship contender, but with how things played out just weeks prior to the season opener, the Wildcats have surprised everybody in the conference.

Before the season, the consensus was that Northwestern would be lucky to reach three wins on the year. Now, David Braun and company are on the cusp of bowl eligibility, needing a win over their final two games of the season to accomplish that feat.

The Wildcats have flipped between wins and losses each week this season, which started with a defeat at the hands of Rutgers in the season opener. Northwestern followed that up with a win over UTEP at home before falling to Duke in Durham when the Blue Devils were riding high.

The moment Northwestern changed the narrative on itself was in week four, when Ben Bryant and company completed a 21 point comeback win over Minnesota in overtime. That was followed by a lopsided defeat to Penn State at Ryan Field, which is the lone home loss of the year for David Braun's bunch.

On the heels of a win against Howard the following week, Northwestern has gone 2-2 in Big Ten matchups. Those wins include Maryland and most recently Wisconsin last week. Northwestern also dropped a tight one against Iowa at Wrigley Field, where the Hawkeyes needed a last second field goal to secure a win.

Northwestern is now in a five-way tie for second place in the Big Ten West, with matchups against Purdue and Illinois coming up next to get to six wins.

David Braun has put himself in Big Ten Coach of the Year conversations, which seems surprising given the Wildcats are just 5-5 and will have to scrap their way to a bowl game down the stretch. However, with everything the program had to endure, the interim head coach is close to becoming the full-time guy.

After Pat Fitzgerald's dismissal, the future of the Northwestern program was uncertain with a new head coach and a team that was already expected to be a basement dweller in the conference. That narrative has shifted as the 2023 season has progressed, however.

Northwestern was picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten West to start the season and now sits just two games behind Iowa in the division with an opportunity to finish the year in second place.

Braun has gotten the most out of his players as the team has rallied around him over the last few months. There are a handful of coaches that deserve to be in the conversation for Big Ten Coach of the Year, but the winner could reside in Evanston, especially with a strong finish to the year.

Purdue has had the upper hand in the all-time series of longtime Big Ten staples, holding a record of 53-33-1 against Northwestern since the first meeting in 1895.

The Boilermakers have also strengthened that record in recent years, winning three of the last four against the Wildcats dating back to 2019. Prior to that stretch, Northwestern had made up ground in the all-time series, winning seven of eight from 2008-2018. Of course, that was with Fitzgerald at the helm in Evanston, so Purdue will have to contend with a new head coach for the Wildcats at least for this season.

Ryan Walters will take on Northwestern for the first time as a head coach, but has realized success at his previous stop in Champaign. Walters was 2-0 against the Wildcats as Illinois' defensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022, holding them to 17 total points across the two matchups.