As Purdue picks up the pieces from its 66-7 defeat against Notre Dame, a different challenge now awaits Ryan Walters and company this weekend. The Boilermakers will travel to Corvallis to take on Oregon State, looking for redemption on the heels of one of the most lopsided losses in program history.
Boiler Upload kicks off game week with a first look of the Beavers, under the direction of first year head coach Trent Bray.
Both sides coming into matchup limping:
Purdue won't be the only side coming into this matchup with some added motivation, as Oregon State had a lopsided loss of its own on Saturday. Playing for the first time since the Ducks split for the Big Ten, the Beavers were on the wrong side of a 49-14 defeat at the hands of Oregon.
That comes after a solid 2-0 start to the Trent Bray era, with wins over San Diego State and Idaho State. Those two are a combined 2-4 on the year, as Oregon State, similar to Purdue, were unable to get over their first big test of the year.
Oregon State comes into 2024 in a state of flux, getting left behind in the crumbling Pac-12 that is now added a quartet of Mountain West programs to attempt a revival of the Conference of Champions. The Beavers remain in no-man's-land as it relates to the ever evolving conference realignment endeavor across college football, despite having been ranked the better part of the last two years, and winning 18 games during that time.
Along with their head coach, the Beavers lost their quarterback, top four offensive weapons, and much of its defense to either the NFL or the NCAA Transfer Portal. That includes 13 of their transfers finding homes at the Power 4 level.
An opportunity to show growth:
It's no secret what Purdue's issue was defensively on Saturday, surrendering 362 yards and six scores on the ground to Notre Dame. That will be a focal point for the Boilermakers moving forward and they will have their first crack at showing improvement against a talented Oregon State rushing attack this week.
The running back tandem of Anthony Hankerson and Jamious Griffin have 283 and 276 yards respectively, along with a combined eight touchdowns on the ground through three games this season. That duo leads the 17th ranked rushing attack in all of college football heading into Saturday night.
If Purdue is to make it out of Corvallis with a win, making quarterback Gevani McCoy beat them from the pocket will be the key. That's what we said a week ago, however, and you know how that went.
Kevin Kane and the Boilermaker defense have a week to get the issues from last week cleaned up and improved for a tough matchup against the Beavers.
A first for the Boilermakers:
Purdue will venture into unknown territory on Saturday night as the program has never played in Corvallis, with the two sides having a brief history together. The two programs have played just twice, with the series being split 1-1 heading into the third rendition. The last meeting was a 30-21 victory for the Boilermakers in 2021. Only three players who participated in that game (Gus Hartwig, Kydran Jenkins and Damarjhe Lewis) remain on Purdue's roster in 2024.
Oregon State and Purdue betting trends:
Purdue begins the week as a 5.5-point road underdog in Corvallis (a +175 moneyline) with the over/under set at 50.5 points.
