Purdue's 2024 football season is off with a Ben Freehill kickoff fielded for a touchback. Indiana State is visiting for the 101st matchup all-time in Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers are favored by 33.5 against the Sycamores.

Follow along all game as Boiler Upload updates live with stats, observations and notes throughout. For where to watch and other helpful info, we have you covered here.

Klare, a 6-foot-4, 240 pound sophomore tight end, has been talked about by Purdue's offensive coaches in a wide open pass-catching corps. Perhaps he'll deliver on the hype Garrett Miller couldn't last season.

Purdue gained yards like they were free most of the opening quarter, eclipsing 100 total 11 minutes in and marching 53 yards in three plays on its third drive. The most recent offensive highlight was a 35-yard zipper unfurled to a wide-open Max Klare downfield, who ran another 8 yards to bring Purdue knocking on the redzone.

The Purdue defense has held the Sycamores under 4 yards per play.

Purdue has encountered little resistance from a Sycamores defense that boasts an FCS preseason All-American (LB Garret Ollendieck) and three defensive preseason All-Conference picks. Max Klare has shined (4 catches, 72 yards and a score) while among the receivers Jahmal Edrine, Jaron Tibbs and De'Nylon Morrissette all have around 20 yards.

Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell has shown a wrinkle or two compared to last season, starting with more RPOs than I can remember from a game last season. Quarterback Hudson Card has put the football in his running back's belly, yanked it and ran to the sidelines on several occasions.

Card hasn't pushed anything downfield, but Purdue is content to take what's given today.

De'Nylon Morrissette freed himself in the corner of the end zone on a hi-lo combo, which Hudson Card recognized in time to deliver a touchdown pass Morrissette caught standing still.

The question of who will replace the departed Deion Burks at wideout has not been answered yet: there's a six-way tie for No. 2 on the team in receptions.

If the first half today is any indication, though, a wide receiver may not lead the team: Klare is up over 100 yards and a touchdown at the two-minute warning.

Indiana State redshirt freshman kicker Sebastian Lopez missed a 45-yard field goal to close the half.

For what it's worth in terms of measuring up to 2022's 56-0 opening week slaughtering, Purdue is behind schedule in points but ahead in yardage (279, that team finished with 521). This Indiana State nearly cracked the FCS Top-25, too. Not too shabby.

The Purdue coaching staff said Devin Mockobee and Reggie Love would be equals atop the running back depth chart, but appear to be riding the hot hand here. Mockobee has been his usual shifty, high-acceleration self while Love has found creases but not holes.

Measuring Card's progress early may be the best indicator of how much this offense could improve, assuming the run game remains a strength. He's never thrown 4 touchdowns in a game, but then has also not played an FCS opponent in two years.

Today, he's had his typical easy accuracy and depth on downfield passes. He hasn't had to throw through any tight windows, but the pass to Leland Smith was a thing of beauty, owing plenty to an adjustment by Smith.

Initially, the ball was sailing toward Smith's shoulder, and he opened his arms in a basket and slowed toward the opening of the end zone. Then the ball dropped over the defender's helmet, and Smith turned his back to the goalposts and jumped, wrapping the football up to shield it from the defensive back's grabbing hands.

The second team scored a touchdown, the result of redshirt freshman running back and kick returner Elijah Jackson taking one all the way to the house, 69 yards, for the longest touchdown run at Ross-Ade Stadium since a 2018 Rondale Moore rumble.

Jackson was a state champion in the 100-meter dash in high school 30 pounds ago. Even after all that weight, though, he's still got it.

The second team finished two-for-three on drives in the fourth quarter, using Jackson's burst at the beginning of the quarter before converting good field position 10 minutes later on a 35-yard march ending in a Jaheim Merriweather rush touchdown.

Sandwiched in the middle was a drive that ran into penalty turbulence that cancelled out one very nice, 32-yard throw from redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Browne in particular.