3 Positives, Negatives for Purdue Football After 2-1 Start

Believe it or not, Purdue has made it through the first quarter of the 2025 season. The Boilermakers are 2-1 to begin the Barry Odom era, posting wins over Ball State and Southern Illinois before suffering their first loss to USC last weekend.

There's no question this year's team is vastly different — and largely improved — from last year's Purdue team. It's been a reason for optimism moving forward.

So, what has Purdue done well this season? Where have the Boilermakers fallen short? Let's talk about the positives and negatives through three games.

Positives

Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver EJ Horton Jr. (13) runs the ball | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Red zone defense

Purdue's defense has essentially operated with a "bend but don't break" mentality through three games. Opponents have gotten into the red zone 10 times this season, but the Boilermakers have limited those teams to just four touchdowns. The 40% touchdown rate ranks seventh among defenses in the Big Ten.

The red zone defense was impressive last week against USC, with the Trojans making six trips inside Purdue's 20-yard line. They walked away with just two touchdowns and had to settle for three field goals and one empty trip. Yes, it's still 23 points, but this was against the nation's second-highest-scoring offense.

Mike Scherer's defense needs to do a better job of eliminating red zone trips, but holding teams to field goals and not surrendering touchdowns is a positive.

Playmakers in the passing game

There were some questions about Purdue's depth in the wide receiver room entering this year. There wasn't a ton of experience surrounding quarterback Ryan Browne. So far, though, the Boilermakers have found several reliable targets.

Four different receivers already have more than 100 yards on the season. Arhmad Branch leads the way with 167 yards and two touchdowns, Michael Jackson III has 149 yards, and EJ Horton Jr. and Nitro Tuggle have totaled 125 yards and 123 yards, respectively.

Tight end George Burhenn, who suffered an injury in spring practice, has also been a pleasant surprise, hauling in seven receptions for 74 yards.

Special teams

Punter Jack McCallister and kicker Spencer Porath have both played big roles for the Boilers early this year.

McCallister has twice been named to the Ray Guy Award "Ray's 8" for his performances against Ball State and USC. He's punted six times, averaging 52.3 yards per boot, with a season-long of 68 yards. The punter has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line five times.

Porath has been flawless through three games, converting on all four field goal attempts and making all 10 PAT attempts.

Odom has stressed the importance of strong special teams play, and Purdue's specialists have produced at a high level through three weeks.

Negatives

Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) is tackled by multiple USC Trojans | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

No takeaways

We're three weeks into the college football season, and Purdue's defense has yet to force any takeaways. The Boilermakers are one of just six FBS teams that haven't created a turnover yet, along with Oklahoma, Kennesaw State, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, and Texas State.

The defense has done some good things this season, especially in the red zone and in creating chaos in the opposing backfield. But it has to be more opportunistic. It's hard to win games in the Big Ten if you can't force turnovers.

3rd- and 4th-down defense

Along with failing to create turnovers, the struggle to get off the field has been another issue for Purdue's defense. Opponents have a 42.2% success rate on third- and fourth-down attempts so far this season. That can wear a defense down.

The Boilermakers are allowing teams to convert on third down 35.1% of the time, but the bigger problem is on fourth down. With a chance to end the drive, Purdue's defense has failed six times on eight fourth-down attempts.

Purdue must help itself on those critical downs.

Offensive line play

It's been tough sledding for Purdue in the trenches thus far. The Boilermakers have given up 22 tackles for loss, the second-most in the Big Ten this season. They've also allowed six sacks.

Not only has that been problematic for the passing attack, it's also hindered the run game. Although Purdue rushed for 214 yards against Southern Illinois in Week 2, the Boilers' rushing offense ranks 17th in the league, averaging 119 yards per contest.

Running back Devin Mockobee has gotten 58 carries this season, more than any other player in the league. It shows Purdue wants to run the football, but it has to get a better push up front.