5 Key Numbers From Purdue's Week 5 Win Over Illinois
In this story:
The streak is finally over. Purdue has won a Big Ten football game!
For all the criticism surrounding the Boilermakers’ defense, they did a good job holding Illinois to just 17 points. Hopefully, Purdue can continue to build on the performance and pick up more wins.
Here are the most important numbers from Purdue’s 24-17 victory over Illinois.
7 points in the first half
Purdue needed to get on top of Illinois early, and it did a great job of doing just that. For all the criticism Kevin Kane’s defense has received throughout the season, the unit operated at a high level for 60 minutes.
The Boilermakers gave up just seven points in the first half, allowing Ryan Browne and Purdue’s offense to play with a lead.
Purdue pushed its lead to 16-7 before Illinois got back on the board in the fourth quarter. Kane’s defense gave Purdue an opportunity to win this game, and it deserves credit for doing so.
0 Sacks Allowed
One area that gets overlooked about this Purdue offense is how solid the offensive line has been outside of one game. Zach Crabtree was brought in from Fresno State to fix the offensive line, and he has done a good job. Despite dealing with injuries, the offensive line gave Ryan Browne enough time to make plays.
To be fair, Illinois’ pass rush has not been good this season, but not giving up a single sack is still impressive. It was the first time since 2025 against Southern Illinois that Purdue finished a game without allowing a sack.
If Purdue’s offensive line can build on this performance, the explosive offense will continue to have opportunities to succeed.
6.1 yards per pass
In my opinion, the area where Purdue’s defense was at its best was limiting explosive plays. The scouting report on Illinois quarterback Katin Houser was clear: He has a strong arm and can push the ball down the field.
Houser did throw a 30-yard pass to Hudson Clement, but outside of that, there was not much in terms of explosive plays.
The Illini averaged just 6.1 yards per pass play, which was not enough to spark a comeback. Houser threw two touchdowns but also had a late interception while trying to force the ball up the field.
Ultimately, Purdue’s defense held Houser and an explosive Illinois offense to its lowest average passing yards per play of the season.
8/1
Browne had yet another excellent performance against the Illini and continues to put together the best season of his collegiate career. After throwing another touchdown on Saturday, his touchdown-to-interception ratio now sits at 8-to-1.
Browne has done an excellent job of putting his team in position to win games this season instead of putting them in position to lose.
Remember, this is the same quarterback who threw 10 interceptions compared to just nine touchdowns last season. If he can continue to execute the way he has recently, this will not be the only Big Ten win Purdue picks up this season.
1 Power Four win
For the first time in more than two years, Purdue has picked up a win against a Power 4 opponent. It is a massive win for Barry Odom, athletic director Tommy McClelland and, ultimately, the Boiler fans who have continued to have hope week after week.
This win gives Odom an opportunity to turn things around this season. Purdue still has areas for growth and development as it gets into the heart of the season, but this win should provide plenty of optimism moving forward.
Now it is time for this team to build on Saturday’s victory and win more games.
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Nick Arvin is a multimedia journalist who got his start covering Purdue athletics for 247Sports. He is also currently the host of the Locked On Boilermakers podcast. In addition to covering Purdue for On SI, Nick also works as a high school sports reporter for ClarksvilleNow.
Follow nickarvinsports