4 Boilermakers Among Top Offensive Big Ten Players Through Week 3
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It's far too early to suggest that the "basketball on grass" style of offense has fully returned to West Lafayette, but Purdue has enjoyed plenty of success on that side of the football through three weeks.
Purdue is averaging 39.3 points and 488.7 yards per game this season. Both of those figures rank in the top half of the Big Ten. Even more impressive, four Boilermakers are among the top-10 Big Ten offensive leaders statistically through the first quarter of the year.
Quarterback Ryan Browne, running back Fame Ijeboi and wide receivers Asaad Waseem and Xavier Townsend have put up big numbers to start the season.
QB Ryan Browne
- Passing yards — 341.3 per game (1st in Big Ten)
- Completing % — 73.3% (3rd in Big Ten)
- Passing TDs — 7 (7th in Big Ten)
Browne is near the top of the Big Ten in every major statistical passing category. He leads the conference in yards per game and has the third-best completion percentage in the league. The second-year starter has also protected the football, throwing just one interception through three games. He's the only Big Ten quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in each of his first three games.
Throughout the offseason, the coaching staff raved about the progress Browne made since the end of last season. Although it hasn't resulted in wins, he's playing at an extremely high level. The challenges are about to get more difficult, though, starting this weekend with a matchup against No. 3 Notre Dame.
WR Asaad Waseem
- Receiving yards — 107.0 per game (5th in Big Ten)
- Receptions — 20 (7th in Big Ten)
- Yards per catch — 16.05 per catch (17th in Big Ten)
Purdue needed a No. 1 option in the passing game when the season started, something the program has lacked for two years. Waseem has emerged as that player, totaling at least six catches in each of the first three games. He also already has a pair of 100-yard games, totaling 107 yards against Indiana State and 149 against UCLA.
Waseem is a tough receiver who can make catches in traffic. He's a tough cover for defensive backs and has big-play ability. The transfer isn't just a reliable player in Purdue's offense, he's been one of the best in the Big Ten.
RB Fame Ijeboi
- Rushing yards — 82.67 per game (7th in Big Ten)
- Carries — 55 total (4th in Big Ten)
- Rushing TDs — 6 (2nd in Big Ten)
Ijeboi really popped in the season opener against Indiana State, rushing for 87 yards on just 11 carries. But it was Week 2 when he proved what an asset he can be out of the backfield, rushing for 114 yards and three touchdowns against Wake Forest. He also caught six passes for 42 yards in that contest.
Against UCLA, Ijeboi was a little banged up, but he still carried the ball 11 times for 47 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His six rushing touchdowns rank second-most in the Big Ten through three weeks. He's been durable in the red zone for the Boilermakers, helping them turn long drives into touchdowns.
WR Xavier Townsend
- Receiving yards — 89.0 per game (9th in Big Ten)
- Receptions — 19 (8th in Big Ten)
- Yards per catch — 14.05 per catch (33rd in Big Ten)
The Week 3 game against UCLA was Townsend's best of the season. He exploded for 162 yards and scored his first two touchdowns of the year against the Bruins. The receiver's 75-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the game was one of the top moments in three years for the Boilermakers.
Townsend is a guy in the slot who can turn short passes into big gains. He ranks in the top 10 of the Big Ten in both receiving yards and total catches after three games. His speed is what sets him apart from other receivers in Purdue's locker room right now.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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