How to Watch Purdue vs. Rutgers in Week 9
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It's Homecoming weekend in West Lafayette. Purdue hosts Rutgers, as both teams attempt to win their first Big Ten game of the 2025 season. Which team finally ends a long losing streak?
Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's matchup between the Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) vs. Purdue (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten)
- What: Big Ten Conference Game
- When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025
- Time: Noon ET
- Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. (61,441 capacity)
- TV: Big Ten Network
- TV Announcers: Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Rhett Lewis (sideline).
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); SiriusXM Ch. 137; View all listings: CLICK HERE
- Radio Announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sidelines), Rob Blackman (producer).
- Spread: Rutgers is a 2.5-point favorite via FanDuel as of Thursday, Oct. 23.
- All-time series: Rutgers leads the all-time series vs. Purdue 2-0.
- Last meeting: Rutgers defeated Purdue 37-30 on Nov. 28, 2020, at Ross-Ade Stadium.
- Weather: It's going to be a chilly fall afternoon in West Lafayette on Saturday. Temperatures will reach a high of 57 degrees, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be right around 50 degrees. Wind will be relatively light, blowing in at 4 to 7 mph out of the east and southeast. Saturday is expected to be a cloudy afternoon, as well.
Team Stats
Offense
Offensive stats | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Purdue Boilermakers |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 32.0 ppg | 22.7 ppg |
Rushing yards | 133.1 ypg | 130.9 ypg |
Passing yards | 276.1 ypg | 263.0 ypg |
Total yards | 409.3 ypg | 393.9 ypg |
Turnovers | 6 | 15 |
3rd down % | 42.55% | 41.67% |
Red zone conversion % | 80.00% | 69.23% |
Defense
Defensive stats | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Purdue Boilermakers |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 31.6 ppg | 27.9 ppg |
Rushing yards | 176.1 ypg | 144.0 ypg |
Passing yards | 261.3 ypg | 229.4 ypg |
Total yards | 437.4 ypg | 373.4 ypg |
Takeaways | 7 | 4 |
Opp. 3rd down % | 44.78% | 37.08% |
Opp red zone conversion % | 85.71% | 82.14% |
Players to Watch
Purdue Boilermakers
- Devin Mockobee, RB — There have been times this season when Mockobee has been vital to the offense's success, and other games in which he just didn't receive a heavy workload. The senior has rushed for 430 yards and has 197 receiving yards, and has accounted for four touchdowns, all on the ground. Not only is he an effective ball carrier, but he's also become a real pass-catching weapon out of the backfield.
- Michael Jackson III, WR — Jackson has been the most consistent receiver on Purdue's roster this season. He's hauled in 41 catches this season, more than twice as many as any other player at the position. Jackson has accounted for 390 yards, but still hasn't had a touchdown reception since the season opener against Ball State.
- Myles Slusher, DB — Slusher has provided Purdue with a spark on the defensive end and has accounted for two of the team's four takeaways this season, forcing a fumble against Notre Dame and intercepting a pass against Minnesota. He has piled up 42 tackles, including two for loss, as well.
- Charles Nunnally IV, DL — When it comes to being disruptive, Nunnally is the best player on Purdue's roster. He has racked up 6.5 tackles for loss and recorded four sacks in seven games for the Boilermakers. Nunnally has had no trouble getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, accounting for five hurries on top of his sack total.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Athan Kaliakmanis, QB — Kaliakmanis has provided Rutgers with a nice spark in the passing game, throwing the football around much more than previous teams. He ranks third in yards per game through the air in the Big Ten, averaging 266.3 yards per contest. Kaliakmanis has also thrown for 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while maintaining a 62.4% completion rate.
- Ian Strong, WR — Rutgers has several skilled wide receivers, and Strong is the best of the bunch. He has four 100-yard games and has totaled 543 yards and two touchdowns in six contests. Strong missed one game earlier this year. He is one of three Scarlet Knights with more than 400 yards receiving so far this season.
- Eric O'Neill, DL — O'Neill has been a solid player along the defensive front for Rutgers this year, accounting for 4.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, and 1.5 sacks. The Scarlet Knights have struggled to get a push in the trenches this season, but O'Neill provides them with a nice punch up front.
- Jett Elad, DB — Elad has shown he can make plays all over the field. Through seven games, he leads the team with 44 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. He has also accounted for an interception, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry this season.
The Coaches
Barry Odom, Purdue
Odom is in his first year at Purdue after a successful two-year run at UNLV. The Rebels won 20 games in the past two seasons, reaching the Mountain West Championship Game each of the last two years. It was an impressive turnaround for a program that has struggled to find and sustain success over the course of its history.
Now, Odom comes to Purdue hoping to turn things around in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers ended the 2024 campaign with a 1-11 record. Although many would consider this a rebuilding project, Odom has refused to use that terminology with his team.
This year will be Odom's seventh as a college head coach. He was at Missouri from 2016-19, posting a 25-25 record and reaching a bowl game twice in that span. As an assistant coach, Odom has worked at Missouri (2003-15) and Arkansas (2020-22).
- Overall record: 46-38
- Record at Purdue: 2-5
Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Schiano is in the sixth year of his second stint at Rutgers, returning as the head of the program in 2020. Overall, he has been the head coach of the Scarlet Knights for 17 seasons, with his first stop running from 2001-11.
The second run hasn't been quite as glamorous as the first, though there's no question Schiano has turned Rutgers into a much more formidable Big Ten squad. The Scarlet Knights had back-to-back winning seasons in 2023 and 2024, going 7-6 in each year.
During his first 11-year run with the program, Schiano took Rutgers from a 2-9 team in his first season to a squad that finished with an 11-2 record in 2006. The Scarlet Knights appeared in six bowl games and were one of the top Big East programs at the time.
Between stops at Rutgers, Schiano served as the head coach of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 through 2013 and took a job as Ohio State's defensive coordinator from 2016 until 2018.
- Overall record: 97-105
- Record at Rutgers: 97-105
Preview and Prediction
Saturday's game between Purdue and Rutgers is critical for both teams, as each remains winless in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are in a little trouble offensively, with Ryan Browne "doubtful" for the contest and relying on backup Malachi Singleton to lead the charge.
Singleton has been good in spurts and did an admirable job filling in for Browne in the second half of last weekend's game against Northwestern following the injury. Can he put together a complete performance for a full 60 minutes? Perhaps more importantly, can Purdue avoid turning over the football, which has plagued this team since Big Ten play began?
Rutgers has the conference's fourth-best passing attack, led by Kaliakmanis and a trio of receivers, including Strong, KJ Duff, and DT Sheffield. The Scarlet Knights are playing a Purdue secondary that has given up two dozen plays of 20 yards or more through the air.
But the Scarlet Knights have been atrocious defensively, accounting for the Big Ten's worst statistically. Could Purdue's offense take advantage, even with a new starter under center?
This will be a close game with plenty of scoring. This game will likely come down to turnovers, and so far, Purdue hasn't proven it can avoid those critical mistakes to win football games.
- Score prediction — Rutgers 33, Purdue 28
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Related stories on Purdue football
- SATURDAY A MUST-WIN FOR PURDUE: Purdue closes out October with a game against Rutgers on Homecoming. The game has turned into a must-win situation for Barry Odom and the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE WANTS TO END TWO DROUGHTS: The Boilermakers are carrying a couple of ugly losing streaks into Saturday's game against Rutgers. Can Purdue finally stop the bleeding? CLICK HERE
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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