How to Watch Purdue vs. Indiana State in Week 1 With TV, Radio, Weather & Preview
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Football returns to West Lafayette on Friday night as Purdue plays Indiana State to begin a new season. The Boilermakers are hosting the Sycamores for the third time in the past six seasons, having posted shutout victories in each of the last two meetings.
It's going to be a warm evening at Ross-Ade Stadium, but that's usually the case for these early September games. Whether you're headed to catch the game live or staying at home and flipping on your television, here's everything you need to know about Saturday's Week 1 clash between Purdue and Indiana State.
How to follow along
- What: Purdue (0-0) vs. Indiana State (0-1)
- When: Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
- Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
- Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Stream: FOX One
- TV announcers: Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Ryan Kerrigan (analyst), Kelsie Kasper (reporter)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette) |100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne) |1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis) | 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute) |1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Ch. 231
- Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sideline), Rob Blackmon (producer)
- Live stats: StatBroadcast
Forecast outlook
Fans heading to Ross-Ade Stadium for the opener need to find ways to keep cool. It's going to be hot in West Lafayette all day. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. should help a bit, but the temperature is still projected to be in the high 80s most of the night.
- High temp: 93
- Low temp: 74
- Kickoff temp: 89
- Skies: Clear
- Rain chances: 25% (5% at kickoff)
- Wind: 4-10 mph (SW)
- Humidity: 80% at kickoff, 70% average
Scouting Indiana State
Curt Mallory, head coach
- Record: 27-65 overall, 17-47 MVFC
- Best season: 7-4 in 2018
- Achievements: 2018 MVFC Coach of the Year
- Record vs. Purdue: 0-2
Top players
- Elijah Owens, QB — A dual-threat quarterback for the Sycamores who threw for 1,717 yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2024 season. Owens missed most of last year because of an injury, but had a big performance in Indiana State's opener against Southeast Missouri, throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns while completing 23-of-32 passes.
- BJ Wuest, WR — The junior appears ready to take on a much bigger role within the offense this fall. He had just five catches for 59 yards last season, but topped his production total in Week 0. Wuest hauled in four receptions for 67 yards last weekend, leading the Sycamores in receiving.
- Keshon Singleton, WR — Another major piece of Indiana State's passing attack. Singleton caught seven passes for 66 yards and a touchdown against Southeast Missouri. He was the team's second-leading receiver in 2025, finishing the year with 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 25 catches.
- Nic Yatsko, DB — Immediately made an impact as a rookie, receiving FCS Freshman All-American honors following the 2025 campaign. Yatsko had a team-high 12 tackles and one pass break-up in Indiana State's season opener. He concluded the 2025 campaign with 82 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception.
- Peter Eyabi, DL — Transferred to Indiana State from Wyoming and made a difference for the Sycamores against Southeast Missouri in Week 0. Finished the contest with four tackles and a 12-yard sack. Eyabi had only 10 tackles during the 2025 season at Wyoming, but should be an impact player at ISU.
- Spencer Conrad, P — Averaged 47.6 yards per punt for the Sycamores last season and had three punts exceed 50 yards. Punted five times in Indiana State's opener for a total of 208 yards. Conrad had a long of 50 yards and pinned Southeast Missouri inside its 20-yard line once.
Boilers to watch
- Travis Terrell Jr., RB — The Jackson State transfer provides Purdue with great speed at the running back position and in the return game. He has the potential to be one of the most explosive players for the Boilermakers this fall. Terrell is coming off a 2025 season in which he totaled 607 rushing yards and 326 return yards.
- Brock Brownfield, OL — A true freshman, Brownfield has received high praise from staff and teammates during his first full offseason at Purdue. How will success in spring practice and fall camp translate to the game? How many reps does he see in his first game?
- Xavier Townsend, WR — Potentially Purdue's top target and most reliable weapon in the passing attack. Townsend will line up in the slot and will likely see plenty of passes thrown his way. He accounted for 243 yards on 18 catches at Iowa State last season. Townsend is also expected to be a factor on special teams.
- Jeremy Lewis, DE — Highly productive at Iowa Western CC in 2025, finishing the season with 41 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. Lewis has the potential to be a major player for the Boilermakers coming off the edge.
- Don Saunders, DB — An experienced defensive back who has added length and playmaking ability to Purdue's secondary. Purdue's wide receivers said he's been the defensive back giving them the most trouble throughout fall camp. The Boilers need someone with speed, range and physicality to prevent explosive plays.
- Curt Neal, DT — The former Illinois and Wisconsin lineman has been getting a strong push up front this fall and provides Purdue with good size and experience in the trenches. Does the "attacking" style of Kevin Kane's defensive philosophy allow Neal to thrive in the trenches?
Fast facts
Chopping down the Sycamores
Purdue has rarely had trouble with Indiana State. The two programs have met seven times heading into Friday night's contest, with the Boilermakers owning a perfect 7-0 record. The Sycamores haven't scored in either of the last two games at Ross-Ade Stadium, falling 56-0 in 2022 and 49-0 in 2024.
Friday night follies
Playing under the lights on Friday night hasn't been a strength for the Boilermakers, especially in recent years. Purdue has lost its last six games played on Friday night, with the last victory coming against Ohio in 2017. The program owns a 5-10-1 record in these games over the course of its history.
A familiar face
Purdue offensive lineman Jude McCoskey will be a familiar face to Mallory on Friday night. McCoskey suited up for the Sycamores for two seasons before transferring. While at Indiana State, McCoskey played in 22 career games and made 20 starts.
Kerrigan returns to Ross-Ade
Boilermaker great Ryan Kerrigan returns to Ross-Ade Stadium on Friday night to make his broadcasting debut. He will join Chris Vosters in the broadcast booth as an analyst for Purdue's season opener. Kerrigan played for the Boilermakers from 2007 to 2010 and accounted for 57 tackles for loss, 33.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles.
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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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