Purdue Football Opens as Slim Favorite in Road Matchup Against Syracuse
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following a dominant 56-0 victory over Indiana State, Purdue football sits at 1-1 on the season. Its loss came at the hands of Penn State in the team's season opener.
Both games took place in front of a home crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium, but the Boilermakers will be tested this week with their first road test of the season. The team will travel to Syracuse, N.Y. for a bout with the Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.
Syracuse — which boasts a 2-0 record after the first two weeks of the season — will have home-field advantage, but Purdue opened as a one-point favorite in the matchup, according to the SI Sportsbook. The over/under was set at 58.5 points.
"We'll have our hands full, and it will be the first test for our team on the road," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said during his Monday press conference. "So we're going to have a good week of practice, prepare well. Syracuse does a lot of things on defense to give you problems. They'll give you a lot of different looks, a lot of athletes on the field, and challenge the offense to make plays and try to create mistakes."
Syracuse opened its season with a big win at home against Louisville, taking a 31-7 victory. The Orange was fueled by sophomore running back Sean Tucker, who registered 184 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.
The team went on the road in Week 2 for a matchup with UConn, routing the Huskies 48-14 on the shoulders of five total touchdowns from junior quarterback Garrett Shrader. He was 20-of-23 for 287 yards and three scores through the air while also getting into the end zone twice with his legs.
Shrader transferred to Syracuse from Mississippi State in the spring of 2021. He played in all 12 games for the team last season, completing 123 of his 234 passes for 1,444 yards and nine touchdowns with just four interceptions.
"The quarterback really is fitting in well in what they're doing, taking care of the football, getting easy completions, finding ways to get on the outside," Brohm said of Shrader. "He's a good runner himself, so that creates problems when the quarterback is athletic and can throw and run."
Purdue's road game with Syracuse is scheduled to kick off at noon ET on Saturday. The team will return home the following week for a matchup against Florida Atlantic inside Ross-Ade Stadium.
Related Stories on Purdue Football
- What Jeff Brohm Said Ahead of Matchup With Syracuse: Purdue coach Jeff Brohm met with the media on Monday ahead of the team's road matchup against Syracuse. It will be the Boilermakers' first game away from West Lafayette this season. CLICK HERE
- What Went Right, What Went Wrong in Win Over Indiana State: Purdue football was dominant in its 56-0 win against Indiana State on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. Here's a look at some of the many things that went right and a few that went wrong for the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Cruises Past Indiana State, Gets First Win of the Season: Aidan O’Connell connected with Charlie Jones for three Purdue touchdowns in the first half against Indiana State. The Boilermaker defense allowed just 145 yards of total offense while shutting out the Sycamores. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Indiana State Live Blog: Purdue football found its first win of the season Saturday against Indiana State inside Ross-Ade Stadium. Recap the action with our live blog from the game. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Indiana State Photo Gallery: Purdue football defeated Indiana State 56-0 on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. Sixth-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell had just two incompletions and didn't play in the second half as the Boilermakers built an insurmountable lead. CLICK HERE
