Boilermakers Country

Purdue Takes Care of Ball State in Barry Odom's Debut

Barry Odom's debut at Purdue couldn't have gone much better, with Purdue posting a 31-0 win over Ball State in the season opener on Saturday.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Alex Sanford Jr. (10) and defensive lineman Demeco Kennedy (18) celebrate
Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Alex Sanford Jr. (10) and defensive lineman Demeco Kennedy (18) celebrate | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Purdue Boilermakers

The Barry Odom era in West Lafayette began with a win on Saturday. The Boilermakers had no trouble with Ball State, cruising to a 31-0 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium to open the 2025 campaign. It was Purdue's first win since last year's season opener against Indiana State.

Purdue drew first blood, as quarterback Ryan Browne connected with wide receiver Arhmad Branch for a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Boilers an early 7-0 advantage. It took just two plays for the Boilers to find the end zone.

The Boilermaker defense then forced Ball State into a three-and-out, and the offense put together a six-play, 71-yard drive capped by a five-yard touchdown run by Browne. Less than six minutes into the game, Odom's squad owned a 14-0 lead.

Devin Mockobee capped the first half scoring for Purdue, running it into the end zone from four yards out to push the lead out to 21-0. The Boilermakers would take that lead into halftime.

Purdue's offense slowed down in the second half, but was still able to tack on 10 points to its total. Michael Jackson III hauled in a 14-yard pass from Browne with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter, and Spencer Porath kicked a 28-yard field goal at the 9:59 mark in the fourth to round out all scoring for the game.

Browne had a solid outing under center, completing 18-of-26 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown. Branch led the way with 101 receiving yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Jackson had six catches for 72 yards and a score.

Mockobee led the way on the ground, totaling 59 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He surpassed the 2,500-yard mark for his career.

Defensively, the Boilers held Ball State to just 203 yards of offense. The Cardinals were just four-of-13 on third-down attempts, as well. Quarterback Kiael Kelly, known for his versatility, finished the contest with 87 passing yards and 63 rushing yards, leading Ball State in both categories.

Tahj Ra-El led Purdue with seven tackles. The Boilermakers finished the game with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.

With Saturday's win over Ball State, Odom becomes the first Purdue coach to win his first game since Danny Hope defeated Toledo on Sept. 5, 2009. The Boilermakers will host Southern Illinois next Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Purdue vs. Ball State highlights

Related stories on Purdue football

MOCKOBEE HITS NEW MILESTONE: Purdue running back Devin Mockobee has reached another career milestone at Purdue. He eclipsed the 2,500-yard mark in his career on Saturday vs. Ball State. CLICK HERE

BROWNE CONNECTS WITH BRANCH: It took Purdue just 40 seconds to score its first touchdown of the Barry Odom era, as Ryan Browne connected with Arhmad Branch for a 49-yard score. CLICK HERE

PURDUE DROPS HYPE VIDEO: The Barry Odom era has arrived in West Lafayette. Purdue's creative team dropped a hype video ahead of Saturday's game to get fans excited for the opener. CLICK HERE

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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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