Purdue vs. Indiana State All-Time Series Breakdown: Record, Best Games & Biggest Moments
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Purdue kicks off the 2026 college football season on Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium, hosting in-state FCS foe Indiana State. Despite the close proximity between the two schools, this will just be the eighth all-time meeting between the Boilermakers and Sycamores.
The first matchup between the two teams came in 1926, a 38-0 victory for the Boilermakers. The two schools didn't meet on the gridiron for more than 60 years, with the second matchup coming in 1990. Since 2006, Purdue and Indiana State have played five times, with Friday night being the sixth.
This has been a lopsided series in favor of the Boilermakers. Here's the series history between the two programs.
All-time series
Purdue leads the all-time series 7-0
As you might expect, Purdue boasts a perfect 7-0 record against Indiana State entering Friday's matchup. The Boilers have held the Sycamores scoreless in three of those games: 1926 (38-0), 2022 (56-0) and 2024 (49-0). Indiana State has scored more than 14 points in just one game, a 60-35 contest in 2006.
Darrell Hazell is the only Purdue coach who had multiple wins over Indiana State. He guided the Boilermakers to wins over the Sycamores in 2013 and 2015. The victory in 2013 was Hazell's first as the head coach in West Lafayette.
Indiana State hasn't scored a touchdown against Purdue since the game played in 2015.
First meeting
Purdue hosted Indiana State at Ross-Ade Stadium just two years after its opening in 1926. It was the first meeting between the two Hoosier State schools. The Boilers thumped the Sycamores 38-0 under head coach James Phelan.
That victory was part of a 5-2-1 season for Purdue. The Boilermakers defeated every in-state opponent it faced that season, which included victories over Wabash (21-14), Franklin (44-0), Indiana (24-14) and Indiana State.
Every game played in West Lafayette
Back in the early days, it wouldn't have been uncommon for Purdue to make the trek to Terre Haute to play Indiana State. That never happened, though, and all seven of these in-state matchups have been played in West Lafayette. Perhaps even more unique, every game has been played in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Five of seven matchups have come since 2006
Purdue and Indiana State didn't have much history until the 2006 season. The Boilermakers rarely scheduled the Sycamores, playing just twice over 80 years. Since the turn of the century, though, this has become a somewhat regular matchup between the two schools.
The Boilermakers have scheduled the Sycamores six times in the 2000s (including 2026), with five of those games coming since 2013. It's been a way for Purdue to add an extra home game to its schedule and secure an early-season victory to try to generate some momentum.
Last five games
- Aug. 31, 2024 — Purdue def. Indiana State 49-0
- Sept. 10, 2022 — Purdue def. Indiana State 56-0
- Sept. 12, 2015 — Purdue def. Indiana State 38-14
- Sept. 7, 2013 — Purdue def. Indiana State 20-13
- Sept. 2, 2006 — Purdue def. Indiana State 60-35
Biggest blowout
Jeff Brohm's only game against Indiana State was the program's biggest blowout against the FCS school. The Boilers had no trouble with the Sycamores on the September afternoon, cruising to a 56-0 victory.
Quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 211 yards and four touchdowns while completing 17-of-19 pass attempts. Receiver Charlie Jones was on the receiving end of nine of those throws, totaling 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Purdue's defense held Indiana State to just 145 total yards, forced three turnovers and the Sycamores had just three first downs all afternoon.
That game was a sign of positive things to come for Purdue, as the Boilers won the Big Ten West title that year, their only division crown.
The nail-biter
The 2013 matchup was much closer than Purdue fans would have liked. Although the Boilers had a 17-0 lead early in the third quarter, Indiana State had a chance to win the game late.
Led by quarterback Mike Perish, Indiana State marched down the field on back-to-back possessions in the second half to close the gap to 20-14. Purdue was forced to punt the football with just 53 seconds remaining in the game and was backed up against their own goal line.
Indiana State started with the football at the Purdue 41-yard line. The Sycamores completed one pass to the 36-yard line, but defensive back Ricardo Allen picked off the second throw of the drive to secure a Boilermaker victory. It was the only win the team had during the 2013 campaign.
Signature moments
Akeem Hunt returns the opening kickoff to the house
There haven't been many signature moments during the Purdue-Indiana State matchup, but two of them came in the 2013 game. Akeem Hunt provided the most exciting moment of that game, returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Boilermakers an early 7-0 edge over the Sycamores.
Hunt was the most productive offensive player that afternoon. He finished that contest with 123 return yards, 82 rushing yards and 38 receiving yards.
Ricardo Allen's interception seals the win
This moment has already been mentioned, but it's worth bringing up again. Allen's play in the final minute of that 2013 contest was the difference between Purdue surviving and suffering the most humiliating loss in its program history.
If not for Allen, Purdue would have ended that season with a 0-12 record. Even worse? Indiana State finished that year with a 1-11 record at the FCS level.
The "Hail Purdue" touchdown pass
Usually, we refer to these long touchdown passes as a "Hail Mary," but it seems appropriate to label it as a "Hail Purdue." In the 2015 matchup, with time expiring in the second quarter, quarterback Austin Appleby launched a 51-yard touchdown pass to Dan Monteroso to give the Boilers a 24-7 advantage at halftime.
Unlike the 2013 season, Purdue's game against Indiana State didn't come down to the wire. That 51-yard touchdown strike helped the Boilermakers secure a 38-14 victory over the Sycamores, improving to 1-1.
Hudson Card is nearly perfect
The lone highlight of Purdue's 2024 season came in the team's season opener against Indiana State. Quarterback Hudson Card looked like one of the best passers in the country in Week 1, completing 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. His 96% completion rate tied an FBS record.
Card's performance led Purdue to a 49-0 victory over the Sycamores to begin the season 1-1. Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, it was the only win of the year.
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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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