3 Keys For Purdue to Beat Minnesota in Week 6
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Can Purdue use the momentum from last week's win over Illinois to take down another conference opponent this weekend? The Boilermakers welcome Minnesota to town, a team that has posted impressive wins over Washington and Michigan in back-to-back weeks.
This is another challenge for Barry Odom and his staff, as the Gophers are off to a 4-1 start and sit 2-0 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers are hoping to get back to .500 on the year and improve to 2-1 in the league with a victory.
What does Purdue need to do in order to celebrate a victory inside Ross-Ade Stadium late Saturday night? Here are a few keys to the game.
Get off the field on third down
Purdue's defense has struggled through five games in third-down situations. Opponents are converting at a 51.72% clip so far this season, an average that ranks last in the Big Ten and 135th out of 138 FBS teams. It hasn't been a strength.
But the Boilers encounter a Minnesota team that has struggled to stay on the field in those situations. The Golden Gophers are converting at just a 38.57% rate, ranking 15th in the conference. This should give Kevin Kane's defense plenty of opportunities to get off the field in those situations.
Getting Minnesota's offense off the field will also squash another strength: time of possession. The Gophers average 34:45 in time of possession this season, ranking third nationally. Ending drives early will allow Purdue to control the tempo.
Protect Ryan Browne
In last week's 24-17 win over Illinois, Browne was never sacked by the Fighting Illini. Keeping him upright will be a much greater challenge this week against Minnesota, but it's critical for Purdue's success. Led by TJ Bush Jr., Anthony Smith and Karter Menz, the Gophers have already accounted for 14 sacks this season.
Offensive coordinator Josh Henson probably needs to scheme some plays up to get the ball out of Browne's hands quickly. Implementing some creativity with the rushing attack and keeping Minnesota off balance will also be important.
Purdue's offensive line has made progress from last season when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Life is going to be much more difficult in the trenches for the Boilers this week.
Capitalize on red zone trips
On paper, Purdue's offense has been really efficient in the red zone. The Boilermakers went 4-of-4 last week against Illinois and have converted on 22-of-24 trips on the season. But they've also been forced to settle for field goals on nine of those drives. Last week, Jacobo Echeverria Lozano attempted three field goals after Purdue got into the red zone.
Having a reliable kicker is certainly a strength, but Purdue understands the importance of turning those field goals into touchdowns, especially against a team like Minnesota that loves to limit possessions and control the clock.
Scoring touchdowns when Purdue gets deep into Gopher territory is another major key to Saturday night's game.
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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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