3 Keys to Purdue Beating Washington in Week 7 Showdown
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A big opportunity awaits Purdue this week. After posting consecutive wins over Illinois and Minnesota, the Boilermakers have a chance to get on the positive side of the .500 mark with a victory over Washington. There would be plenty to celebrate in West Lafayette if they enter the bye week with a 4-3 record.
Purdue has played well the last two weeks, and Washington ... has not. The Huskies are searching for their first Big Ten win and come into West Lafayette hungry to end a three-game losing streak. How do the Boilers avoid a letdown and get a third straight victory?
Let's talk about a few keys to success for Purdue on Friday.
Bring the pressure
Purdue hasn't done a great job getting to the quarterback this season, but it has brought better pressure in the last two games against Illinois and Minnesota. That "attacking" style of defense that Kevin Kane likes should be on full display on Friday night.
Whether it's Demond Williams Jr. or Elijah Brown under center for the Huskies, Purdue needs to bring pressure. Washington's offensive line has really struggled this season, allowing a Big Ten-high 21 sacks through six games. That number is also one of the worst in the country, ranking 135th out of 138 teams.
The Boilermaker defense has only gotten one sack in the last three games, but they have at least applied more pressure and made opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable in the last two games. That needs to continue on Friday.
Avoid the big turnover
Quarterback Ryan Browne has done an excellent job protecting the football this season. That's not really a secret. He has completed nearly 69% of his passes and has nine touchdown passes with just one interception. Browne has been playing like a veteran gunslinger through the first half of the season.
This is a Washington defense that has played opportunistically, though. For all their faults defensively, the Huskies have made up for it with takeaways. they have recorded nine, with seven coming from interceptions. Last weekend's game against iowa was the first time this season Ryan Walters' defense hadn't gotten a turnover in 2026.
Purdue only has four turnovers this season, three of those coming in the UCLA game. But it's expected to be a blustery night in West Lafayette, and the conditions could be damp. Ball security is important each week, but even more critical this weekend.
Get a strong push up front
Can Purdue's offensive line copy and paste what it did last weekend against Minnesota? That wasn't just the best that group has looked this season; it's the best it has played in years. Thanks to the work of the big brutes up front, Purdue rushed for 305 yards, and running back Fame Ijeboi piled up 195 yards.
With the wind and potential rain playing a role in this game, Purdue probably won't want to pass too frequently against Washington's opportunistic defense. If the Boilermakers can establish a strong presence on the ground again, it will open things up for the offense.
Purdue's performance from last week is going to be tough to replicate, but if they can win the war in the trenches, the offense is going to have another big night.
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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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