Why Rutgers Has Become a Must-Win Game For Purdue
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The days are getting shorter, and the final month of the college football season is drawing closer. As a 2-5 Purdue team enters the final week of October, it finds itself in a must-win situation against Rutgers (3-4) before the calendar flips to November.
When the Boilermakers began the month, a four-game stretch against then-No. 22 Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Rutgers seemed manageable. Going 2-2 in that window and entering November with a .500 record at 4-4 felt manageable. Considering how poorly things went last season, it would've been considered a big step forward for first-year coach Barry Odom.
Illinois' Luke Altmyer threw all over the Boilermakers in a 43-27 victory on Oct. 4. A week later, four turnovers and nine penalties resulted in Purdue blowing a fourth-quarter lead in a 27-20 loss to Minnesota. Do we really need to rehash the offense's poor performance in last week's 19-0 shutout loss to Northwestern?
The point is, Purdue allowed chances to secure a couple of Big Ten wins to slip through its fingers. Now, it heads into Saturday's game against Rutgers in desperate need of a victory. If they can't get one this weekend, the Boilers are staring another 0-9 conference record in the face.
Purdue's schedule goes from manageable to gauntlet in the blink of an eye. The Boilermakers will play No. 25 Michigan in Ann Arbor, host No. 1 Ohio State, take a West Coast Trip to play Washington, and close out the regular season at Ross-Ade Stadium by hosting No. 2 Indiana.
Those four opponents are a combined 24-4 at this point in the season. Ohio State and Indiana are the top two teams in the country. If you go 0-4 in games against Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Rutgers, there's no confidence the Boilermakers could upset any of those four opponents.
Rutgers is limping into Saturday's game as much as Purdue. The Scarlet Knights have lost four straight games and are also searching for their first win of the Big Ten season. They're coming off a 56-10 loss at the hands of No. 8 Oregon.
Odom's team has to take advantage of the opportunity on Saturday to regain some confidence, some momentum, before the final stretch of the season. If not, a long October is likely going to result in a dreadful November.
Odom tired of talking about progress
Despite Purdue's 2-5 record and 0-4 mark in Big Ten play, it's easy to see that this team is more competitive than the one from a season ago. But with more than 80 new players on the roster, it's been tough to win games.
Odom has acknowledged Purdue's progress since he took over in December, but also knows the world of college football is a results-driven business. The Boilermakers must find ways to start winning games.
"I do feel like from where we started in December to where we are today, it's a different team in a great way, in a number of things. But still, we have to win games," Odom said after Purdue's 19-0 loss to Northwestern. "I've said from the first day I spoke publicly, there is never a rebuild. Those don't exist anymore. It's putting a team together and an organization together that plays winning ball, and we're coming up short right now."
Saturday might be Purdue's best opportunity to snag a win. Rutgers enters Saturday's game with one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten, ranking 17th in points allowed and rush defense, and 18th in total defense and pass defense. Can the Boilers' offense bounce back after being held scoreless?
The challenges for Purdue vs. Rutgers
Although Greg Schiano's squad is struggling, there are two major things Purdue will have to figure out to get its first Big Ten win of the season.
Led by quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers' passing attack ranks fourth in the Big Ten, throwing for 1,864 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions through five games. It's no secret that Purdue's secondary has been susceptible to big plays and struggles to create turnovers.
The Boilermakers have to be prepared for a heavy dose of Kaliakmanis and keep Rutgers' receivers — Ian Strong, KJ Duff, and DT Sheffield — in check.
Purdue's other concern comes with its own quarterback situation. Odom has stated that Browne is likely "doubtful" for Saturday's Homecoming game, which means Malachi Singleton would be under center for Purdue as the starter for the first time this year.
Singleton played the entire second half last weekend and has been used in specific packages, but he lacks experience in a complete game. How much will that change impact Purdue's play-calling on the offense?
It's time for Purdue to win
When Odom took over, he promised fans that Purdue was going to "win big." He hasn't talked about a rebuild and never discusses the 2024 season. Nobody in West Lafayette expected a Curt Cignetti-like turnaround at Indiana, but there must be signs of growth.
The Boilers need to end a 13-game losing streak in the Big Ten. They need to get their first program win over Rutgers. They have to prove they can put together a winning performance for 60 minutes.
For Purdue, even a win in just one Big Ten game would give fans something to cling to as this program tries to climb back. Perhaps it would give the Boilermakers a new level of confidence entering the final month of the season. Maybe, MAYBE, they could pull off an upset somewhere down the road.
It must start with a win over Rutgers on Sunday, though. If the Boilers can't pull out a victory on Homecoming against one of the weaker teams in the Big Ten, there's going to be an incredibly bleak outlook for the remainder of the year.
Related stories on Purdue football
- PURDUE WANTS TO END TWO DROUGHTS: The Boilermakers are carrying a couple of ugly losing streaks into Saturday's game against Rutgers. Can Purdue finally stop the bleeding? CLICK HERE
- HOW SINGLETON CHANGES OFFENSE: Head coach Barry Odom said that starter Ryan Browne is "doubtful" for Saturday's game against Rutgers. How would Malachi Singleton change the offense? CLICK HERE
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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