Surely no one is crazy enough to pick a Purdue loss right?
Tomorrow mean it’s finally here. Game day. The day we’ve all waited months for. Game one against Indiana State kicks off in approximately 24 hours. This one should be easy, but I had to get the staff on record just in case.
Jumbo Heroes:
Look, there’s no way this one should be close. Purdue has more talent at every position than Indiana State and Indiana State is a lowly FCS team who can’t even compete consistently at that level. If Purdue were to lose this one it would just be flat out embarrassing. So, what do I want to see in this one to be satisfied? I want to see some production from the WRs. I don’t know who is going to stand out from that group and I’d like to see someone step up. I want to see how the OL and DL hold up to their first game action. I’m excited to see all the new names and how the team gels. Most importantly though, stay healthy.
Purdue 49
Indiana State 10
Kyle:
This is one game of the season where I feel like Purdue will just absolutely dominate, the others are all great football teams and will be very competitive. Anything less than a blowout of a team that went 1-10 last season should be cause for concern, IMO, Purdue should be at a level where an FCS program like Indiana State is not an issue at all.
My hopes and prayers will be answered Saturday afternoon when Purdue wins by 30+, Hudson Card goes wild and the Mocktrain returns to Ross-Ade.
Purdue 42
Indiana State 6
Ryan:
Playing an FCS team in the opening week is bittersweet. It allows teams to ease into the season and almost acts as a half step between taking it easy on your own teammates during spring / camp and going up against the powerhouses of FBS. It also lets some banged up guys take an extra week to recover just a bit more before getting back on the field. Unfortunately, that’s about where the positives end. If you don’t beat the pants off of your FCS opponent, that’s when the alarm bells can start going off. Also, on the flip side of the injury coin, additional injuries need to be avoided during these games. Nearly nothing positive is learned from playing an overmatched team, other than what is needed to be worked on. All of that being said, it is going to feel great to start off the 2024 season Saturday. The atmosphere should still be electric and Purdue fans may want to soak in the likely lopsided victory, because those may be tough to come by this year.
Purdue 52
Indiana State 7
Jed:
Purdue needs to get through this one with all their major contributors healthy and gaining the experience they need to be competitive. They can do that by stretching their legs to a comfortable win against a quality but not great FCS program.
Cars throws for a couple scores and Mockobee and Love look like a quality RB duo.
Purdue 41
ISU 17
Drew:
I keep saying this Purdue team has more pure talent than any Purdue team I’ve covered. This is what talented teams do.
Purdue 57
Indiana State 6
Garrett:
I see Purdue starting the game slowly but will find an offensive rhythm by the end of the first half. Defensively, I see no issues against the Sycamores.
It’s always hard to balance getting younger players field experience against an (on paper) inferior opponent while trying to display offensive chemistry with a mostly new group of skill position players. Then you consider the weird week-to-week schedule of playing the worst team in Indiana, having a bye week, then playing who is likely the best team in Indiana. Do you want to run your offense vanilla or dial in everything you think you’ll need to do in an effort to beat Notre Dame two weeks later? I’m not a head football coach, just an interesting hypothetical there.
Like I said, I believe Purdue could but not necessarily will start the game a bit off-kilter before inevitably finding the right groove, and while it’d be nice to run up the score like you’re playing Duke Nukem 3D on easy mode, but I’m predicting a low-scoring first quarter, higher-scoring second quarter, big ol’ scoring third quarter, and taking the fourth quarter to rest the starters and get younger guys some playing time even if it’s their only game of the year to preserve redshirt opportunities.
Purdue 41
Indiana State 13