Northwestern Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 2nd 2024

Preview and Prediction

Northwestern head coach David Braun described last week's one-sided defeat against Iowa as "a humiliating display."

Despite still having a chance at qualifying for a bowl game, the Wildcats will aim to move on as they travel to face another struggling Big Ten team, Purdue, in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday.

Simply being able to move the ball effectively will greatly contribute to achieving this goal. In their previous game against Iowa, Northwestern (3-5, 1-4) only managed to gain 163 yards of offense, including a mere 43 rushing yards on 24 carries, resulting in a 40-14 loss.

Braun stated, "In order to meet our standard and successfully run the ball, we need to exceed expectations. Let's band together and attack this challenge, finding a way to come out on top."

Cam Porter (13 carries, 50 yards) was the Wildcats' leading rusher. Despite recent struggles, Jack Lausch will remain the starting quarterback. In their last game, Lausch threw two interceptions. Northwestern's only touchdowns were scored off of an interception and a punt return.

Purdue (1-6, 0-4) enters the game on a six-game losing streak, with their most recent defeat being a 35-0 home loss to No. 2 ranked Oregon on October 18th. The Boilermakers have had a bye week since then.

Braun was quick to point out that the same Purdue team that struggled against Oregon had put up a strong fight against then-No. 23 ranked Illinois the week prior, losing in overtime by a score of 50-49.

"We cannot let their statistics or record deceive us," Braun warned. "They are a very talented team."

In their game against Oregon, Purdue only managed to pass for 93 yards, with starting quarterback Hudson Card still in the concussion protocol. In his second career start, Ryan Browne completed 9 out of 19 passes with one interception. He also added 48 rushing yards.

Reggie Love III led the Boilermakers' rushing attack with 93 yards on 11 carries, as the team totaled 208 rushing yards.

The bye week allowed Purdue to get some much-needed rest and recovery, particularly for their quarterbacks. On Monday, head coach Ryan Walters did not reveal who would start at QB against Northwestern, but confirmed that both Browne and Card would see playing time.

When asked about the team's goals for the remaining five regular-season games, Walters kept it simple, saying, "We need to win."

This will not be an easy task, as the Wildcats still have to face tough Big Ten opponents such as No. 3 ranked Penn State, No. 4 ranked Ohio State, and No. 13 ranked Indiana after their game against Purdue.

Purdue currently holds a 53-34-1 advantage in the all-time series against Northwestern. However, the Wildcats ended a two-game losing streak in the rivalry with a 23-15 victory over the Boilermakers last season.

PREDICTION

Northwestern Wildcats

Purdue Boilermakers

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers Recap NOV 2TH 2024

Joseph Himon II scored two touchdowns, including a 22-yard game-ending TD reception in overtime, as visiting Northwestern pulled off a 26-20 victory over Purdue on Saturday at West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue turned the ball over on downs to open overtime, gambling on a fourth-and-5 play, to set up Northwestern's game-winning possession.

Himon rushed for 78 yards and one score, while Cam Porter added 17 rushing yards with a touchdown. Jack Lausch passed for 250 yards and Luke Akers made a pair of field goals as the Wildcats (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.

Northwestern ran for 122 yards, with 51 of those coming on Himon's first-quarter rushing TD. Porter had eight receptions for 85 yards for Northwestern.

Hudson Card passed for 267 yards and a touchdown for Purdue in his return from concussion protocol as the Boilermakers (1-7, 0-5) saw their losing streak extend to seven games. Max Klare had six receptions for 78 yards and Jahmal Edrine had five catches for 54 yards with a touchdown for Purdue.

The Boilermakers were held to 47 yards rushing, with Devin Mockobee gaining 29 yards on 10 carries.

After the teams traded field goals in the opening 12 minutes of the game, Himon peeled off his 51-yard TD run with under a minute remaining in the first quarter. It was the longest of his college career, as the Wildcats took a 10-3 lead. Porter's 1-yard TD run with 2:23 remaining in the first half gave Northwestern a 17-3 lead.

Purdue cut the deficit to one score when Edrine caught a 6-yard TD pass from Card with 25 seconds left in the opening half, cutting the deficit to 17-10.

Each team traded field goals after halftime, with Northwestern taking a 20-13 lead on Akers' boot from 41 yards with 10:41 remaining in the game.

Card led Purdue on a 11-play, 75-yard drive, with Mockobee finishing it off on a 1-yard TD run to tie the score 20-20 with 5:16 to play.

Northwestern played without wide receiver Bryce Kirtz (undisclosed injury), while wideout Frank Covey IV departed in the first half with a knee injury.