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With the start of the 2024 season just around the corner, BeaversEdge kicks off the first in an opponent preview series diving into all 12 of Oregon State's opponents in 2024...
Next up on the schedule is a home matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers...
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THE GAME
Date: Saturday, September 21st
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Reser Stadium - Corvallis, Ore.
TV: The CW
Oregon State 2023 record: 8-5 (5-4 Pac-12)
Purdue 2023 record: 4-8 (3-6 BIG10)
Purdue Head Coach: Ryan Walters (4-8, 2nd season at Purdue)
Purdue 2023 Recap
After reaching the BIG10 Championship game and appearing in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl with an 8-5 mark in 2022, the 2023 campaign was a new era for Purdue football as former HC Jeff Brohm elected to depart for Louisville and the Boilermakers hired Illinois DC Ryan Walters.
Walters (38) is one of the younger head coaches in college football and oversaw a rebuilding first year in West Lafayette in 2023, going 4-8 overall with a 3-6 mark in BIG10 play.
They did land one of the top quarterback transfers ahead of the 2023 season as former Texas quarterback and one-time OSU target Hudson Card settled in under center for the '23 campaign.
While Card put up solid statistics, they weren't as good as they could or potentially should have been, thus giving an indicator for the long season that was. He completed 59% of his throws for 2,387 yards and 15 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
Defensively, the Boilermakers struggled to defend against the pass and saw opponents score over 30 points per contest.
Kicking was also a concern, as Purdue hit just 50% of their field-goal attempts (8-of-19).
The Boilermakers opened the year with a narrow home loss to Fresno State, before earning their first win of the year the following week against Virginia Tech on the road.
Purdue then dropped back-to-back home games against Syracuse and Wisconsin before bouncing back the following week with a home win over Illinois.
The Boilermakers then began a four-game skid, dropping a very close (20-14) road matchup to a very good Iowa team, before getting blown out by Ohio State and Michigan and falling to Nebraska.
They closed the season on the highest note they could, taking two of their final three against Minnesota and Indiana and falling to Northwestern.
While a tough season was expected in year one of the Walters era, this was Purdue's first losing season since 2019 (not counting 2020), and that speaks to how consistent of a program they had become under Brohm.
The jury is still out on how good of a coach Walters is, but there's no doubt the Boilermakers should be improved in 2024 compared to 2023. They added some solid pieces from the transfer portal, and figure to take steps forward in all three phases in 2024.
Best Win: @ Virginia Tech (24-17)
Worst Loss: vs Nebraska (31-14)
Purdue 2024 Outlook
Entering the 2024 campaign, Purdue figures to be better in the second year of the Walters era, but exactly how much better in the ever-stacked BIG10 Conference is very much the question.
For the Boilermakers to improve upon last season, it's going to start under center with Card and whether or not he's capable of improving upon his marks from last season. On the surface they were fine, but fine doesn't win you a ton of games in the ever-growing talent pool that is the BIG10...
Running back Devin Mockobee is also back after tallying eight touchdowns and 800 rushing yards a season ago, and he'll be a key cog in the Purdue offense along with Illinois transfer RB Reggie Love III who had nearly 600 yards and four TDs in 2023.
The Boilermakers saw their starting WR core depart (four players), so who is out there for Card to throw to beyond TE Max Klare is still yet to be seen, but Georiga transfer CJ Smith could be a guy to keep an eye on.
The offensive line returns just two starters, but added in several experienced pieces via the portal, so there shouldn't be too much drop-off in production from a line that was solid in 2023.
Defensively, there's going to have to be some big-time improvement for the Boilermakers to really make some noise. The defense allowed well over 30 points per game and was particularly bad defending the pass, ranking last in the BIG10.
The Boilermakers have real size in the middle of the defensive line, and it's probably safe to say the DL is their best position group defensively. DT Cole Brevard is a true nose tackle and they did a great job replacing EDGE rusher Nic Scourton (Texas A&M) with Georgia transfer CJ Madden.
The linebackers are another area of strength in Yanni Karlaftis and Kydran Jenkins. Yes, this is another Karlaftis brother playing for Purdue. George, a current member of the Kansas City Chiefs, was a dynamic defensive end for the Boilermakers when the Beavers faced them back in 2021.
The duo of Karlaftis and Jenkins are the real run-stoppers in the middle of the defense, and Jenkins is perhaps even more impressive, finishing with 15.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks a season ago.
The secondary was the weak point of the unit last season, despite safety Dillon Thieneman tallying six interceptions and leading the team with 106 tackles. They'll need to get additional production from their transfers, or internal youngsters to really leap at the back end.
Expect Purdue to be better this season, perhaps a win or two more than the 4-8 campaign a year ago, but playing in the BIG10 and having nonconference matchups against No. 5 Notre Dame and Oregon State on the road isn't the easiest nonconference schedule by any means...
Season Projection: 5-7
Key Players: QB Hudson Card, TE Max Klare, RB Devin Mockobee, DE CJ Madden, DT Cole Brevard, DB Dillon Thieneman, LBs Yanni Karlaftis and Kydran Jenkins
Early Prediction
Following what will likely be a tough matchup against Oregon the week prior, Purdue represents a great challenge for the Beavers.
Another BIG10 team, but one with a very different talent level than Oregon, Purdue should be a great barometer to see where this Beaver team is at following the Oregon game.
Completing the home-and-home agreement that saw Oregon State travel to West Lafayette to open the 2021 campaign, Purdue returns the favor by coming out to Reser Stadium.
Considering how well the Beavers play at home and have played at home in recent seasons, this is a game that should be a very close spread, but one that should still slightly favor OSU.
Other than Oregon and to an extent Washington State, Purdue will be one of the tougher games the Beavers play this season in the sense that they play in a power conference and have the trench and skill position talent and depth to go toe-to-toe with the Beavers for four quarters.
Keeping in mind that like OSU, Purdue has a crazy-tough matchup the week before this one (Notre Dame), I think this matchup will come down to who wants this one more and who can bounce back from a potentially sizable loss the week before.
Purdue's offense is far from highly efficient, and I think the Beavers will be able to make some plays against the Boilermaker secondary in the passing game...
Expect this to be a close game, but I see OSU taking a 10-point victory and improving to 3-1 on the season...
PREDICTION - Oregon State 31, Purdue 21
Previously
Oregon
San Diego State
Idaho State
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