PURDUE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES VS. IOWA
PURDUE NOTES:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football hits the road, traveling to No. 15 Iowa for a primetime matchup on NBC (7:30 p.m. ET).
QUICK HITS
The Boilermakers have won four of the past seven matchups in the series, including two of the past three in Iowa City.
Barry Odom is facing Iowa for the first time in his head coaching career. The Hawkeyes are the 61st different program that Odom has played against as a head coach.
Purdue has punted only 26 times this season, the second fewest in the Big Ten and 16th fewest nationally. The Boilermakers have punted three times or less in seven of their nine games this season, including a pair of games with only one punt (vs. Indiana State, vs. Maryland).
Jacobo Echeverria Lozano leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country with 21 made field goals. His 95.5 field goal percentage leads the nation among those with a minimum of 15 attempts.
Just nine games into the season, Asaad Waseem (Biletnikoff Award Watch List) has recorded 709 receiving yards. It is the most receiving yards by a Boilermaker in a single season since All-American Charlie Jones (New York Giants) tallied a school-record 1,361 yards in 2022. Waseem ranks eighth in the Big Ten in receiving yards.
Quarterback Ryan Browne (Manning Award Watch List) ranks second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in passing yards (2,260).
After throwing for 296 yards last week against Maryland, Browne became the 12th quarterback in program history to eclipse 5,000 career passing yards.
Becoming the first Boilermaker with double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season since 2015, Fame Ijeboi (Doak Walker Award Watch List) ranks second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally with 10 rushing touchdowns.
Purdue is 37-of-40 in the red zone this season (22 touchdowns, 15 field goals). The 92.5 scoring percentage ranks 20th in the country.
THE KID CAN KICK
True freshman Jacobo Echeverria Lozano has been a reliable weapon this season, going 21-of-22 on field goal opportunities, including four games with three or more made field goals.
He holds the Purdue freshman record for field goals in a season, ranking fourth in Purdue single-season history and 15th on the Boilermaker career chart.
Echeverria Lozano had a historic day against Maryland, taking over the freshman record on his first kick. He went 5-of-5 for the game, matching the second-most made field goals in a game in Purdue history.
He ranks second nationally and first in the Big Ten in made field goals. He is one of seven kickers with multiple field goals in at least six games this season.
His lone miss was a 49-yard attempt against Wake Forest.
Echeverria Lozano has made three field goals in four games this season, tied with Mitchell Fineran (2021) for the most by a Boilermaker kicker in the last 25 seasons.
He was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after converting a trio of kicks in the win over Illinois.
Before splitting the uprights from a career-long 49 yards out at Penn State, he connected twice from 48 yards this season against Notre Dame and Washington for the longest field goals by a true freshman since Carson Wiggs hit a then-school-record 53-yarder at Ohio State on Oct. 11, 2008.
Against Wake Forest, the rookie connected on a trio of field goals, including the game-tying effort as the fourth quarter expired to force overtime.
He wasted little time putting his highly ranked right leg to use in week one against Indiana State, splitting the uprights a trio of times from 39, 27 and 25 yards for the most kicks in a game by a freshman at Purdue going back to 1995.
SHIBEST’S SUPERB SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams coordinator James Shibest has his unit playing superb week in and week out.
Under Shibest’s guidance, freshman Jacobo Echeverria Lozano has become one of the best kickers in the country by connecting on 21-of-22 attempts to rank second nationally.
Purdue has blocked two punts on the season, just behind UCLA, Wisconsin and Sacramento State for the most in the country. Bisi Owens blocked both punts to serve as the nation’s individual leader.
At Penn State, Owens blocked a punt with fellow wide receiver Jalil Hall picking it up and returning it for a touchdown. It marked Purdue’s first blocked punt for a touchdown since Sept. 6, 2008 against Northern Colorado when Frank Haliburton blocked a punt and Mike Conway returned the ball 11 yards for a score.
Purdue also ranks 19th in the nation in net punting (42.7).
FRESHMEN IMPACT
A total of 15 Purdue freshmen have found playing time this season, including several that have made significant contributions.
Arriving in the summer, Jacobo Echeverria Lozano won the kicking battle and has become one of the best place kickers in the entire country, going 21-for-22 to rank second in the country in both made field goals and field goal percentage.
Rico Schrieber and Brock Brownfield have earned starts on the offensive line. Schrieber has started the past five games, while Brownfield started the first two before being featured in jumbo packages.
Three true freshmen have caught passes this season: Ar’Mari Towns (4), Brandon Kinsey (3) and Cooper McCutchan (2).
Josiah Hope and Aiden Solecki have added depth to the defensive interior, as both Boilermakers have played in six straight games.
PUTTING UP POINTS
The Purdue offense has put up points throughout the season, averaging 29.4 points per game, on pace for the team’s highest scoring average since 2018.
It took only eight games for the Boilermakers to surpass their entire season points total from each of the past two seasons.
Purdue scored 38 points against UCLA. In their following four Big Ten games, the Bruins surrendered a combined 35 points to the opposition.
The Boilermaker offense has moved the ball down the field, limiting the team to only having to punt 26 times this season (second fewest in the Big Ten, 16th fewest nationally). Purdue has punted three times or less in seven of its nine games.
CORREA IN COVERAGE
While he’s one of Purdue’s leading tacklers, linebacker Charles Correa has also shown his ability to defend the opponent’s passing game.
Correa’s six pass breakups are the most by a linebacker nationwide, tied alongside Texas’ Rasheem Biles.
Against No. 3 Notre Dame, Correa hauled in his first career interception by picking off CJ Carr. The INT snapped Carr’s streak of passes without a pick at 133 attempts.
HE’S YA BOY, IJEBOI
Fame Ijeboi has made an immediate impact for Purdue after transferring from Minnesota, becoming one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball.
With 620 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the year, he ranks second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally in rushing touchdowns.
Finding the end zone against Maryland, Ijeboi became the 22nd Boilermaker to record double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season and the first since Markell Jones in 2015.
Ijeboi has a pair of three-touchdown games this season, the first Boilermaker to accomplish the feat since Kory Sheets in 2008.
With a receiving touchdown to his credit, Ijeboi’s 11 total touchdowns this season are the most by a Boilermaker through the first nine games of a season since Sheets in 2008.
Ijeboi had the best game of his career against his former team, running for 195 yards and three scores to lead Purdue to a 28-point win over Minnesota. It was the 15th-best rushing game in terms of yardage in program history as well as the most by a Boilermaker since 2017. He became the second Boilermaker this century to total at least 195 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Against Wake Forest, Ijeboi finished with 114 rushing yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns. Ijeboi also added six receptions for 42 yards. Finding the end zone three times, he became the first Boilermaker with three rushing touchdowns in a game since D.J. Knox helped Purdue knock off No. 2 Ohio State in the famous Tyler Trent Game (Oct. 20, 2018).
DYNAMIC DUO
Transfers Asaad Waseem and Xavier Townsend lead the Purdue receivers with 43 and 41 catches, respectively.
The duo has combined for 1,147 yards. Waseem paces the Boilers with 709 yards, while Townsend is right behind his teammate with 438 yards and a team-high three touchdowns. Townsend also has a 30-yard rushing touchdown to his credit (vs. Maryland).
In the Big Ten opener at UCLA, Waseem and Townsend both had big nights. Townsend caught six passes for a career-high 162 yards and two scores. Waseem hauled in eight passes for a career-best 149 yards on the night. It marked the first time since Purdue played Northwestern at Wrigley Field in 2021 that the Boilermakers had two players with 100 yards receiving.
Townsend became the first Boilermaker with multiple receiving scores since Deion Burks in 2023 against Fresno State. His 162 yards receiving were the most by a Boilermaker since Charlie Jones posted the same tally against Michigan in the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game.
COMPLETE NOTES: https://purduesports.com/documents/add57578-148e-4ff3-92a8-a83b93561a74.pdf
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IOWA GAME NOTES:
• Iowa has won eight straight Kinnick Stadium night games, dating back to 2022. • The Hawkeyes were 19th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Nov. 3. Iowa has been in the rankings 36 weeks since its inception – the 15th-most in the nation. • November is for the Hawkeyes… Iowa has won 24 of its last 29 games in the month of November dating back to 2019. • L.J. Phillips, Jr., rushed for 128 yards in Week 10 at Northwestern, becoming Iowa’s fifth different 100-yard rusher in 2026. It’s the first time in program history Iowa has had five 100-yard rushers in a single season. • Braeden Jackson had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 10 at Northwestern. He is the fifth player in program history to have two kickoff returns for a TD and one of four players in the nation this season with multiple returns for TDs. • Over his last two games, QB Hank Brown is completing 80 percent of his passes (36- of-45) for 348 yards and three touchdowns. • WR Tony Diaz had a 24-yard touchdown reception against Northwestern – his second straight game with a touchdown catch. • The Hawkeye defense has allowed one touchdown over its last nine quarters (and two over the last 12 quarters) dating back to Week 8 at Minnesota. The unit is third in the FBS in scoring defense (12.2), fifth in rushing defense, (81.9), eighth in sacks (3.33) and ninth in total defense (276.7). • Iowa has three shutouts this season — the most for the program since 1997. The unit has 12 shutouts since 2018 – the most in the nation during that span. • Iowa is bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season and for the 24th time in the last 26 seasons. • The Hawkeyes have two victories over ranked opponents this season (at Michigan, Wisconsin) – a first since 2021. • Iowa’s defense limited Washington to (-3) rushing yards in Week 6 – the second-fewest yards allowed under Kirk Ferentz and the fewest since 2004. Iowa has held five opponents under 100 rushing yards this season. • Iowa’s offense finished with 465 yards of total offense against at Washington – the most in a Big Ten game under OC Tim Lester. • Iowa’s offensive line has allowed eight sacks in its first nine games (eighth in FBS), while the rushing attack averages 173.8 yards per contest, ranking 47th nationally. • Third-year linebacker Cam Buffington – a Butkus Award semifinalist — has a team-high 82 tackles and has led the team in tackles in five games. He has four 10+ tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against Iowa State – the most in a game by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024. He is second in the Big Ten (23rd nationally), averaging 9.1 tackles per game. • Iowa has sold out 33 consecutive games in Kinnick Stadium.
THE SERIES • Purdue holds a 50-41-3 advantage in the series that began with a 16-0 Iowa win in 1910. Iowa has won two straight in the series. • Iowa won the last meeting, 20-14, in 2023 in Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes are 23-21-2 all-time in games played in Iowa City. • Saturday’s game is the first time Barry Odom has squared off against the Hawkeyes as a head coach. Odom was an assistant coach at Missouri in 2010 when Iowa beat the Tigers in the 2010 Insight Bowl. • Iowa and the Boilermakers battled to a 21-21 tie at West Lafayette in 1994. That contest marked the last tie game for Iowa before the college football tiebreaker system was put in place.
COMPLETE NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-prod/2026/11/09/2pW4aZPA1g2czGs5OR9Yu9XJhGIRTsLCUGFo7I16.pdf
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