PURDUE OPENS WITH WIN OVER INDIANA STATE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue football team opened its season with a runaway 44-19 victory over Indiana State on Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Boilermakers amassed 523 yards of offense, finding the end zone four times while adding three field goals and a pick-six. Junior quarterback Ryan Browne completed 23-of-29 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns, recording the fourth 300-yard passing game of his career.
It marked Purdue’s first 500-yard offensive performance since Browne’s first career start at Illinois on Oct. 12, 2024.
The Boilermakers put together three drives of 11 or more plays in the first half but settled for three field goals and a touchdown, taking a 16-6 lead into halftime. Purdue came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, finding the end zone on each of its first three drives of the second half before Browne was pulled once the game was firmly in hand.
Senior defensive back Don Saunders added to the fun when he housed a 35-yard interception return, giving the Purdue defense its first pick-six since 2022.
A crowd of 49,019 braved the heat for Purdue’s hottest recorded night game at Ross-Ade Stadium since at least 2000. The on-field temperature reached 93 degrees, with a real feel of 103.
With the victory, head coach Barry Odom became the first Purdue head coach to win his first two season openers since Jim Colletto in 1991-92. The 44 points scored were the most of the Odom era to this point.
Offensive Eruption
Browne and fellow quarterback Evans Chuba connected with 11 different targets, dishing out touchdown passes to three receivers who scored their first points as Boilermakers.
Sophomore running back Fame Ijeboi churned out 87 yards and a one-yard rushing score on 11 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per carry in his Purdue debut. The Minnesota transfer found the end zone on a 1-yard wildcat carry in the third quarter.
Senior wide receiver Xavier Townsend led the team with seven receptions, his most in a game since his 2022 season at UCF.
Asaad Waseem, with 107 yards and a touchdown on six catches, became the first Purdue receiver to eclipse 100 yards in a game since Arhmad Branch in the 2025 season opener against Ball State.
Purdue capitalized on a plethora of big plays, totaling 11 passes of 15-plus yards and four carries of 10-plus yards, to open the year on a high note.
Defensive Standouts
The Boilermaker defense held Indiana State to 66 yards rushing, including just 10 yards on 11 carries for the Sycamore running backs. Juniors Jojo Hayden and Mister Clark tied for the team lead with five tackles apiece in their first appearances in the Old Gold & Black.
In Purdue’s dominant third quarter, Saunders made a great read on a 3rd-and-3 to pick off ISU quarterback Brady Allen, jumping a wheel route and returning it 35 yards for his first career touchdown. It was Purdue’s first pick-six since Cory Trice scored at Indiana in 2022.
The Boilers totaled three sacks and eight tackles-for-loss as a team. Mister Clark and Ian Jeffries each nabbed individual sacks while Tysen Smith and Rodney Lora combined for one together in the third quarter.
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