WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Welcome to Purdue at Nebraska Game Week. This is a one-stop shopping for news, notes and takeaways to supplement our regular coverage leading up to Saturday's matchup against the Huskers. Kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on BTN. All-time series: Nebraska 4-2, but it's 4-1 since the Huskers joined the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are 0-2 in Lincoln, losing by 21 and 13 points, respectively. Last games: Purdue beat then-No. 23 Boston College 30-13. Nebraska was whipped by Michigan 56-10. The Huskers are 0-3 for the first time since 1945. SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 Good day from Nebraska. Kickoff still several hours away. Purdue remains a 3-point favorite. Plenty of content posted at www.jconline.com to get you ready for the game: PLAYMAKER:Rondale Moore's presence expands Purdue playbook options WHO HAS THE EDGE:Purdue at Nebraska BOILERMAKERS vs. HUSKERS:3 things to watch IN THE HUDDLE:Safety Jacob Thieneman | King of the kitchen MARKUS BAILEY:Purdue linebacker looks to build on last week's performance OPPONENT PREVIEW:Frustrated Nebraska seeks first win QB ROLLING:'The best football he’s played since we’ve been with him' TRACKING SPECIAL TEAMS:Improving coverage TRACKING OFFENSE:Running game producing tough yards LOTS OF TALK:Purdue coach Jeff Brohm | 'Our team needs to respond' FRIDAY, SEPT. 28 The line drops to Purdue favored by 3 points, where it started Sunday. *** Magic 8 Ball Picks for Saturday Nebraska 36, Purdue 34 Michigan State 36, Central Michigan 2 Indiana 35, Rutgers 17 Ohio Stae 40, Penn State 39 Michigan 34, Northwestern 15 *** Late this week, but the updated target numbers from Purdue's passing game Rondale Moore: 44 targets, 33 catches Jared Sparks: 20/13 Isaac Zico: 20/12 Terry Wright: 17/9 Brycen Hopkins: 15/12 Cole Herdman: 12/7 Markell Jones: 8/6 D.J. Knox: 4/4 Tario Fuller: 3/3 Jackson Anthrop: 3/3 Jarrett Burgess: 1/1 THURSDAY, SEPT. 27 Jeff Brohm said following Thursday's practice that quarterback Elijah Sindelar is available for Saturday's game. Sindelar was also available last week if Brohm needed him to go into the game. But this is the first time Sindelar suffered an undisclosed injury prior to facing Missouri that Brohm has said the redshirt junior can play. *** Ever since Jeff Brohm and David Blough had a conversation in the first half against Missouri, the fifth-year senior quarterback has been on fire. I call this a Brohm butt chewing. It’s happened in the first game in 2017 when the Boilermakers faced Louisville. Other one-sided conversations have taken place during Brohm’s short time at Purdue. “That’s part of the game, too,” Blough said this week. “He expects a lot. I probably had less this game, believe it or not than I did the week before. That’s part of the game and coach Brohm expects his players to play. As a man, I’ll look back on it one day and appreciate it even more how hard he pushed me and pushed us.” Check out the numbers since Brohm pointed Blough in the right direction, demanding he let routes develop down the field and don't settle for check downs. He’s completed 49 of 67 passes – that’s 73.1 percent - for 679 yards with five passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He hasn’t thrown an interception since listening to Brohm shower him with pleasantries. OK, maybe not. He’s also run for a score, accounting for six touchdowns. Even before the chat, Blough was off to a good start - hitting 11 of 16 passes - but Brohm demanded more and got it. Both Blough and Elijah Sindelar have experienced Brohm’s wrath on the sideline, more than once. Earlier this year, I asked both of them to describe the experience. “It’s something I wouldn’t want anyone to experience,” Sindelar said. “It’s our job to get the offense going. When it doesn’t work, especially if we throw it over someone’s head or we throw it in the dirt by accident. If I throw it in the dirt, I don’t even want to look over. I peek over there and he’s screaming. I know I just threw a bad pass. I don’t need to be reminded of it.” Sindelar is quick to point out that to see a guy “that cares that much just makes me want to play for him more.” Meanwhile, Blough said quarterbacks need the right mental makeup to deal with Brohm on the sidelines. Last season at Missouri – as the Boilermakers were rolling over the Tigers – Blough was playing well. He had missed two passes and tossed a touchdown but he took a wrong drop on a screen pass to Gregory Phillips. “It was low. He caught it and it would’ve gone for 15 yards, 20 yards or a touchdown,” Blough recalled. “He had to go down to the ground to catch it and I got absolutely hammered on the sideline. I knew I was wrong immediately after I did it. I knew I was going to get ripped. “You take it. It shows the guys - if you can rip the quarterback who is playing really well, you can rip anybody. Nobody is safe. If he knows he was wrong and he was ripping you to show the team, he’ll come over right afterward and say ‘you’re good.’ Right when you step off the field, it’s over. It’s completely over and he’s the man West Lafayette has grown to love, both on the field and off the field. He’s a special dude." *** Holding steady at 3.5 points. Nebraska has been a home underdog just 17 times since 2002. The Huskers are 4-13 in those games. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26 Purdue now favored by 3.5 points. *** From the Indianapolis Star, Warren Central star receiver David Bell sets announcement date. He'll follow the same path as Rondale Moore did in making his announcement. TUESDAY, SEPT. 25 Two Nebraska assistant coaches say nice things about Purdue quarterback David Blough. "I think it’s probably the best quarterback we’ve seen as far as being accurate with the football and throwing deep balls." *** Rondale Moore is one of 11 receivers added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. If you've seen him play, you know why. MONDAY, SEPT. 24 Boston College running back AJ Dillon was part of the Heisman Trophy conversation this season. Dillon was 66-1 to win the award prior to facing Purdue. He's now off the board following his 59-yard rushing performance against the Boilermakers. And no mention of Rondale Moore, so don't go there. *** From an Associated Press story about Nebraska's struggles. Purdue (1-3, 0-1) happens to be the only team Nebraska has beaten in its current nine-losses-in-10-games stretch. The Huskers won 25-24 in West Lafayette, Indiana, last October on a touchdown with 14 seconds left. "We've got a chance to get reset next week," Frost said. "This is a really good (Michigan) team we played. We get a game that we can win next week. *** How Pro Football Focus saw Purdue's defensive performance from an individual standpoint SUNDAY, SEPT. 23 A little surprised to see Purdue favored but it's only three points. It's more of a reflection of Nebraska than the Boilermakers and more of an overreaction to the 46-point loss to the Wolverines. Curious what the line would've been if Purdue had lost to BC. I'd go with no line. We'll see where the money goes this week and where the number lands near kickoff. *** We begin the week with our 1st-and-10 installment - 10 questions about the Boilermakers and their matchup against Nebraska? • How will Purdue handle its first road game this season - with so many young players - after playing four straight at Ross-Ade Stadium? • Can the Boilermakers win two in a row and continue their climb from the bottom? • What's the emotions of the Huskers after starting the season 0-3? • Did we see the real Purdue defense of 2018 in the win over Boston College? • How will the offensive line and quarterback David Blough deal with pressure this week? Blough was sacked five times and the Huskers have 11, but seven came in the first game against Colorado. • Will Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez be healthy Saturday? Played in the first half against Michigan but sat out the second half because of the score (39-0). • How concerning is Purdue's coverage units on kickoff and punt returns when it doesn't get touchbacks? The Boilermakers rank No. 125 nationally in average kickoff return yardage allowed (29.33). On the flip side, Nebraska has given up two punt returns for touchdowns. • When will see one of Jeff Brohm's trick plays go for big yardage? Five trick plays run so far and nothing substantial. • Will the defense continue to force turnovers? Purdue has six in the last three games. The four picks against Boston College marked the third time in the last four seasons the defense had four (2016 against Indiana, 2015 against Nebraska). • Can the Boilermakers keep the penalties to a minimum, especially away from home? *** Blough has played three games against the Huskers. He's 69 of 114 (60.5 percent) for 747 yards and seven touchdowns and one interception. In 2015, Blough tossed four TD's in the 55-45 win over Nebraska. *** In the last five meetings with the Huskers, Purdue's defense has 11 interceptions, including at one in four straight seasons. Last year, the Boilermakers didn't have a pick in the 25-24 loss. *** Since Purdue and Nebraska started playing every season, we've seen six different head coaches from both schools. 2013 and 2014: Darrell Hazell vs. Bo Pelini 2015: Darrell Hazell vs. Mike Riley 2016: Gerad Parker (interim) vs. Mike Riley 2017: Jeff Brohm vs. Mike Riley 2018: Jeff Brohm vs. Scott Frost<doc-sep>Nebraska and Purdue occupy the same records in the conference standings, but they got there differently. The Boilermakers opened the season on a Thursday against Northwestern and the Boilermakers made a number of mistakes and committed several costly penalties in the season opening home game. The loss put the team in an early hole it needed to climb out of and it looked like Purdue might get buried before the season really started. Following the loss to Northwestern the Boilermakers lost to Eastern Michigan and then again to Missouri. Those early losses left the Boilermakers 0-3 before it hosted Boston College last weekend. All three of the losses Purdue suffered were within a touchdown and it might've obscured a team hungry for a win. Led by super freshman Rondale Moore the Boilermakers climbed out of the 0-3 hole and stunned Boston College last Saturday. Now they'll try to carry the momentum against a Nebraska team that's had a similar poor start. The Huskers didn't play Akron because of weather and then gave away a win against Colorado, before losing at home to Troy. In its first conference affair Nebraska traveled to Ann Arbor and were promptly blown out by Michigan. Now the two teams meet on Saturday at 2:30 looking for a conference win and a chance to finish September better than the month started. How do they compare on paper? Where might Purdue have an advantage over Nebraska? Who should Husker fans be watching out for in this Big Ten contest on Saturday? Let's find out.<doc-sep>
The Nebraska football team gets a little insult added to injury after an 0-3 start. The Huskers open as 3-point dogs to Purdue, in Lincoln. When the Purdue Boilermakers come to Lincoln next Saturday they will enter the memorial stadium as the favorite to win the game. Yes, a 1-3 Purdue team is going to be favored to beat the Nebraska football team by three points. The Huskers, of course, are going to be the underdogs because they have yet to win a game this season. The line is likely right where it should be at the present time in the season. It’s still a bit disconcerting to see the Cornhuskers not favored to win at home against a team that has won one game all season. Perhaps all the talk of changing the culture can finally crystallize with this game. There’s quite a bit at stake for Nebraska next Saturday. First of all, there is the embarrassment of possibly losing to a team that has just one victory in four games. There is also the need to finally show that Memorial Stadium can be an intimidating place to play again. There was a time home field advantage was a big deal for Nebraska. That’s not really the case anymore. There is also the very real worry about setting yet another school record. The Huskers have never lost eight games in a row. They tied their current school record by losing their seventh straight this weekend, dating back to last year. There is also the very real worry that should the Nebraska football lose their game against Purdue, it’s going to be a good long time before they win a game. The week after Purdue, the Huskers will have to take on Wisconsin in Wisconsin. Then they travel to Northwestern. It appears Vegas doesn’t have much faith in the Cornhuskers to start salvaging their season this week.