Indiana State SycamoresvsPurdue Boilermakers
INST 19/PUR 44
Things to say
Purdue beat Indiana State 44-19 at Ross-Ade Stadium to open the season 1-0.
01
opener
Purdue handled Indiana State 44-19, never really in doubt. Browne carved them up early and the lead just kept stacking. The Sycamores didn't put anything up until it was garbage time.
02
key player
Ryan Browne was surgical — 23 of 29 for 317 and three touchdowns. You can't ask for a cleaner opener than that.
03
hot take
Beating an FCS team 44-19 looks nice, but the defense giving up 19 to Indiana State? That won't fly in Big Ten play.
04
deep cut
The Don Saunders 35-yard pick-six right out of the second half is what actually broke it open — put it at 44-6 before Indiana State scored a real point.
05
exit
Anyway, tune-up game — the real question is whether this offense travels once the schedule gets real.
The recap
Purdue turned a home tune-up into a blowout, hanging 44 on Indiana State behind a surgical day from Ryan Browne, who went 23-of-29 for 317 and three scores. This one was over by the third quarter, when Purdue's front got home and Don Saunders took a pick to the house for a 44-6 stranglehold.
Asaad Waseem was the guy running open all day, piling up 107 yards and a touchdown, while Fame Ijeboi did the dirty work on the ground. Indiana State's two touchdowns came late and count as pure garbage time against an FBS team that never let them near the red zone with the game in doubt.