Opponent preview: What to know ahead of Purdue
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
When Syracuse and Purdue faced off at the JMA Wireless Dome last season, it became the game of the year for a program that hadn’t made a bowl game since 2018. In the waning moments of what seemingly looked like a “same old Syracuse” defeat, Garrett Shrader hurled a 25-yard touchdown to tight end Oronde Gadsden II to move the Orange to 3-0 for the first time since their last postseason appearance.
SU now travels to West Lafayette with an identical record from last year when the Boilermakers came to the Dome. While the Orange already had a win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent by Week 3 in 2022, this year they played Colgate and Western Michigan, two teams they were expected to dominate.
Purdue serves as the first true test for this roster to see if Syracuse is going to be competitive against Power 5 opponents.
Here’s everything you need to know about Purdue before the Orange travel to West Lafayette:
All time series
The series is tied 1-1.
Last time they played
Last year’s matchup was the wackiest game the Orange were a part of. The first three quarters were a sloppy defensive affair where the score was 10-9 heading into the fourth quarter. But the final 15 minutes saw Syracuse and Purdue combine for 42 points featuring a pick-six and an iconic last second touchdown from Shrader to Gadsden.
With the game-winning pass, Shrader threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns. SU’s signal-caller also rushed for a team-high 83 yards, making up for Sean Tucker’s measly 42. Dino Babers said the game also got the whole world to notice Gadsden’s talent.
“We already knew Oronde was good,” Babers said.
The Boilermakers report
For the second straight week, Syracuse faces an opponent with a first-year head coach. After Jeff Brohm resigned last December to take a job at Louisville, Purdue hired Ryan Walters, who is a head college football coach for the first time in his career. At the time of his hiring, Walters was the fourth-youngest head coach in college football.
So far in 2023, Walters’ team has been a mixed bag. In the home opener against Fresno State, Purdue lost 39-35, allowing nearly 500 yards. But the next week, the Boilermakers picked up a road win over ACC foe Virginia Tech.
“I’m sure that was just a wake-up call for Purdue,” Babers said. “We’re getting an angry Purdue.”
Along with a newcomer at head coach, the Boilermakers brought in former Texas quarterback Hudson Card from the transfer portal. With Quinn Ewers comfortably in the starting position, Card transferred to a program that has produced quarterbacking legends like Drew Brees and Len Dawson. Card started three games last year and had a completion percentage of 69.4 with 928 yards and six touchdowns. Through two games, he has thrown for 502 yards and two touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception.
Card is surrounded by skill players like wide receivers Deion Burks and Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen as well as running back Devin Mockobee, who only rushed for 22 yards against the Orange last season. Last week against Virginia Tech, Mockobee scored a touchdown and tallied 95 rushing yards in the win.
How Syracuse beats Purdue
Outside of Gadsden, Syracuse’s passing attack was flimsy last year against the Boilermakers. Among the receivers and tight ends, Courtney Jackson had the second-most receiving yards on that day with 23.
Through two 2023 games against weak opponents, Syracuse’s wide receiver depth has been a strength. Donovan Brown, Umari Hatcher and Isaiah Jones all recorded over 80 receiving yards last week.
“You already know the depth,” Brown said postgame on Saturday.
And now with Gadsden’s status uncertain after suffering an injury against Western Michigan, the wide receivers room will have to back up their talk as a deep unit by burning the Purdue secondary. Along with receivers like Brown, Hatcher and Jones, Damien Alford also needs to make more of an impact after Babers named him the No. 2 receiver behind Gadsden. If Gadsden isn’t playing, then Alford will need to make catches in the red zone instead of dropping the ball.
Stat to know: 138.9
For the past two seasons, defense has been a point of concern for the Boilermakers. In 2022, they only trailed Indiana for the most touchdowns allowed in the Big Ten with 50. In Purdue’s first two games this season, it has conceded a defensive efficiency of 138.9, which stands as the second-worst mark in the conference. The Orange were efficient through the air last season against the Boilermakers as Gadsden tallied 112 yards and two touchdowns.
In the fourth quarter, Syracuse relied on deep passing plays to tear apart Purdue. Both of Shrader’s touchdown throws to Gadsden in the final frame were from way outside of the redzone. The Orange have the ability to put together big plays, as shown by Shrader’s 86-yard touchdown connection to Brown.
Player to watch: Deion Burks, No. 4, wide receiver
Last season, Payne Durham and Charlie Jones were the focal points of the Boilermaker passing attack. So far in 2023, Burks has taken up the mantle as the top receiving option for Purdue. In the first quarter against Fresno State, Burks took a screen pass from Card all the way for an 84-yard touchdown. Burks has shown off his ability to run routes proficiently as he has the highest yards per route mark (2.46, 13th in Big Ten) on the team.
