WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Kicking off the month of October, Purdue Football hits the road and travels north to face Wisconsin. Kickoff from Camp Randall Stadium is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a stretch that features three road games over four contests. That ends next week at Illinois to cap consecutive weeks away from home.
QUICK HITS
• Tight end Drew Biber (Cedarburg) and offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (Milwaukee) are the only two Boilermakers from the state of Wisconsin.
• Purdue has the nation's most efficient special teams unit, ranking No. 1 in ESPN's College Football Power Index.
• The Boilermakers blocked a pair of field goals in the first half last weekend against Nebraska, bringing their blocked kicks total to three on the season to lead the nation. It marked the first time Purdue blocked two field goals in a game since Sept. 3, 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
• Kydran Jenkins ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks (0.88 per game) and ranks 16th nationally. The senior linebacker also ranks fourth in the conference with 1.4 tackles-for-loss per game.
• In last year's matchup against the Badgers, Jenkins recorded team highs in total tackles (9) and solo tackles (7).
• Against Nebraska, Devin Mockobee moved to 11th on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,096 yards) by passing legendary Boilermaker running back Leroy Keyes (2,094).
• Purdue boasts the nation's 20th-best passing defense, allowing only 156.8 yards per game through the air. The Boilermakers have only allowed three touchdown passes by opposing quarterbacks this season.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (13), receiving yards (193) and receiving touchdowns (2).
• After recording five receptions for 33 yards through the first three games of the season, sophomore Jaron Tibbs caught five passes for 46 yards versus Nebraska to lead Purdue and set new career highs.
• One of the nation's leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks third in the Big Ten in total tackles (8.5 per game) and solo tackles (5.3 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 23 tackles over the last two games.
• Joseph Jefferson has recorded 19 tackles over the last two games. Jefferson made three tackles through his first 14 games as a Boilermaker, dating back to the 2022 season.
• The Boilermakers have only one first down by opponents' penalties this season.
BLOCK PARTY
• With three through the first four games of the season, Purdue leads the country in blocked kicks (two field goals, one punt). No, Zach Edey is not part of the Boilermakers' special teams unit.
• In last week's Big Ten opener against Nebraska, Purdue blocked a pair of Cornhusker field goals. Defensive linemen Joe Anderson and Damarjhe Lewis earned the first field goal blocks of their careers to help the Boilermakers hold the Huskers scoreless in the first half.
• Prior to the contest, the last time Purdue blocked two field goals in a game was Sept. 3, 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
• The other block came from wide receiver Leland Smith, who blocked a punt in the season-opening victory over Indiana State.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation's leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers' chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (34) and solo tackles (21), ranking third in the Big Ten in both.
• Thieneman's 5.3 solo tackles per game rank 17th nationally.
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
• The Westfield, Ind., native added punt returning to his repertoire this season, averaging 12.3 yards on five returns.
SUCCESS ON THE GROUND
• Through the past seven games, dating back to last season, Purdue has averaged 204.7 yards per game on the ground.
• In the first road game of the year (Sept. 21 at Oregon State), the Boilermakers rushed for a season-high 263 yards for the third most under head coach Ryan Walters.
• Devin Mockobee and Reggie Love III have led the way, combining to average 128.8 yards per game splitting time in the backfield. Mockobee's 79.3 ypg ranks ninth in the Big Ten, while Love averages 49.5 ypg.
• The Boilermakers opened the season with 248 yards rushing on the ground, third most on opening weekend by a Big Ten team.
• Three different Boilermakers found the end zone on the ground against Indiana State, including Elijah Jackson's 69-yard score, Purdue's longest rushing score since Rondale Moore's 74-yard scamper against Northwestern in 2018.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• With a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State, Mockobee became the ninth Boilermaker to produce at least seven 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He also became the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• Breaking open a 63-yard rush against the Beavers, he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for his career.
• Last week against Nebraska, Mockobee moved into 11th on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,096), passing legendary All-American running back Leroy Keyes (2,094). He also sits in a tie for 12th with 16 rushing touchdowns.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
SIMMONS SIGNALS THE PLAYS
• On Monday, Ryan Walters announced offensive analyst Jason Simmons will be the Boilermakers' play caller going forward in the 2024 season.
• Simmons joined Purdue during the offseason after spending one season as the running backs coach at Miami University. The RedHawks rushed for 2,213 yards in 2023, their first 2,000-yard campaign since 2003.
• Prior to his time in Oxford, Ohio, Simmons had an extensive career in the high school ranks in Indiana.
• Simmons was the head coach at Ben Davis and Noblesville.
• Walters also announced senior offensive analyst Stanton Keane would take over coaching the quarterbacks.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks eighth in Purdue history with 20.0 career sacks and 13th with 37.0 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (5.5) and sacks (3.5), while ranking second in tackles (32).
• Jenkins' sacks per game (0.88) rank second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally, while his 1.4 TFLs per contest is good enough for fourth among Big Ten defenders.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State, recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.
NO-FLY ZONE
• Purdue ranks 20th nationally in pass defense, allowing only 156.8 yards per game.
• The Boilermakers have only allowed 50 completions through the first four games, the fourth fewest in the country.
• Ryan Walters' defense has surrendered only three passing touchdowns on the year, only one coming from starting quarterbacks, to rank 12th nationally.
JOE JEFF STEPS UP
• Sophomore Joseph Jefferson has found a pivotal role in Ryan Walters' defense over the past two games.
• The Indianapolis native has made 19 tackles over the past two contests, including a career-high 10 at Oregon State.
• Adding nine more tackles against Nebraska last weekend, Jefferson's 20 total tackles on the season rank third among Purdue defenders.
• Jefferson began his career with only three tackles through his first 14 games as a Boilermaker, primarily playing on special teams. He recorded two tackles as a redshirt freshman last year before making one tackle in the first two games of this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS BEING SPECIAL
• Purdue's special teams unit is one of the best in the nation.
• The Boilermakers rank atop the ESPN Football Power Index Special Teams Efficiency at 80.5.
• Pro Football Focus graded the Boilermakers' special teams at 91.1, .1 behind Baylor for the top spot in the nation.
• Purdue is one of six teams nationally and the only one from the Big Ten with three blocked kicks this season (2 - FG, 1 - Punt).
• The Boilermakers rank fifth in the Big Ten in kickoff return average (24.2), sixth in net punting (41.8) and fifth in punt returns (12.6).
• Elijah Jackson is fifth in the conference with 19.8 yards per kick return this season.
• Punter Keelan Crimmins is 21st nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a 45.4 punt average on the year.
• In his second year with the program, special teams coach Chris Petrilli has boosted the Boilermakers' special teams, including the kickoff return for a touchdown last season, the program's first in more than a decade.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a stretch that features three road games over four contests. That ends next week at Illinois to cap consecutive weeks away from home.
QUICK HITS
• Tight end Drew Biber (Cedarburg) and offensive lineman Marcus Mbow (Milwaukee) are the only two Boilermakers from the state of Wisconsin.
• Purdue has the nation's most efficient special teams unit, ranking No. 1 in ESPN's College Football Power Index.
• The Boilermakers blocked a pair of field goals in the first half last weekend against Nebraska, bringing their blocked kicks total to three on the season to lead the nation. It marked the first time Purdue blocked two field goals in a game since Sept. 3, 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
• Kydran Jenkins ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks (0.88 per game) and ranks 16th nationally. The senior linebacker also ranks fourth in the conference with 1.4 tackles-for-loss per game.
• In last year's matchup against the Badgers, Jenkins recorded team highs in total tackles (9) and solo tackles (7).
• Against Nebraska, Devin Mockobee moved to 11th on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,096 yards) by passing legendary Boilermaker running back Leroy Keyes (2,094).
• Purdue boasts the nation's 20th-best passing defense, allowing only 156.8 yards per game through the air. The Boilermakers have only allowed three touchdown passes by opposing quarterbacks this season.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (13), receiving yards (193) and receiving touchdowns (2).
• After recording five receptions for 33 yards through the first three games of the season, sophomore Jaron Tibbs caught five passes for 46 yards versus Nebraska to lead Purdue and set new career highs.
• One of the nation's leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks third in the Big Ten in total tackles (8.5 per game) and solo tackles (5.3 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 23 tackles over the last two games.
• Joseph Jefferson has recorded 19 tackles over the last two games. Jefferson made three tackles through his first 14 games as a Boilermaker, dating back to the 2022 season.
• The Boilermakers have only one first down by opponents' penalties this season.
BLOCK PARTY
• With three through the first four games of the season, Purdue leads the country in blocked kicks (two field goals, one punt). No, Zach Edey is not part of the Boilermakers' special teams unit.
• In last week's Big Ten opener against Nebraska, Purdue blocked a pair of Cornhusker field goals. Defensive linemen Joe Anderson and Damarjhe Lewis earned the first field goal blocks of their careers to help the Boilermakers hold the Huskers scoreless in the first half.
• Prior to the contest, the last time Purdue blocked two field goals in a game was Sept. 3, 2011 against Middle Tennessee.
• The other block came from wide receiver Leland Smith, who blocked a punt in the season-opening victory over Indiana State.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation's leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers' chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (34) and solo tackles (21), ranking third in the Big Ten in both.
• Thieneman's 5.3 solo tackles per game rank 17th nationally.
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
• The Westfield, Ind., native added punt returning to his repertoire this season, averaging 12.3 yards on five returns.
SUCCESS ON THE GROUND
• Through the past seven games, dating back to last season, Purdue has averaged 204.7 yards per game on the ground.
• In the first road game of the year (Sept. 21 at Oregon State), the Boilermakers rushed for a season-high 263 yards for the third most under head coach Ryan Walters.
• Devin Mockobee and Reggie Love III have led the way, combining to average 128.8 yards per game splitting time in the backfield. Mockobee's 79.3 ypg ranks ninth in the Big Ten, while Love averages 49.5 ypg.
• The Boilermakers opened the season with 248 yards rushing on the ground, third most on opening weekend by a Big Ten team.
• Three different Boilermakers found the end zone on the ground against Indiana State, including Elijah Jackson's 69-yard score, Purdue's longest rushing score since Rondale Moore's 74-yard scamper against Northwestern in 2018.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• With a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State, Mockobee became the ninth Boilermaker to produce at least seven 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He also became the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• Breaking open a 63-yard rush against the Beavers, he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for his career.
• Last week against Nebraska, Mockobee moved into 11th on Purdue's all-time rushing list (2,096), passing legendary All-American running back Leroy Keyes (2,094). He also sits in a tie for 12th with 16 rushing touchdowns.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
SIMMONS SIGNALS THE PLAYS
• On Monday, Ryan Walters announced offensive analyst Jason Simmons will be the Boilermakers' play caller going forward in the 2024 season.
• Simmons joined Purdue during the offseason after spending one season as the running backs coach at Miami University. The RedHawks rushed for 2,213 yards in 2023, their first 2,000-yard campaign since 2003.
• Prior to his time in Oxford, Ohio, Simmons had an extensive career in the high school ranks in Indiana.
• Simmons was the head coach at Ben Davis and Noblesville.
• Walters also announced senior offensive analyst Stanton Keane would take over coaching the quarterbacks.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks eighth in Purdue history with 20.0 career sacks and 13th with 37.0 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (5.5) and sacks (3.5), while ranking second in tackles (32).
• Jenkins' sacks per game (0.88) rank second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally, while his 1.4 TFLs per contest is good enough for fourth among Big Ten defenders.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State, recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.
NO-FLY ZONE
• Purdue ranks 20th nationally in pass defense, allowing only 156.8 yards per game.
• The Boilermakers have only allowed 50 completions through the first four games, the fourth fewest in the country.
• Ryan Walters' defense has surrendered only three passing touchdowns on the year, only one coming from starting quarterbacks, to rank 12th nationally.
JOE JEFF STEPS UP
• Sophomore Joseph Jefferson has found a pivotal role in Ryan Walters' defense over the past two games.
• The Indianapolis native has made 19 tackles over the past two contests, including a career-high 10 at Oregon State.
• Adding nine more tackles against Nebraska last weekend, Jefferson's 20 total tackles on the season rank third among Purdue defenders.
• Jefferson began his career with only three tackles through his first 14 games as a Boilermaker, primarily playing on special teams. He recorded two tackles as a redshirt freshman last year before making one tackle in the first two games of this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS BEING SPECIAL
• Purdue's special teams unit is one of the best in the nation.
• The Boilermakers rank atop the ESPN Football Power Index Special Teams Efficiency at 80.5.
• Pro Football Focus graded the Boilermakers' special teams at 91.1, .1 behind Baylor for the top spot in the nation.
• Purdue is one of six teams nationally and the only one from the Big Ten with three blocked kicks this season (2 - FG, 1 - Punt).
• The Boilermakers rank fifth in the Big Ten in kickoff return average (24.2), sixth in net punting (41.8) and fifth in punt returns (12.6).
• Elijah Jackson is fifth in the conference with 19.8 yards per kick return this season.
• Punter Keelan Crimmins is 21st nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a 45.4 punt average on the year.
• In his second year with the program, special teams coach Chris Petrilli has boosted the Boilermakers' special teams, including the kickoff return for a touchdown last season, the program's first in more than a decade.