Greetings from chilly Evanston! It's football weather!
Here are my three keys to the game:
1. Protect Aidan O’Connell. The sophomore walk-on quarterback is making his first career start. O’Connell showed promise in his appearances vs. Illinois and Nebraska the last two weeks, leading the Boilermakers to the game-winning touchdown drive vs. the Huskers. He has a nice arm, but O’Connell lacks mobility. If given time to pass, he could have success. O'Connell is from Chicagoland, so this is a homecoming for him. Exciting stuff.
2. Be aggressive on defense. That has been key to Nick Holt’s unit playing well the past month. Getting after the Northwestern quarterback will be key. This is a Wildcat attack that has--to put it nicely--struggled all season. If the NU signal-caller isn’t allowed to work unfettered, he’ll likely unravel. Ends George Karlaftis and Derrick Barnes could exploit an iffy Northwestern o-line.
3. Button up special teams. Purdue had not one—but two—punts blocked last week. The Boilermakers can’t give Northwestern any momentum by making special teams mistakes. Purdue has to make the Wildcats earn their yards and points. Don’t make it easy on them.
Picks to click
OFFENSE
RB King Doerue. The true freshman is coming on. He has shown vision, strength and nifty moves as he has emerged as the Boilermakers’ top back. Look for Purdue to try to establish the run to take pressure off quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Doerue would be the ultimate pressure relief. He rushed for 71 yards last week vs. Nebraska and paces Purdue with 360 yards rushing.
DEFENSE
LB Ben Holt. The fifth-year senior grad transfer has been a tackling machine all season. Look for him to continue vs. Northwestern, leading the charge to mute the Wildcat rush game. Once the NU rush game is slowed, the Boilermakers can amp up the pressure on the Wildcat quarterback. And some of that pressure could be in the form of … Holt blitzes.
What are your keys to the game?
Who are your picks to click?
KEY PLAYER INJURY REMINDERS:
Game-time decisions: David Bell, Cory Trice, Jackson Anthrop, Semsi Fakasiieiki
Out: Jared Sparks, Cornel Jones
