NEBRASKA vs. PURDUE
OCT. 30, 2021 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 2:30 PM (CT)
BROADCAST INFO TV – ESPN2 RADIO NETWORK – HUSKERS RADIO NETWORK (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Jeremiah Sirles) INTERNET RADIO – Huskers.com APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App
HUSKERS 3-5, 1-4 Big Ten Last Game: at Minnesota (L, 30-23) Rankings: NR Coach:Scott Frost Career/NU Record: 34-32 (6th Year)/15-25 4th Year) vs.Purdue: 1-2
SERIES HISTORY All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 5-4 In Lincoln: Nebraska leads, 2-1 Last Game: Nebraska 37-27 (Dec. 5, 2020 in West Lafayette) Win Streak: Nebraska, 1 game
The Matchup
Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon to begin a two-game homestand in Lincoln. The Huskers will play host to the Purdue Boilermakers in a Big Ten West battle, with kickoff set for shortly after 2:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and heard on the Huskers Radio Network.
Nebraska is coming off a bye week and begins the homestretch of the season, which includes three of the final four games in Lincoln. Nebraska enters the Purdue game with a 3-5 overall record, including a 1-4 mark in Big Ten play, after a 30-23 setback at Minnesota on Oct. 16. The Huskers rallied from a 12-point deficit, but could not convert on multiple red-zone chances in the road setback. Each of Nebraska’s five losses this season have come by eight or fewer points.
Purdue heads to Lincoln with a 4-3 overall record, including a 2-2 mark in Big Ten play. Purdue’s past three games have come against a tough Big Ten West stretch of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The highlight of that run for Purdue was a dominant 24-7 victory at then-No. 2 Iowa on Oct. 16, pushing the Boilermakers into the national rankings, before a home loss to Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Jeff Brohm’s team features one of the nation’s most improved defensive units. Purdue allows 301.6 total yards and just 16.3 points per game to rank in the top four in the Big Ten in both of those categories. Offensively, the Boilermakers once again feature one of the nation’s top passing attacks, averaging 317.6 yards per game through the air, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally. Receiver David Bell ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards per game at 118.7 yards per contest, including a 240-yard effort at Iowa.
Series History: Nebraska vs. Purdue
Nebraska and Purdue will meet on Saturday for the 10th time overall and the ninth time as Big Ten opponents. Nebraska owns a 5-4 edge in the series, including a 2-1 advantage in Lincoln.
• It marks the ninth straight season the Huskers have met Purdue, including the past eight years with both schools in the Big Ten West Division.
• Before the first meeting after Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the schools had played just once previously, a 28-0 Purdue win in 1958.
• Nebraska’s victory last season at Purdue was on Dec. 5, marking the Huskers’ first regular-season victory in December since 1992.
• Nebraska held Purdue to minus-2 yards in last year’s game, the fewest by a Nebraska opponent in seven seasons.
• Nebraska has scored at least 25 points in all eight meetings since 2013, including four games with 35 points or more.
This Week’s Numbers 7 – The Nebraska passing game has been much improved and more explosive in 2021. The Huskers are averaging 9.47 yards per pass attempt to rank seventh in the nation in that category. Nebraska is on pace to set a school record in that category in 2021.
20 – Tight end Austin Allen has six receptions of 20 yards or more this season, with five of those in the past two games. His six catches of 20-plus yards lead all Big Ten tight ends. He ranks among the top three among Big Ten tight ends in receptions, receptions per game, yards per catch and total receiving yards.
18 – Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has played his best football the past two weeks combining for 18 tackles. Taylor-Britt also has an interception, three pass breakups, two TFL and a sack in the past two games.
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