Purdue coach Ryan Walters impressed with Dylan Raiola

Not that Purdue football coach Ryan Walters could forget back-to-back losses if he wanted, but his buddies won’t let him off the hook, either.

“I got a couple friends who think it’s funny to send me tweets to rib me a little bit,” Walters said at his Monday press conference. The mood around Boilermaker football is cloudy after a 66-7 home loss to Notre Dame and a 38-21 road defeat at Oregon State.

Walters knows what’s being said about him and his team.

“I’m not naïve to it,” Walters said. The second-year coach is on the ropes after his defense allowed more than 300 rushing yards to ND and OSU while passing for 124 and 56 yards in those games, respectively. Purdue also sits at minus-5 in turnover margin and is one of two teams that has yet to force a turnover.

“It is easier to generate turnovers when teams are throwing the football,” Walters said. Notre Dame and Oregon State didn’t really have to after grabbing early leads. And Purdue is possessing the ball for just 24 minutes per game because the offense can’t stay on the field and the defense can’t get stops.

“We’re in a position as a program where we can’t overcome these self-inflicted catastrophes,” Walters said.

The former Colorado defensive back — who has joked before that he “hates” Nebraska — coordinated multiple defenses, including Illinois back in 2022 when the Illini made a run at the Big Ten West crown. Purdue, led then by Jeff Brohm, represented the West in the Big Ten title game before losing to Michigan.

After that season, Brohm left his alma mater at Louisville. Purdue went young — Walters is 38 — and unproven as a head coach. Purdue finished 4-8 last season and has started 1-2 in 2024.

The team lost several key players to the transfer portal in the offseason — the best of those, edge rusher Nic Scourton, went to Texas A&M — and does not appear to have recovered. The Boiler defense has been particularly vulnerable in slowing down opponents’ perimeter run game. Defensive coordinator Kevin Kane said at his Monday press conference that he expected changes this week.

“Things that we hadn’t seen throughout the course of fall camp have shown up and as coaches, we have to acknowledge that and say, ‘All right, that’s enough,’” Kane said. “I think some changes are being made.”

On offense, Walters and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said inexperience at receiver — a position that lost several players to the transfer portal — has affected the execution of the passing game. In the last two games, quarterback Hudson Card has completed just 18 of 41 passes for 180 yards.

“Huddy’s a talented individual and that talent needs to show up on gameday,” Walters said.

Purdue is making changes to its pass game this week; Walters declined to elaborate.

“We’ll keep those issues in-house,” Walters said, “so we’re not tipping our hand to our opponent.”

Walters is impressed by Nebraska’s two playmaking receivers, Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks, its versatile running backs and a big offensive line.

NU freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola caught Walters’ eye the most, though.

“He’s everything you want,” Walters said. “Big, and confident. The confident piece sticks out the most. He’s not afraid to throw into tight windows. He trusts his guys to go make plays. He can throw it from every different type of platform and get it there pretty accurately.”

Kane, the Purdue defensive coordinator, sees Raiola as the catalyst to Nebraska’s offense.

“He’s got a certain moxie about him, a composure, a charisma,” Kane said. “The team — the playcaller — everybody feeds on his emotion. So when he’s excited, all of the sudden, boom, there’s a big play getting ready to be drawn up.”