WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –In front of Ross-Ade Stadium's largest crowd (59,488) for a season opener since 2005, the Boilermakers steamrolled to a 49-0 victory over Indiana State on Saturday afternoon.
Senior quarterback Hudson Card tied the all-time FBS record for completion percentage (minimum 20 completions), completing 24 of 25 passes (96%). He threw for 273 yards and a career-high four touchdowns before being pulled near the end of the third quarter once the game was already in hand.
The Purdue offense posted its highest passing output of the Ryan Walters era, totaling 335 yards and four touchdowns, with 12 different players catching a pass.
Quarterback Ryan Browne stepped in for the rest of the game, engineering two more touchdown drives and completing 6 of 10 passes for 62 yards.
Returning from a promising freshman season that got cut short due to injury, tight end Max Klare led the aerial attack with a career-high 71 receiving yards and his first career touchdown, a nine-yard dot from Card on 3rd-and-Goal for the team's first score of 2024.
The Purdue rushing attack combined for 31 carries for 248 yards (8.0 average) and three touchdowns, with junior running back Devin Mockobee leading the way on 11 carries for 89 yards. Senior transfer Reggie Love III complemented the backfield well in his first game as a Boilermaker, picking up his first score with the team to extend the lead to 28 in the third quarter.
In his first collegiate game, redshirt freshman Elijah Jackson broke free in the fourth quarter for a 69-yard touchdown, good for Purdue's longest rushing score since Rondale Moore housed a 76-yarder vs. Northwestern in 2018. Freshman Jaheim Merriweather also found paydirt in his first career game, a four-yard touchdown for the final score of the game.
DEFENSE SHINES, FORCES 10 PUNTS
The Boilermaker defense made life difficult for the Sycamores all afternoon, holding both phases of the offense in check. Purdue forced six three-and-outs, facing the minimum 12 offensive plays in Indiana State's first four drives.
Purdue gave up just 50 yards on five passes, the lowest total allowed in a game since 2019 and the fifth time since 1996 that the Boilermakers allowed 50 passing yards or fewer. The rushing defense was stout as well, allowing 104 yards on 53 carries, just 2.4 yards per attempt.
Will Heldt and Antonio Stevens tied for the team lead with seven tackles, career highs for both players. Heldt, the sophom*ore from Carmel, added his first two career sacks in the third quarter.
Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkinsrecorded the team's first sack of the year in the second quarter. The quarterback stop gave him 17.5 for his career, the 10th-most in Purdue history.
The win marks the first time Purdue shut out its opponent in a season opener since Sept. 5, 2004, against Syracuse in a 51-0 rout.
NOTES
• The Boilermakers are now 79-62-6 in season opening games.
• The attendance of 59,488 was Purdue's largest for a home opener since a crowd of 64,457 against Akron in 2005.
• Purdue totaled 583 yards of total offense with 335 through the air, a Walters era best, and 248 on the ground.
• Hudson Card set the single-game football bowl subdivision (FBS) record for completion percentage (min. 20 completions) with a 96% clip (24 of 25).
• Four different Boilermakers finished with a touchdown catch, a first for Purdue since 2021 against Indiana (Paul Piferi, Jackson Anthrop, TJ Sheffield and David Bell).
• Five players recorded their first Purdue touchdown on Saturday - Reggie Love III, Jaron Tibbs, De'Nylon Morrissette, Leland Smith and Elijah Jackson.
• Jackson's 69-yard rushing touchdown was the longest rush by a Boilermaker since Rondale Moore's 76-yard run against Northwestern in 2018.
• The Boilermakers held an opponent to 50 or fewer yards passing for the first time since holding Illinois to 26 yards in 2019.
• Ryan Walters became the fastest coach to record a shutout at Purdue since Jim Young in 1978 (Young - 4, Walters -13).
• Leland Smith blocked an Indiana State punt in the fourth quarter. It was the first blocked punt by the Boilermakers since Jackson Anthrop did it in 2021 against Nebraska.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers head into their first bye week before hosting Notre Dame in a soldout Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS. The Fighting Irish are set to return to West Lafayette for the first time since 2013.
