When Purdue scheduled this game, Florida Atlantic was about to start an 11-3 season, and Lane Kiffin was the coach. Three years late, it's a less attractive non-conference test. The Owls are 2-2, but the wins are over an FCS team, and a bottom 10 FBS team in Charlotte. Even the losses are to another bottom 10 team in Ohio (their only win), and a blowout loss to Central Florida. Whatever momentum Kiffin got going there, Willie Taggert, who probably wishes he had just stayed at Oregon, seems to have killed. This needs to be a clean up game for Purdue, after a 1-2 start, thanks to a pair of late game losses, including another self inflicted one, due to a total lack of discipline. October sees the Boilermakers play 3 of 4 games on the road, including trips to West division co-favorites, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Not that Purdue should ever be in danger here, but if they want to keep hopes alive of winning the division, it would certainly not be ideal for the confidence to let Florida Atlantic hang around here. Purdue still cannot run the ball, and seems content to not even try to. They are passing the ball 72% of the time, 2nd in the nation. This week, that should be just fine, against an Owls defense that is giving up over 300 yards per game through the air. They would like to see Broc Thompson, who was in contention to be WR1 in fall camp, get a game of healthy run in before going to Minneapolis next weekend. Thompson had 3 receptions for 28 yards in the opener, before leaving injured, and hasn't played since. Brohm said he will be a game time decision on Saturday, and, again, while they don't NEED him, you'd rather see him get 3 quarters of run in against Florida Atlantic's secondary, before Minnesota's. Florida Atlantic's N'Kosi Perry is a former 4* recruit, who was the starter at Miami, so he should test the Boilermakers. But honestly, after Sean Clifford and Garrett Shrader, he may yet only be the third best quarterback Purdue has faced to date. |