Countdown to kickoff: What you need to know about Purdue football at Syracuse
Welcome to Countdown to Kickoff prior to Saturday’s matchup between Purdue and Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
What you need to know – and it’s not all game related.
Injury updates
More significant injury news for the Boilermakers, who were already going to be without defensive standout Jalen Graham.
No. 1 running back King Doerue (calf) won’t play. Doerue suffered the injury against Penn State but played last week against Indiana State. He’s on track to return next week against Florida Atlantic. He has three rushing touchdowns.
Receiver Broc Thompson (knee) is “unlikely” to play, according to Jeff Brohm. Thompson played a handful of snaps last week. He re-injured his knee against Penn State.
“We want him to go when he feels comfortable,” Brohm said.
Receiver Elijah Canion (knee) will miss his second straight game.
Some good news. Linebacker Semisi Fakasiieiki (ankle) is probable after missing last week’s game.
No. 1 running back
Dylan Downing is expected to start.
Downing had a solid game against the Sycamores and brings a versatile skill set to the position. He’s slimmed down during the offseason and has improved his quickness and speed. But look for the Boilermakers to use their depth in the backfield with Tyrone Tracy, Kobe Lewis and Devin Mockobee.
“We feel confident he knows the system,” Brohm said about Downing, who attended Carmel. “After that, we have two young running backs in Lewis and Mockobee. Tyrone is somebody we have work in there as well.”
Preparing for noise
The Boilermakers will play in a dome for the first time since 2017 when they faced Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium. Purdue practiced in its indoor facility this week, blaring music during every period to get used to the noise.
After practice, the offense lined up in front of speakers – with the music turned up full blast – to work on silent snap counts.
“We spent the whole week going into a hostile, loud environment and that’s all we can do,” Brohm said. “We’ve had the loud music, we’ve had to work on different ways to communicate, and cadences and signals and things like that to make sure we’re up to speed. We’ve got to concentrate, and the little things can’t beat us. We have to win that battle in order to have a chance to win.”
The Boilermakers have played in numerous loud outdoor stadiums on the road and do have experience at quarterback, the offensive line and receiver.
“It will be the first test this year with a new team,” Brohm said. “They have to understand how important it is.”
Thin at receiver
Purdue started preseason practices with plenty of depth at receiver. That’s no longer the case.
Brohm is prepared to lean on five receivers for Saturday’s game – Charlie Jones, Tracy, Mershawn Rice, TJ Sheffield and Deion Burks. Tight end Payne Durham is part of the mix, but the options aren’t as numerous as they were in August.
Rice will move into Thompson’s spot.
“We’re hopeful he can play and play as fast as he can,” Brohm said. “That’s always been the issue – nagging injuries that have caused him to miss and not be at full speed. If he’s at full speed, he can be very productive for us. If he’s not at full speed, we’re probably going to have to play somebody else.”
More than five receivers will travel to the game, including Collin Sullivan, Andrew Sowinski, Preston Terrell and Alex Maxwell.
“We have a lot of guys working hard,” Brohm said. “You have to get out there and produce. Know the call, get open and a lot of times it’s gaining confidence from the quarterback when he’s looking for you in man-to-man situations and not looking somewhere else.
“You have to show it in practice; you can’t just walk on the field at this level and play and not practice. That’s what we’ve run into. Due to real issues, real injuries and things that’s happened, we haven’t had a lot of guys practicing. The ones that are practicing are the ones that are going to be on the field playing.”
Purdue ties
Longtime Boilermaker fans will remember Syracuse coach Dino Babers was an assistant for Jim Colletto from 1991-93. It wasn’t until 2012 that Babers became a head coach at Eastern Illinois, moved to Bowling Green and took over the Orange in 2016.
In 2015, Babers and Bowling Green beat Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium.
But Babers will always have a connection to the Boilermakers.
One of his daughters, Tasha, earned the nickname Buckethead since she was born on the day of the Old Oaken Bucket game in 1992. His wife, Susan, went into labor the day before the Boilermakers and the Hoosiers squared off at Ross-Ade Stadium.
"Jim Colletto asked if I was going to the game," Babers told the Journal & Courier in 2015. "I said, 'Coach, it's my wife — she's going into labor.'" He said, 'I guess you've got to go with her to the hospital.'"
Friday night became Saturday morning with no delivery. Kickoff was approaching, but Babers had help.
"I'm sitting there with the doctor and he had tickets on the 50-yard line, and he wanted to go to the game," said Babers, who has four daughters. "He gave her a little assistance."
Babers made it to Ross-Ade Stadium prior to kickoff, running across the field to join the coaching staff on the sidelines. Purdue went on to beat Indiana 13-10.
"That's why we call her Buckethead," Babers said.
Fan of O'Connell
Babers praised Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell, comparing him to his former quarterback at Eastern Illinois – Jimmy Garoppolo.
“He’s a big-time quarterback,” Babers said earlier this week about O’Connell. “Last time I saw someone that accurate, he got drafted by the Patriots. And I’m not blowing that up.”
Babers said O’Connell doesn’t make mistakes.
“It’s like you’re playing a coach that can actually throw the football out there,” he said. “He’s really talented. He’s really well-coached and there’s no doubt he’s one of the top quarterbacks we’re going to play this year.”
Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier and USA Today Network. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc
Purdue (1-1) at Syracuse (2-0)
Saturday
Time: Noon
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WAZY (96.5)
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Countdown to kickoff: What you need to know about Purdue football at Syracuse
