IOWA CITY, Iowa — A six-hour bus ride got Purdue football to Iowa in plenty of time to get well rested for Saturday’s kickoff.
Unfortunately, it was the same Boilermaker team from the past three games on that bus, minus one coach.
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No. 15 Iowa (8-2) feasted on a Purdue team that’s been plummeting since the mirage of a midseason uptick, defeating the Boilermakers 28-7 at Kinnick Stadium.
Purdue’s defense showed it needs more than a change at coordinator. The Boilermaker offense has seemingly vanished after so much early season promise.
Here is our report card from a fourth-straight Boilermaker (3-7) loss.
OFFENSE GRADE: F
Remember when the Boilermakers went to Rose Bowl Stadium and hung 38 points on UCLA? That coming one week after scoring 36 against Wake Forest? Those two programs became this college football season’s biggest success stories. Purdue, seemingly of equal offensive firepower if nothing else, has morphed into shell of its early season self. It might be time to scrap what worked then but clearly isn’t now in favor of finding out what others are capable of. Wins and losses matter not at this stage.
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DEFENSE GRADE: F
No Kevin Kane anymore to affix the blame to. The offense finally gave Purdue a shot in the arm late in the first half. The Boilermakers needed the defense to hold off Iowa for 1:42 to get into halftime trailing by seven. Instead, the Hawkeyes scored on a 44-yard swing pass to a running back on a third-and-10 with five seconds to go in a play that looked all too familiar to Maryland’s 87-yard touchdown a week earlier. And Xavier Williams’ 48-yard touchdown? Looked pretty similar to the 75-yarder Maryland ripped off a week ago. When you get deep into the fourth quarter and the opposing punter hasn’t played, that’s not a good thing. Maybe this wasn’t so much a coordinator problem and more a personnel problem.
Purdue Boilermakers cornerback Don Saunders (7) and Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Reece Vander Zee (2) react after flags are thrown Nov. 14, 2026 during a Big Ten football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE: D
We witnessed a rarity early when Jacobo Echeverria Lozano hit the left upright on a 38-yard field goal attempt, just his second miss of the season. That could’ve given Purdue an early lead and momentum. It was a sign of things to come for the worst outing all season by Boilermaker special teams. By halftime, Purdue had one botched kickoff return attempt, another that was stuffed at the 16 and a fair catch interference penalty that preceded an eight-play Iowa touchdown drive. The only silver lining came when Keyshawn Burgos blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, the Boilermakers couldn’t even hang their hat on the one thing they’ve hung their hat on all year.
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COACHING GRADE: F
Ryan Browne is a proven good running quarterback. He was pulled on a third-and-2 for Evans Chuba, who came in and ran for 1 yard, setting up fourth-and-1. Purdue burns a timeout in the first quarter to discuss it, already trailing 7-0. The Boilermakers elect to punt out of the timeout. You’re riding a sinking ship on the road against a heavy favorite. Take the risk. And leave your backup QB on the sideline on third down unless you have a no doubter first down yardage play that only he can convert (Purdue doesn’t).
GAME MVP
When Kamari Moulton went down for the rest of the season, it could’ve derailed Iowa’s chances at a hopeful College Football Playoff berth. Fear not. L.J. Phillips Jr. stepped up for the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Phillips gained 123 yards on 23 carries.
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Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Report card grades say Purdue football is a massive failure at Iowa
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