TCU vs. Purdue: Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Big 12 game in our TCU vs. Purdue preview and prediction.
Game Info
6:30 p.m. Central Time, Seaturday September 14th, 2019, Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: WBAP 820 AM, KTCU 88.7 FM (TCU)/Purdue Sports Properties/Sirius 105, XM 200
Spread (open): Purdue -3
Fun Fact: The home-and-home series between the Horned Frogs and Boilermakers will continue, but you’ll have to wait, as it will take place in 2030 when Purdue comes to Fort Worth and Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Key Players
TCU
Who’s at QB?
Alex Delton and Max Duggan split time in Week 1 against UAPB and Delton looked like the below average passer and above average runner he was at Kansas State, finishing 10/22 for 119 passing yards, while racking up 67 rushing yards on seven carries. Duggan was better as a passer going 16 of 23 for 165 yards and a touchdown. They’re both on the depth chart as “OR”, so we’ll be watching closely who gets the start and whether or not Gary Patterson lets both quarterbacks see time on Saturday.
LB Garrett Wallow
Wallow as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1 after a career-high 13 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss with a sack. He’s quickly become the leader of a young group of linebackers after finishing third on the team last season with 72 tackles.
Purdue
WR Rondale Moore
Through two weeks of the season, Moore is the FBS leader in all-purpose yards per game with 229.5 and 172 receiving yards per game, along with 24 receptions. He’s the go-to target for quarterback Elijah Sindelar. In 2018, he became merely the third player in Big Ten history to record 100 or more receptions, finishing with 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. But he goes up against, by far, the best secondary he’s seen this season in the TCU Horned Frogs, who last year led the Big 12 in defensive pass efficiency.
LB Markus Bailey
Bailey heads into the TCU game 14th in school history in career tackles (327), tied for 11th in solo tackles (229) and 14th in sacks (13.5). Bailey is fourth among all current Football Bowl Subdivision players in total career tackles and first in solo stops. He led the Boilermakers with 115 total tackles last season, including 9.0 for loss with a team-high 5.5 sacks.
Key Storylines
TCU
The Horned Frogs need to limit big plays and more importantly stop the Purdue passing attack that’s been really explosive in recent seasons under Jeff Brohm. In fact, the Boilermakers currently lead the nation with 19 passes of 20 or more yards through the first two weeks of the season. Purdue has produced scoring plays of 50, 49, 39, 38, 34 and 20 yards against Nevada and Vanderbilt. The Horned Frogs are not built offensively, especially considering their uncertainly at the quarterback position, to play this type of a game against Purdue. The good news is Gary Patterson is a defensive genius and TCU has a veteran and talented secondary led by Jeff Gladney, one of the best players in the Big 12, and Innis Gaines.
Purdue
The Boilermakers need their offensive line to hold up to try and develop the big plays they’ve made a living on under Brohm. Thus far, Purdue has had 23 true or redshirt freshman play in the first two games thus far, with three of those 23 offensive linemen. The TCU defensive line is by far the best that Purdue will have seen in this early season with Corey Bethley, Ross Blacklock, Ochaun Mathis and Shameik Blackshear ready to wreck havoc in the backfield.
Prediction
TCU 24, Purdue 21
The Horned Frogs are well rested and had a bye week to try and work out the kinks after their opener vs. UAPB. Meantime, Purdue lost a shocker to Nevada in the opener before beating Vanderbilt last week at home. They haven’t come close to seeing a defense like TCU’s in the early season and while Purdue was expected to be better this year, that hasn’t proven to be the case thus far, allowing 58 points through their first two games. TCU will ride its defense, and do enough on offense, to take home a victory.
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