Missouri football is set to host a rare out-of-conference game against the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Coming off a tough loss to South Carolina in their conference opener, the Tigers look to build momentum as the first quarter of their season ends, starting with this week’s contest against the Boilermakers.

###All about Purdue

Purdue (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten), led by first-year head coach Jeff Brohm, has largely exceeded expectations in 2017. Two weeks ago, the team kept it close in a 35-28 loss to No. 16 Louisville and its dynamic junior quarterback, defending Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

Defensively, the Boilermakers have shown significant improvement in stopping the run. This season, they have held opposing rushers to an average of 160 yards per game, a significant improvement over their 239-yard average in 2016.

Offensively, Purdue’s heated quarterback battle is the center of attention. Junior David Blough and sophomore Elijah Sindelar have both seen snaps under center this season. Their playing time has been almost dead even through two games, with Blough attempting 39 passes and Sindelar attempting 42.

Brohm said Purdue would not name a starting quarterback for the game. However, Blough started both of the team’s prior matchups, recording a solid five passing touchdowns.

Sophomore running back Tario Fuller impressed with a 142-yard outburst in the Boilermakers’ most recent win over Ohio last Friday. With no quarterback named, it’s likely that Purdue’s play-calling will favor the run.

###Missouri’s approach

Missouri made headlines on Sunday with the firing of defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross.

Even after Cross’ firing, sophomore Cale Garrett reinforced that the team’s focus was solely on this week’s game, specifically Purdue’s rushing attack.

“We’re looking to stop the run first,” Garrett said. “So it doesn’t really matter to us who’s starting at QB.”

Offensively, through two weeks of play, Mizzou’s backfield duo of junior quarterback Drew Lock and sophomore running back Damarea Crockett has proven to be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Over the season’s first two games, Lock has recorded 766 passing yards while Crockett has amassed 299 rushing yards, for a combined mark of 1,065.

“This one is a must-win for us,” Lock told the Columbia Missourian.

It’s likely that Missouri will lean heavily on Lock’s arm because of Purdue’s run defense. The Boilermakers should provide Lock with plenty of opportunity to improve upon his performance from last week; Purdue’s pass defense has allowed a whopping 307 yards per game in 2017.

###Other notes

Missouri and Purdue haven’t faced each other in football since the 1980 Liberty Bowl.
Next season, the Tigers will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face the Boilermakers on the road. No date or time has been set for the game.
The last time Missouri faced a team from the Big Ten Conference at home was 2014, when it suffered a 31-27 loss to Indiana.
Saturday’s game is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. and can be watched on SEC Network.

_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_