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No. 2 Oregon hopes to take control of the Big Ten title race when it visits reeling Purdue

No. 2 Oregon hopes to take control of the Big Ten title race when it visits reeling Purdue

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

Big Ten newcomer Oregon enters the game in second place and one of the league's three undefeated teams. After overtaking No. 4 Ohio State with a big win, the Ducks will have to be careful not to look past reeling Purdue. The Boilermakers have lost five straight but are hoping to build on the momentum they gained in overtime last week.

KEY MATCHUP

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel vs. Purdue's pass defense. Gabriel thrived in his first Big Ten season, throwing 13 touchdown passes and ranking 12th nationally in efficiency (169.28). While the Boilermakers have played better against the pass than the run, thanks in part to preseason All-American S Dillon Thieneman, only three teams average more yards per completion than Purdue (15.02).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Oregon: WR Traeshon Holden. The Alabama transfer has been one of the Ducks' key players this season, but this week he's in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He watched the final three quarters of the big win over Ohio State after being sent off for spitting on an opponent and apologized for his actions on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Purdue: QB Ryan Browne. The second-year quarterback gave the Boilermakers a spark in his starting debut at Illinois, first using his legs and then using the running threat to create space in the passing game. It was so promising that coach Ryan Walters named him the starter — even though Hudson Card was cleared through concussion protocol.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Boilermakers won the first match of this series 13-7 in 1979, but lost the last two in 2008 and 2009. … Oregon is 6-0 for the first time since 2013, the ninth time in program history Placement since the end of the 2014 season with a loss in the national championship game. … Purdue is 0-4 against ranked teams in Walters' two-year tenure. … The Ducks have exceeded the 30-point mark in each of the last five games and have limited four of their six opponents to 14 points or fewer. The Boilermakers scored 46 points in the second half after scoring just 44 points in the previous 16 quarters.

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