It is rivalry week in college football and with all of the big matchups around the country, there is one that has been the biggest in the state of Indiana for many years. The Indiana Hoosiers (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) and the Purdue Boilermakers (4-7, 3-5 Big Ten) are set to face off in the Battle of The Old Oaken Bucket Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette.

Indiana comes into the contest off back-to-back losses against Penn State and Michigan while the Boilermakers are fresh off a defeat to the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams have gone different paths this season as the Hoosiers are having one of their best seasons in a long time, while Purdue is struggling to get across the finish line.

The in-state rivalry dates backs to 1891 with the next installment being the 122nd meeting between the two schools. Purdue leads the all-time series 74-41-6 and Saturday’s contest will be the 95th official “Bucket” game with the Boilermakers having won the last two matchups against the Hoosiers.

Indiana is coming into the ball game having already clinched a bowl berth and faces a Purdue squad that has battled injuries all season long. However, it is a rivalry game for a reason and all the records and stats get thrown out the door when it comes to these two teams.

How to Watch: Indiana Hoosiers versus Purdue Boilermakers

WhatWeek 14: Indiana Hoosiers versus Purdue Boilermakers
When12 p.m. ET / Saturday November 30, 2019
WhereRoss Ade Stadium – West Lafayette, Ind.
TicketsFind the Lowest Ticket Prices on SeatGeek
WatchESPN2
StatsLive Stats
ListenIU Radio Network
SpreadIndiana -7 / Over-Under 57

You can find the latest 2019 Indiana Football schedule (printable) here.

Meet the Boilermakers

Purdue is led by head coach Jeff Brohm who is in his third season with the Boilermakers and has posted a 17-20 record with the team. Prior to coming to West Lafayette, Brohm coached at Western Kentucky for three seasons and has a 47-30 overall record.

Injuries have plagued the Boilers this season and they have been derailed because of them. Brohm’s squad lost both their first and second string quarterbacks in Elijah Sindelar and Jack Plummer as well as star wide receiver Rondale Moore who gave Indiana troubles last season with 12 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

Key Offensive Players

With the quarterback room dwindling down, Purdue has relied on sophomore Aidan O’Connell to lead a Boilermaker offense that averages 24.6 points and 375.4 yards per game. In five games this season, O’Connell has completed over 65 percent of his passes for 693 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. The Lincolnshire, IL. native does not run the ball very much rushing 12 times on the season for negative three yards.

IndianaHQ Shop - Indiana Tshirts, IU Hoosiers Apparel

O’Connell’s main target will be freshman wide receiver David Bell. The former Warren Central standout has 77 catches this season for 899 yards and 6 touchdowns. After Moore’s injury, Bell picked up the production in the receiving department and showed why he was a top prospect in the state. After lackluster performances by Indiana’s defense the pass two weeks, look for Bell to use his speed and big play ability to give the Hoosiers trouble.

Senior tight end Brycen Hopkins is the second leading receiver for the Boilermakers with 53 receptions for 688 yards and five touchdowns. Hopkins gives O’Connell another threatening target as the senior stands at 6-5 and has size at 245 pounds.

Key Defensive Players

On the defensive side of the ball, Purdue is led linebacker Ben Holt, son of defensive coordinator Nick Holt. The senior has 104 total tackles on the season which almost doubles the next leading man, Derrick Barnes who has 53.

Cornerback Derrick Mackey leads the team with three interceptions on the season with six pass deflections.

George Karlaftis is responsible for one-third of the unit’s sack total which currently stands at 18. The freshman defensive end has racked up six sacks during his first season in West Lafayette.

Special Teams

Junior place kicker, J.D. Dellinger is perfect on the season in extra point attempts going 32-for-32. He has only missed two field goals on the season and has been perfect inside of 40 yards. The longest made attempt of his career is 53 yards made earlier this year.

Week 14: What to watch for against Purdue

1. Battle of true freshmen

The most exciting matchup of the afternoon may just be the battle between true freshmen Tiawan Mullen and Bell. It is known that Indiana runs a lot of man coverage in the defensive backfield and Mullen has developed into a quality corner early on in his career. Bell’s speed lets him create separation when he is on the attack and Mullen has proven himself to not back down from any challenge. Look for this to be a very competitive matchup on Saturday.