The Purdue Boilermakers started their 2026 campaign a bit uneven in the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores, but they certainly showed a bit of what they are capable of at the start of the second half. In that third quarter, Purdue got two straight three and out stops on defense and turned that into what would eventually be a 28-0 run before Indiana State scored twice to finish the game.
Purdue Head Coach Barry Odom, Quarterback Ryan Browne, Wide Receiver Asaad Waseem, and Defensive Back Don Saunders all spoke briefly to the media following the game. Hear their comments and commentary below.
Purdue Head Coach Barry Odom
- Odom was very clearly not happy with the way his team came out and started the game. He spoke plainly about self-inflicted penalties that cost Purdue points and put them behind on a number of different possessions. Notably, Purdue had a 63 yard touchdown and a 72 yard kick off return called back due to holding. Overall, Purdue had 9 penalties for 85 total yards.
- Odom was very happy with his wide receiving corps and the leadership he is getting in that room from new assistant coach/former Boiler receiver Bilal Marshall. When asked about Marshall’s impact on that position group, Odom was effusive in his praise:
“His leadership, his personality…has been infectious from the day he stepped on campus. his connected connection with the program with the players. They’ve got a high level of respect, not because of he was a former player, because of the way he teaches them, the way he mentors them, he cares for them…he leads them, shows them, and I think he’s an elite coach. He’s been a great recruiter, a wonderful ambassador for Purdue University. And if you come to school here and you play in our program and you graduate with a degree from Purdue, you open up so many doors and the the brand is known worldwide and Bilal has taken advantage of that and knows how important this place is and he cares about it.“ - Odom also took a bit of a shot at the landscape of college football with a humorous jab about players getting extra legibility related to Bilal Marshall (who graduated in 2016):
“Yeah, we were working this week to get an injunction to get him another year to play. I think we had a judge in Tippecanoe County that was ready to go…but it didn’t work out, so he had to coach.” - One of the most important things Purdue must do is not beat itself. It simply isn’t talented enough overall to overcome 9 penalties that really cut out one touchdown and had an impact on at least one other scoring drive. Purdue needs to clean up the mistakes if it wants to beat the teams it has an ability to and it certainly can’t afford to cost itself points.
- There may not be another coach in college football who remains as positive as Odom. Yes, winning this game is an important step for Purdue but even in the aspects where it was obvious Odom wasn’t happy, he spoke (as he always does) in the ability to improve and how they’ll get there. Odom also doesn’t pass blame and takes it square on his own shoulders.
Quarterback Ryan Browne, Wide Receiver Asaad Waseem, Defensive Back Don Saunders
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Indiana State Highlights
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