Bowl Mania is upon us, and with the Wildcats preparing for the Foster Farms Bowl, we bring you a preview of their opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
It has been a long, few weeks since the Wildcats have last taken the field, but finally the Foster Farms Bowl game is near, as Arizona is set to face Purdue on Wednesday!
The regular season didn’t quite end the way the Wildcats had wanted, losing two of their last three games. Arizona lost their final regular season game against rival ASU in Tempe.
More from Wildcats Football
- Arizona Football begins Conference play against Stanford
- Arizona Football starts slow but runs away from UTEP
- How Wildcats Fans Can Claim $200 INSTANT Bonus at BetMGM Betting $10 Right Now
- Costly Mistakes doom Arizona Football in loss to Mississippi State
- How can Arizona Football beat Mississippi State on the road?
Now it’s time to hopefully get back on track and finish the year strong!
2017 has certainly been a surprise. Many college football pundits had picked the Wildcats to finish last in the Pac-12 South, and thanks in part to the stellar play of Khalil Tate, Arizona instead finished third in the South, with seven wins and a bowl game.
There’s a lot of momentum for Arizona to potentially carry into 2018. Winning would certainly be a great exclamation point to the season, and with Tate returning in 2018, there’s a lot to like for Arizona moving forward!
Know Thy Foe:
Team: Purdue Boilermakers (6-6, 4-5); beat Illinois in the final game of the season 29-10
Conference: Big-10
2016 Record: 3-9 (1-8); Lost to Indiana 26-24 in the last game of the season.
Head Coach: Jeff Brohm is 36-16 overall as head coach, and is 6-6 overall in his first season with Purdue.
Key Returners/ Starters: QB Elijah Sindelar, RB’s Markell Jones and D.J. Knox, WR’s Anthony Mahoungou, Jackson Anthrop, and TE Brycen Hopkins.
Defensively, the Boilermakers are pretty stout, ranking 48th overall in the nation, and are led by quite a few playmakers including; LB’s Jawhan Bentley, Galen Robinson, Danny Ezechukwu and Markus Bailey.
They also have a pretty stout secondary with defensive backs Navon Mosely, Josh Okonye and Dawan Hunte.
Key Injuries: The Boilermakers have quite a few injuries and will be without quarterback David Blough, running back Richie Worship and safety C.J. Parker most notably. Hopkins and Knox are listed as questionable.
*Note: Arizona will have a fully healthy roster entering this one.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, December 27th, 2017
Time: 6:30 PM MST/ 5:30 PM PST – FOX
Where: Levi Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)
Spread: -3.5 Arizona
Overall Series Record: 2-0 Purdue. This will only be the third time these teams will have played each other, and the first since 2005. It should certainly be an entertaining game with two different playing styles meeting in the Bay Area.
Last Meeting vs. Arizona: Arizona lost to Purdue in Tucson 31-24 in 2005
Our Prediction: Arizona 34 Purdue 28. We see this one being a bit higher scoring. If Arizona can find success running the ball against a solid run defense, they should be able to score points. Having a healthy Tate should certainly help against Purdue.
Purdue has been a bit inconsistent on offense this season, and if this one becomes a bit on the higher scoring side, that should spell trouble for the Boilermakers.
The only comparable team Purdue has faced this season is Louisville with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, and that was a close game, as the Boilermakers lost 35-28.
While we see the Wildcats scoring points, the biggest challenge for both teams will be tempo. If Purdue is able to slow down the game to their pace, and grind out their offense on the ground, that will hurt the Wildcats.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the team as they enjoy their trip and prepare for Purdue:
Must Read: More on Arizona Football
At Zona Zealots, we are excited for the return of Arizona Football and can’t wait for the game against Purdue! Bear Down, Arizona and Beat the Boilermakers!