Indiana @ Purdue preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2014 ) Purdue 16, Indiana 23

Indiana is looking to extend its season to a bowl game when it travels to take on in-state rival Purdue on Saturday. The Hoosiers snapped a six-game losing streak with a win at Maryland last week, putting them in position to finish with a victory and become bowl eligible.

Having quarterback Nate Sudfeld healthy has been helpful for Indiana as the senior has thrown for 2,834 yards and 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions. Health has been trouble at running back, where leading rusher Jordan Howard had only three carries last week, but sophomore Devine Redding provided a boost with a career-high 130 yards. Purdue is just looking for a positive end to a disappointing season, having dropped three straight since a win over Nebraska. The Boilermakers will have a new starter under center for this one after David Blough suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit against Iowa last week, forcing Austin Appleby into the lead role.

TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Indiana -6.5

ABOUT INDIANA (5-6, 1-6 Big Ten): The play of Redding last week was a major part of the victory for Indiana, allowing the Hoosiers' offense to get into better situations on second and third down. Redding will likely get plenty of opportunities against Purdue with the Boilermakers allowing 206.4 yards a game on the ground. "He's certainly stepped up his game," Indiana offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said of Redding. "Any time you can go from a first-and-10 to a second-and-6, boy it just makes you feel so much better than 2nd-and-10. We're going to rely on our run game to get us in those 2nd-and-manageable situations."

ABOUT PURDUE (2-9, 1-6): Slow starts have been a problem for Purdue throughout the season, with the team allowing the opponent to score first in nine of 11 contests. The Boilermakers fell behind Iowa 20-0, Michigan State 21-0 and Illinois 27-7 before falling to each, so a quicker start against Indiana is being emphasized by the team. "That's something we've talked about and it's been brought up to us that we've got to get going," Appleby told reporters. "The whole mood of the game is affected in those first six minutes, those first two series of the game. The mood inspires the defense, it inspires (the offense) and that fast start is everything."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Indiana WR Simmie Cobbs Jr. had career highs with nine receptions for 192 yards against Maryland.

2. Purdue is tied for second in the Big Ten in interceptions with 12 on the season.

3. The Hoosiers rank first in the Big Ten in total offense (475.5 yards), passing offense (280.1) and scoring (34.5 points per game).

PREDICTION: Indiana 48, Purdue 20