Western Michigan @ Purdue preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 27, 2011 ) Western Michigan 32, Purdue 37

The Purdue Boilermakers will be looking to quickly put last season's train wreck behind them; to that end, they probably couldn't have asked for a better opening-week matchup. The Boilermakers kick off their 2014 season Saturday afternoon against the visiting Western Michigan Broncos as the MAC school looks to halt a 12-game losing skid against FBS foes. A victory Saturday would allow Purdue to equal its win total from all of last season, when it stumbled to a 1-11 mark.

The Broncos - who fell to Purdue in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - find themselves in a similar position after also recording only one win. It's a rebuilding year for Western Michigan, which boasts one of the top recruiting classes in the conference but likely won't see the fruits of its labor until at least 2015. In the interim, coach P.J. Fleck will look to improve upon a dreadful season in which a 31-30 decision over UMass was his team's lone win.

TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Purdue -10.5

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN (2013: 1-11): How bad were things last season for the Broncos? They finished 192nd in the Sagarin rankings just two seasons removed from appearing in a bowl game, saddled with a defense that surrendered a whopping 35.4 points per game and an offense that managed 17.2. It didn't help that Western Michigan employed freshmen at quarterback (Zach Terrell) and at its No. 1 receiver slot (Corey Davis); both will look to build on another year of experience, and Davis (941 yards, six TDs) enters 2014 as one of the conference's top wideouts.

ABOUT PURDUE (2013: 1-11): Identifying the reason for the Boilermakers' struggles isn't difficult - the team averaged just 14.9 points and a paltry 67.1 rushing yards per game in 2013. Correcting both inefficiencies against lowly Western Michigan could be pivotal to building momentum. "It's huge," coach Darrell Hazell said of winning the season opener. "Because you can always ask one question: which comes first, the confidence or the success? Right now, our guys are walking around with some confidence, but I think it's really important to have some early success."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Purdue was outscored 158-17 in the first half during league play last season.

2. Western Michigan CB Ronald Zamort finished fourth in the nation in passes defensed (18) in 2013.

3. The Broncos are 5-19 since appearing in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, while the Boilermakers are 7-18.

PREDICTION: Purdue 31, Western Michigan 20