WEST LAFAYETTE − Nebraska was once the hated rival for Ryan Walters.

The Purdue football coach grew up in Colorado and in the 1990s, Colorado and Nebraska was must see TV. Then Walters went on to play for Colorado, like his father.

Now it’s Nebraska that Walters needs to beat to stop a sinking ship.

Purdue is trying to avoid a third straight loss and also hoping to resurrect an offense and defense that have drifted into the Big Ten abyss the past two games.

The Huskers visit Ross-Ade Stadium for their first road game of the season and the Boilermakers hope that a raucous Homecoming environment can help rattle Nebraska and freshman sensation quarterback Dylan Raiola.

More: BoilersXtra Podcast: Nebraska preview and preseason basketball buzz

Raiola was one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class and he’s shown why. The Nebraska signal caller is second in the Big Ten with eight touchdown passes and has thrown for almost 1,000 yards in four games.

Nebraska won its first three games with relative ease before losing to Illinois in overtime last week.

More: His dad was Super Bowl MVP, now Purdue football receiver adding knowledge for Boilermakers

Raiola’s top target has been Isaiah Neyor, a transfer from Texas and a former teammate of Purdue QB Hudson Card with the Longhorns. Neyor’s four touchdown receptions are fourth most in the league. How much does the return of Nyland Green help Purdue’s defense?

Nebraska’s defense averages six tackles for loss and 2.8 sacks per game, led by senior linebacker John Bullock (25 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks).

Purdue football QB Hudson Card, ‘Still a lot of belief in this team’

Heard what Boilermaker quarterback Hudson Card said about Purdue’s 1-2 start and Saturday’s game vs. Nebraska.

How does Purdue’s offense match up with Blackshirts

Nebraska’s defense, known as the Blackshirts, will be a tough unit for the Boilermakers to try to rectify a struggling passing attack.

Purdue did run the ball well at Oregon State, which has proven struggles against the run this season. Devin Mockobee did become the 12th player to join Purdue’s 2,000-yard club after rushing for 168 yards last Saturday. He needs 40 yards to pass Purdue legend Leroy Keyes for 11th most in school history.

It’ll be tough to do that against the Cornhuskers, who are allowing just 94.3 rushing yards per game and just 12.8 points per game. Purdue averages 354.7 yards of offense, which ranks 95th in the country and 13th in the Big Ten, with 583 yards against Indiana State doing the heavy lifting to support that average. Over the last two weeks, that average is 240.5 yards.

“After the Notre Dame game, I think that Notre Dame was extremely physical, played really, really hard and we challenged our guys as a team and obviously as an offensive unit, the physicality has to be there,” offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. “If we’re going to be successful, then we have to be physical.”

Prediction: Nebraska 30, Purdue football 20

The Boilermakers bounce back in terms of competitiveness, but there’s three games of data (or four in Nebraska’s case) saying these teams are not playing at the same level right now.

Until Purdue’s defense shows it can set the edge and not get gashed for chunk plays running outside the tackles, it’s hard to believe the Boilers will beat anyone. If it’s more of the same Saturday, Nebraska’s run game, which isn’t a strength, could get a boost.

The Boilermakers also need to show some semblance of a passing game against a secondary that’s been pretty good against. Purdue’s best bet is to keep it close and hope for a chance at the end. That starts with not falling behind early, which has happened the past two weeks.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska reported its first West Nile virus deaths of the year on Thursday.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said two deaths had been reported in the central part of the state.

There are an average of six West Nile deaths in Nebraska each year.

Fatal cases of the virus are very rare. Only about 1 in 150 people infected develop a serious illness.

People 50 or older and those with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk, according to DHHS.

The are no vaccines or medicines for West Nile, the department said.

Purdue’s football team is looking to get back on the right track this weekend after losing back-to-back games to Notre Dame and Oregon State. The Boilermakers open Big Ten play on Saturday, playing Nebraska.

The Huskers are also hungry to get back in the win column after suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss to Big Ten foe Illinois last weekend.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch and listen Saturday’s game between the Boilermakers and Cornhuskers.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Ryan Walters, Purdue: Walters is in his second season as the coach at Purdue, coming off a 4-8 campaign in 2023. Although Walters had stops as a defensive coordinator at Missouri and Illinois, he acknowledged that he met some challenges in his first season as the leader of a program. Throughout the offseason, Walters said he “learned a lot” in his first year with the Boilermakers. Walters’ second season has gotten off to a roller coaster start, with Purdue defeating Indiana State 49-0 in the opener and falling 66-7 to Notre Dame and Oregon State 38-21 in the first three games of the 2024 campaign.

Matt Rhule, Nebraska: Rhule is in his second season with Nebraska after leading the Huskers to a 5-7 record in the 2023 season. Known for his ability to rebuild programs, there was a lot of hype surrounding the 2024 campaign in Lincoln. Rhule’s team is off to a 3-1 start, with the lone loss coming to Illinois in overtime on Sept. 20. Nebraska’s calling card comes on the defensive side of the football but has made significant strides overall with quarterback Dylan Raiola running the show. Prior to his arrival at Nebraska, Rhule had stops with Temple, Baylor and a brief stint with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Rhule has an overall record of 55-51 across nine seasons in college football.

NEBRASKA AD SENDS LETTER TO BIG TEN: Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen isn’t a fan of hosting Friday night games. He confirmed sending a letter to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about it. CLICK HERE

BIG TEN WEEK 5 POWER RANKINGS: Michigan ran all over USC in a 27-24 win. Was Alex Orji the answer at quarterback all along? Can the Wolverines run through the Big Ten again? CLICK HERE