WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For the first time in three weeks, Purdue will hit the field at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers welcome in a struggling Maryland squad for Homecoming, hoping to get back in the win column after dropping back-to-back games to Washington and Penn State.

Saturday's game is one of the final two the Boilers play at home in 2026. Head coach Barry Odom would love to get another win and generate some momentum heading into a tough final stretch of the season. But Maryland enters the contest 2-6, and its head coach has already been fired. The Terrapins have nothing to lose.

What type of game will we see between the Boilers and Terps? Here's all the information you need to get ready for kickoff.

How to follow along

• What: Maryland (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) vs. Purdue (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten)
• When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
• Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Stream: FOX One
• TV announcers: Cory Provus (play-by-play), Rhett Lewis (analyst), Caroline Hendershot (sideline)
• Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network | 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette), 100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne), 1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis), 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute), 1450 AM WXVW (Louisville), SiriusXM Channel 257
• Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sideline), Rob Blackman (producer)
• Live stats: StatBroadcast
• Live blog: Purdue Boilermakers ON SI

Forecast

Fall foliage is out in full force in West Lafayette and it'll be a chilly November afternoon for Saturday's game between Purdue and Maryland. Temperatures will be right around 50 degrees for the duration of the game, but be sure to pack an extra layer if you're planning to tailgate prior to kickoff (via weather.com).

• High temperature: 50 degrees
• Low temperature: 34 degrees
• Temperature at kickoff: 48 degrees
• Skies: Sunny, partly cloudy
• Rain chances: 0%
• Wind: Northwest at 4-9 mph (gusts up to 15 mph)

Scouting Maryland

Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, interim head coach

• 1st time in any head coaching role
• Maryland co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2024-26)
• Worked under Nick Saban at Alabama (2014-15)
• Boston College defensive backs coach (2020-23)
• UMass defensive coordinator (2019)
• Maryland defensive backs coach (2016-18)

Key players

• Malik Washington, QB — Washington has had some big performances this season, but he's really struggled with consistency throughout the year. The sophomore quarterback has thrown for 1,805 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Against Big Ten opponents, he has just three scoring strikes with seven picks. Still, he's a playmaker when given enough time and can occasionally hurt a defense with his legs.

• Chris Durr Jr., WR — Really, Durr has been options one, two and three for the Terrapins in the passing attack this year. He has twice as many receptions, yards and touchdowns as anyone else on the roster through eight games. The junior has already caught 58 passes for 638 yards and four touchdowns. He had a 100-yard performance against Rutgers but hasn't caught a touchdown pass in his last three games.

• DeJuan Williams, RB — Maryland hasn't had much of a rushing attack this season, but Williams has been solid out of the backfield at times. He averages 67.6 yards per game and 5.93 yards per carry. Purdue's defense has struggled against the run, so perhaps Williams has an opportunity for a big afternoon in West Lafayette.

• Zion Elee, EDGE — The former five-star prospect and freshman edge has made a huge impact defensively in his first year on the field. Elee leads Maryland in both tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (3.5). He has accounted for 14 total tackles and has also forced three fumbles.

• Messiah Delhomme, DB — Delhomme has done a nice job in Maryland's secondary this season, intercepting three passes and breaking up two more through the first eight games of the season. The sophomore has racked up 27 tackles and two tackles for loss. He's a player quarterbacks must be aware of at all times.

• Daniel Wingate, LB — A senior linebacker, Wingate has done a little bit of everything this season. He leads the Terps with 49 tackles, has 2.5 tackles for loss, has forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. He can do it all from the linebacker position.

Boilers to watch

• Ryan Browne, QB —Browne has been a bright spot for the Boilermakers for most of the season, showing dramatic improvement in his completion percentage and decision-making. He's struggled the last two games, though, throwing two touchdowns with four interceptions and completing fewer than 50% of his passes. If he can bounce back to what we saw through the first six games, Browne can help Purdue move the ball down the field.

• Fame Ijeboi, RB — The run game has been inconsistent this season. Ijeboi has had some outstanding performances, but he was bottled up in games against Washington and Penn State. Part of that is because of the offensive line's issues, but he's also struggled to break tackles the same way he did early in the year. Through eight games, Ijeboi has rushed for 588 yards and nine touchdowns.

• Asaad Waseem, WR — Purdue's wide receivers don't get enough credit for their skill level, and Waseem is the best of the bunch. He's hauled in 41 receptions for 652 yards, leading the team in both statistical categories. Waseem does only have one touchdown catch, a number he'd like to increase at some point this season.

• Jacobo Echeverria Lozano, K — The true freshman kicker has been arguably the brightest spot for the Boilers this year. He's converted 16-of-17 field goal attempts this season and is a perfect 24-for-24 on extra-point tries. He's perfect inside 40 yards and his lone miss came on a 49-yard attempt in Week 2 against Wake Forest.

• Jojo Hayden, LB — Hayden has seemingly improved each week in his lone season at Purdue. The linebacker leads the team in tackles (59) and interceptions (2) after eight games. He has also done a good job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, credited with four hurries.

• Curt Neal, DL — The defensive tackle has clogged up the middle of the defensive line for Purdue and leads the team in both tackles for loss and sacks this season. He has 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks to go along with 17 total stops for the Boilermakers. His prior Big Ten experience at Wisconsin and Illinois has paid off for Purdue.

Key stats

Offense

Defense

Fast facts

Purdue's recent slump

Just a few weeks ago, optimism was swirling around Ross-Ade Stadium after the Boilers evened their record at 3-3 and sat 2-1 in Big Ten play. Purdue seemed to turn a corner after getting wins over Illinois and Minnesota in back-to-back weeks. The last two games have put a damper on the excitement, though.

In its last two games, Purdue has lost to two teams that entered the respective matchup winless in Big Ten play. Washington was 0-3 and Penn State was 0-4. Maryland comes to West Lafayette 0-5 in the conference. The Boilermakers need to avoid allowing a third straight team pick up its first league win at their expense.

Two struggling defenses

Saturday's game has the potential to be a shootout, at least based on what we've seen defensively from these two programs. Both Purdue and Maryland rank toward the bottom of the conference in scoring defense, each allowing more than 31 points per game.

This one could possibly come down to whichever teams gets one stop, or forces a critical turnover. Or, it could be decided on the final drive of the game.

Breaking the tie

Entering this weekend's matchup, Purdue and Maryland have met four times on the gridiron. The series is currently tied 2-2. So, whoever escapes with a victory on Saturday will also take the lead in the all-time series between the programs.

The Boilermakers have won the last two matchups (2019, 2022), but Maryland has the most dominant win, thumping Purdue 50-7 in 2016. The Terrapins also clobbered the Boilers 24-7 in the Champs Sports Bowl in 2006.