Counting down Iowa’s most-tantalizing 2021 football games: No. 9 Purdue

This is a countdown of Iowa’s most-tantalizing 2021 football games, from the 12th-most to the most. Previously:

No. 12: Kent State

No. 11: Colorado State

No. 10: At Maryland

And now, No. 9:

Oct. 16: Purdue

Jeff Brohm’s Big Ten record at Purdue is 14-19, but he is 3-1 against Iowa.

His last two teams were injury-plagued and inexperienced. But they had wide receivers. There was a man named Rondale Moore who made things happen, when he was healthy.

Then there is David Bell. He has played in 18 games for Purdue and has 139 catches for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is back, which isn’t great for Iowa.

You see, Bell has 26 catches for 318 yards and four scores in his two games against the Hawkeyes, a 26-20 loss in Iowa City in 2019, and a 24-20 season-opening win a year ago.

Bell is back for one more season. Iowa seems to have a pretty good secondary. And like Bell, Hawkeye wide receiver Tyrone Tracy is from Indianapolis. Even though Indiana is a basketball state.

Purdue running back Zander Horvath was very good against the Hawkeyes last year, too. Anyone else remember this 33-yard run-and-jump carry? Horvath had 21 rushes for 129 yards that day. He’s back, too.

Horvath is from Mishawaka, Ind. Even though Indiana is a basketball state.

Iowa has gone its last 22 games without allowing more than 25 points. Purdue allowed at least 27 in each of its final three games in 2020.

On the whole, this is one of those games Iowa has to win, a home contest against a so-so divisional foe that hasn’t had a better record than 7-6 since 2007.

Purdue was 2-4 last season. The only game in which it covered the spread was the season-opening win over Iowa.

The Boilermakers can’t live forever off their 49-20 win over Ohio State in 2018. What, there are people in certain Hawkeye World bubbles that are still drawing oxygen from Iowa’s 55-24 win over Ohio State in 2017?

OK, fine. We should take pleasure where we can find it in this cruel world.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com