Purdue 43, Western Michigan 34: Raheem Mostert racked up 146 rushing yards and a touchdown as the host Boilermakers fended off the Broncos to equal their entire win total from a season ago.
Danny Etling completed 19-of-38 passes for 181 yards and a pair of scores for Purdue (1-0), which broke the game open with a pair of touchdowns less than five minutes apart in the third quarter. Akeem Hunt added 78 rushing yards and a score while Justin Sinz led the receiving corps with 65 yards and a touchdown.
Freshman Jarvion Franklin erupted for 163 rushing yards and three scores for Western Michigan (0-1), which was done in by a 5-of-14 third-down conversion rate. Zach Terrell finished with 205 passing yards and a pair of scores while Daniel Braverman led all players with 92 receiving yards.
After the Boilermakers reeled off 13 straight points at the end of the first half to take a 23-14 edge into the break, Franklin drew Western Michigan close near the 4 1/2-minute mark of the third quarter with a 26-yard scoring run. Mostert restored the nine-point advantage with an 11-yard TD run, Etling connected withGabe Holmes on an eight-yard scoring pass less than five minutes later and Purdue held on despite a pair of Terrell TD passes, the second coming with 8:11 left. Purdue opened the scoring near the midway point of the opening quarter, as Etling connected with Sinz over the middle on play action from 11 yards out to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Franklin responded with a five-yard TD scamper – the first of his collegiate career – and he put the Broncos in front on a sensational play early in the second quarter, bursting untouched up the middle and eluding a tackle downfield before just breaking the plane as he fell out of bounds.
