Purdue Football: Will Boilermakers bounce back in 2020?

Last year was more than a disappointment for Purdue football, but the Boilermakers look to shake it off and get back to a bowl game in 2020.

From 1997-2007, the Purdue Boilermakers saw the most success the program had ever seen since their first season in 1887. Head coach Joe Tiller made the Boilermakers one of the best and most respected teams in the Big Ten.

But since his departure following the 2007 season, the Boilermakers saw seven losing seasons from 2008-16, and only one bowl victory in two appearances.

But then a turn of the tide for the Boilermakers occurred in following the 2016 season, with the hiring of head coach, Jeff Brohm. In his first two seasons, Brohm led the Boilermakers to two straight bowl games, winning one, and stood at a .500 overall winning percentage. But in 2019, the Boilermakers took a step back from the progress they had achieved since Brohm took over finishing 4-8.

So the only expectation for 2020 is that the Boilermakers avoid getting stuck in the same rut as they were before and make 2019 look like a fluke season and a thing of the past.

Now, one of the biggest reasons for Purdue’s plunder play last season was season-ending injuries to some of their top players, including All-American wide receiver Rondale Moore. Now fully healthy, the Boilermakers need to step up and silence those who think that Purdue belongs at the bottom of the conference.

With a conference-only schedule, the Boilermakers will not much room for error throughout the season to prove themselves worthy, and to get there, they will need immediate improvements from both their offense and defense.

Here’s what to expect from the Purdue Boilermakers in 2020.