Purdue goes for a third straight win as Washington's QB situation stays unsettled

Purdue will try to stretch its winning streak to three games when Washington visits Ross-Ade Stadium on Friday night. The Huskies come in on a three-game losing streak, and it's still unclear who will start at quarterback for them.

Both teams are 3-3, but they've arrived there in very different ways, as On3's Gold and Black laid out in its first look at the matchup. Two weeks ago, Purdue beat Illinois to end its long Big Ten losing streak. Last Saturday it routed Minnesota 41-13. Washington started the season with Playoff hopes and opened 3-0, but the wins weren't convincing. The Huskies had trouble putting away Washington State and needed to break up a Hail Mary to hold off Utah State 16-14. Their latest loss came at home to Iowa, which put up 41 points.

The quarterback situation is the main question this week. Demond Williams left the Iowa game with a reported side injury while Washington trailed 27-3. Backup Elijah Brown played well in the second half. After the game, coach Jedd Fisch asked for 48 hours to assess things. He said he still regards Williams as the starter but wants to be sure Williams is healthy before naming anyone. "I think that Demond is the starting quarterback," Fisch said, according to On3. On3 also noted that the Washington offense looks like it has taken a step back from Williams's first full season as the starter.

The game also brings back a familiar figure. Ryan Walters is in his second season as Washington's defensive coordinator. He coached Purdue in 2023 and 2024, went 5-19, and was fired after a 1-11 season. Friday will be his first trip back to Ross-Ade since then. A few players from his time remain on Purdue's roster, including Ryan Browne on offense and defenders Hudauri Hines, Smiley Bradford, CJ Madden and Winston Berglund.

Washington has had the better of this series. The Huskies lead it 8-2-1 overall and are 3-0 at Ross-Ade. Last November they beat Purdue 49-13 in Seattle, the only meeting since Washington joined the Big Ten. Purdue has also lost its only game against each of the four West Coast schools that came into the league in 2024. A win Friday would be the Boilermakers' first conference victory over any of them.

The stakes are about the same for both sides. Each team has its bye after this game, so the result will shape the mood heading into the off week. For Barry Odom's team, a win would mean three straight Big Ten victories. For Washington, a loss would make it four in a row.

Purdue is a slight favorite. On3 listed an early line of Purdue -2.5 with a total of 51.5. The spread has since moved to Purdue -3.5 and the total to 52.5. On Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, Purdue is favored at -156. Among sportsbooks, the best listed price on the Boilermakers is -155 at Hard Rock Bet. Full prices are on the game page.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. EDT on Fox. The forecast in West Lafayette calls for a high of 57, a low of 38, and wind.