Purdue QB Ryan Browne's cleaner play has the offense rolling before Washington

Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne has almost stopped turning the ball over, and the Boilermakers offense has taken off with him. Purdue is 3-3 and has won two straight going into Friday night's home game against Washington.

On3's Gold and Black reported that the junior has improved in every major passing category during the second year under Barry Odom. Last season Browne threw 10 interceptions and lost six fumbles. Through six games this fall he has two turnovers, and only one of them is an interception. On3 cited Pro Football Focus data showing his turnover-worthy play rate has dropped from 4.4% to 2.4%. He had 17 such plays last year and has five so far in 2026.

According to the outlet, his completion percentage is up 10 points and his passing yards per game are up 78. He has already tied his career high for touchdown passes, and his quarterback rating has risen by more than 40 points. Purdue averages 282.0 passing yards per game, fourth in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are also scoring more than 32 points per game, eighth in the conference. Last season they averaged 18.8, which ranked 16th.

On3 said most of the gain comes from Browne taking the throw the defense gives him instead of forcing the ball downfield. He is completing 85% of his passes that travel less than nine yards past the line. His accuracy on longer throws is better too. He is hitting 62.8% of his intermediate attempts, up from 45%, and 45% of his throws of 20 yards or more, up from 30%.

The outlet traced the turnaround back to January, when Browne decided to return to West Lafayette. His offseason included flying teammates to Texas for workouts, talking with accomplished quarterbacks and spending more time on film. Browne credited his coaches for teaching him situational football, including when a risk is worth taking and when it is not. Odom told On3 that ball security depends on everyone around the quarterback doing their jobs, and said Browne is making the right reads "at a very high level."

Browne doesn't think he's finished improving. He told the outlet that Drew Brees once told Purdue players that even in his last NFL season he never believed he was good enough. Browne said he still has plenty of room to grow and is focused only on Washington this week.

Washington at Purdue

The Huskies are also 3-3. They visit Ross-Ade Stadium at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, with the game on Fox. Purdue is favored by 3.5 points, and the total is 51.5. On Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, Purdue is -160 to win outright. FanDuel's best sportsbook number on the Boilermakers is -164. A Purdue win would put the team above .500 at the midpoint of Odom's second season. It would also be a third straight Big Ten win for an offense that relies heavily on its quarterback protecting the ball. Full odds are on the game page.