Purdue's Browne, Burhenn and Jeffries talk Washington ahead of Friday night game

Three Purdue players met with reporters after the Boilermakers' Tuesday night practice to talk about Friday's home game against Washington. Quarterback Ryan Browne, tight end George Burhenn and defensive tackle Ian Jeffries took questions from the media, according to GoldandBlack.com on On3, which posted video of all three sessions.

The group gives a fair picture of where this game will be won or lost. Browne runs the offense, and how well he plays will decide how much Purdue can do against a Washington team with the same record. Burhenn gives the Boilermakers a target at tight end and helps in the run game. Jeffries plays in the middle of a defensive front that has to slow the Huskies at the line of scrimmage.

Gold and Black's coverage this week has been about momentum. On3 has written that Purdue's rebuild under coach Barry Odom is starting to sell itself after back-to-back Big Ten wins, and the site's Tom Dienhart has given Odom a midseason grade. The outlet also released its first availability report for the Washington game on Tuesday.

The matchup

Washington and Purdue are both 3-3. They meet Friday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. EDT on Fox. The Week 7 game is a chance for each team to pull above .500 and get some separation in the middle of the Big Ten standings before the second half of the season. For Purdue, a win at home on a national Friday night broadcast would add a third straight conference win to the recent run. For Washington, a road win would stop that run and move the Huskies back above even.

The market sees a close game with Purdue having a slight edge. The Boilermakers are favored at -163 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game, and the best sportsbook price on Purdue is -164 at FanDuel. That moneyline means Purdue wins a little more than 60 percent of the time. On the spread, Purdue is favored by 3.5 points, which is about what you'd expect for home-field advantage between two even teams. The total is 51.5. Full prices for the game are on the Washington at Purdue odds page.

The 3.5-point spread puts Purdue just past a field goal, so the late possessions on Friday could decide more than the final score. If Browne and the offense can sustain drives and Jeffries and the defensive front can control the line, Purdue has a good shot at covering. If not, the Huskies can win this one outright.

Purdue has three more practice days before kickoff. Gold and Black's full interviews with Browne, Burhenn and Jeffries are available through its report.