The Heartland Line
Ryan Walters returns to Purdue as Washington's defensive coordinator for Friday night game
Fired after two seasons and a 5-19 record, Ryan Walters brings Washington's defense to Purdue on Friday night, where the Boilermakers are favored at -160 on Novig.
Ryan Walters goes back to Ross-Ade Stadium on Friday night, this time on the visiting sideline. Purdue fired him as head coach after the 2024 season. He is now in his second year as Washington's defensive coordinator under Jedd Fisch, and the Huskies play Purdue at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. As USA TODAY Sports reports, Boilermaker fans are not expected to give him a friendly reception.
The record explains why. Walters came to West Lafayette in December 2022 after two seasons running Illinois' defense, taking over from Jeff Brohm. His teams went 4-8 in 2023 and 1-11 in 2024, a combined 5-19, and 3-15 in Big Ten play, including 0-9 in his second season. USA TODAY notes that his .208 winning percentage puts him among the worst coaches in the program's modern era, alongside Darrell Hazell and Fred Akers.
The man across the field adds another layer. Purdue head coach Barry Odom gave Walters some of his earliest jobs, hiring him as cornerbacks coach at Memphis and then bringing him to Missouri to coach safeties, according to Last Word on Sports. Walters admitted this week that the trip back feels unusual. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't different," he told Last Word on Sports.
His Washington defense has been middle of the pack in the Big Ten: 12th in scoring defense at 22.2 points per game and 10th in total defense at 330.3 yards per game, but third in the league with seven interceptions, per USA TODAY. Last week was its worst outing. Iowa ran up 41 points, and Last Word on Sports counted 23 missed tackles and more than eight yards per play allowed. Asked about the tackling, Walters said it was awful.
What it means for Friday
Two years after going winless in the Big Ten, Purdue arrives 3-3 and playing its best football of the season. After a three-game losing streak that included a 49-10 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame, the Boilermakers won 24-17 at Illinois and then beat Minnesota 41-13. The Huskies are also 3-3 but going the other direction. They have lost three straight: 27-24 to Minnesota, 25-21 at No. 18 USC and 41-24 to No. 20 Iowa. Minnesota is the one opponent both teams have played, and Purdue beat the Gophers by 28 points the same season Washington lost to them by three.
The board on this site's game page has Purdue favored across 12 venues. Novig has the Boilermakers at -160 on the moneyline and Washington at +156. On the spread, Purdue is favored by 3.5 points at +106 on Novig, with Washington +3.5 at -108. The total sits at 50.5 on Novig, with the over at +102 and the under at -106. BetRivers has the best over price anywhere at -113 on a total of 50. Sportsbook hold runs from roughly 3 to 7 percent across these markets, so the venues are fairly close together.
Purdue's run game will test the tackling that fell apart against Iowa. Walters has spent the week calling for discipline from his defense against Purdue's combination blocking. Purdue's offense has scored 41 and 24 points in its two straight wins, and the Huskies have given up at least 25 points in each of their three losses.