No. 2 Oregon travels to Purdue tonight (5 p.m., Fox) at Ross-Ade Stadium.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reached out to Purdue reporter Nathan Baird (@nwbaird on X) of the Indy Star to ask five questions and get insight into the Boilermakers.

Live streaming: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have a provider, you can also watch this match live on Fox Sports Live using your cable or satellite provider login details.

1) What is Ryan Browne best at in the albeit small sample?

Baird: “He checked a lot of boxes against an Illinois defense that was admittedly unprepared for Purdue throwing a bit of a curveball. He used the read zone very effectively to get the ground game going, pulling it back for himself several times. When they came up with some big passing plays, he converted. He then led the two-minute drill and ended the game without a turnover or notable error. The moment never seemed too big. It’s clear that a bigger moment awaits.”

2) Why is Purdue’s defense struggling so much?

Baird: “Basically a whirlpool of problems. Teams have done whatever they want outside because of Purdue’s chronic inability to establish the lead. (Bringing Kydran Jenkins back to the rush end has helped a bit.) Being able to run the ball so consistently means teams aren’t exposed to the flashy, attacking defense that Walters prefers to run. Injuries haven’t helped, but the transfers haven’t yet replicated the pass rush that was lost when Nic Scourton left for Texas A&M. What has really hurt in short-yardage losses has been poor tackling, resulting in some explosive touchdowns and countless extended drives.

No. 2 Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Purdue (1-5, 0-3)

• When: Friday October 18
• Time: 5pm PT
• Where: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
• TV channel: Fox
• Current: That’s possible watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV stream (free trial). If you already have a provider, you can also watch this match live on Fox Sports Live using your cable or satellite provider login details.
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3) Is acquiring Ryan Walters as the offensive play-caller a smart move or a desperate move?

Baird: “Can it be both? I felt that Walters should have ignored the defensive play calling earlier, even before the season, so that he could more easily divert attention if other phases encountered a problem. But no one envisioned an offense as lifeless as the one that lost to Notre Dame, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Walters was then put in a situation where a change had to be made, but there was no other option for veterans to take over the play calling. It wasn’t really fair to put all that burden on Jason Simmons — an analyst who was a high school coach two years ago. I give him credit for making a bold move that could have blown up in his face. The first returns were positive.”

4) What will be successful for the rest of Purdue’s season?

Baird: “I never thought this season would be marked by wins and losses. I went in thinking they might go 4-8 again, and given the schedule, that might count as a better season. That went out the window when, in terms of statistical performance, Purdue was the worst power conference team in the country for a month. Purdue needs to beat the teams in its weight class simply to save some face. At the very least it cannot add a third shame of a loss.”

5) How do you see it turning out and what is your score prediction?

Baird: “We just haven’t seen the consistency necessary for Purdue to remain at the top of the sport. I take the Ducks 41-10.”

— James Crepea covers the Oregon ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup Newsletter.