Purdue’s best player is Rondale Moore, but he has been injured. Whether or not he returns has a big impact on the Iowa football team’s chances Saturday.
The Iowa football team’s defense is usually pretty rock solid under the watchful eye of Phil Parker, but sometimes even Parker’s scheme can’t stop teams from exploiting the defense’s limited athleticism with dynamic, x-factor type of players like Rondale Moore.
And this is why his injury is one that is worth monitoring as we prepare for Saturday’s game versus the Boilermakers.
For those of you that have been living under a rock, Rondale Moore is not the typical Purdue recruit. This guy is amazingly fun to watch, even as an opponent. His speed and quickness can make defenses look silly, and when healthy, he’s one of the best players in the nation, let alone the Big Ten.
Last season, as a true freshman, he had 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 213 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He also had over 700 combined returned yards. This season led to him being named First Team All-American, Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and the Paul Hornung Award Recipient (an honor which our very own Ihmir Smith-Marsettte is in the running for).
This season, he picked up right where he left off putting together two double-digit reception games while hauling in two touchdowns, but after hyperextending his knee in a loss against Minnesota, we haven’t seen Moore since.
Last year, the Iowa football team managed to contain Moore holding him to just 31 yards on 6 catches, his worst performance of the year. but if history tells us anything, its playmakers like this that can be the downfall of the Iowa defense.
Just look at KJ Hamler last week or Saqoun Barkley in years past, or Christian McCaffery back in 2016. Playmakers like this can burn the Iowa football team.
Without him, Purdue is a different team. It’s a team that doesn’t scare me.
With him though, is a different story. Purdue becomes a team that could pull off an upset over the Hawks at Kinnick.
That’s why his week to week status is incredibly important to monitor as we progress through the week.