For the third straight year there will be a new head coach leading a program in the IU and Purdue football rivalry.
Ryan Walters was fired by Purdue Sunday after just two seasons, ending his tenure in West Lafayette with a 5-19 record. The Boilermakers went 1-11 in 2024, finishing with 11 consecutive losses and no FBS wins.
If Purdue was uncertain about Walters’ status going into the IU game, the outcome on Saturday in Bloomington left no doubt. The Boilermakers’ season ended with a 66-0 loss at Indiana, the worst loss in the history of the program.
Walters acknowledged after the loss he didn’t have going on in West Lafayette what Indiana and first-year head coach Curt Cignetti have going on “over there” in Bloomington.
“This was as dominant of a performance (by Indiana) as I’ve ever seen,” Walters said. “Hats off to coach (Curt) Cignetti and what they have going on over there. All three phases physically dominated. We got out-coached, out-schemed, and everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.”
Indiana’s dismantling of Purdue was as much about their own need to earn style points for the College Football Playoff as it was defeating a rival.
Walters said he wasn’t bothered by IU faking a punt while up 38-0 in the second half.
“I would have probably done the same thing, to be honest,” Walters said. “It’s a rivalry game. We don’t feel sorry for anyone out there. Coach Cignetti is a competitor. It’s a rivalry game, so it is what it is.”
But the 66-0 game followed by the firing of Walters means the success or failure of the next head coach at Purdue will be connected to Indiana, Cignetti and that eye-catching 66-point margin.
Many Purdue fans took to social media on Sunday and thanked IU and Cignetti for the massive win and the start of a new era.
And if Purdue hits their next hire out of the park like Indiana did with Cignetti a year ago, the Hoosiers certainly deserve an assist.
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