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Purdue's second-year Josh Henson offense primarily uses 11 personnel with a balanced, run-based passing approach. It posted 62% offensive success but 5.55 yards per play against Wake Forest. Ryan Browne has improved his completion rate and yards per attempt and has no interceptions through two games; the preview cautions that Indiana State and Wake Forest limit the strength of that early evidence.
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Purdue running back Fame Ijeboi leads the workload with 38 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns; Travis Terrell has 14 carries, with Jerrick Gibson also in the rotation. Assad Waseem leads the receiving group and Xavier Townsend is the next target option, but both generally play the slot and rarely overlap. Starting tight end Jackson Berryman is primarily a blocker; George Burhenn is the receiving option.
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Purdue left tackle Joey Tanona remains out, putting Nuku Mafi in that role. Brock Brownfield left the Wake Forest game but was absent from this week's injury list; the writer assumes a return, not a confirmed clearance. Purdue generally keeps its five linemen on the field rather than rotating, and the preview questions their short-yardage and goal-line work.
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UCLA starting safety Tao Johnson is out for a second straight game, with Ta'Shawn James expected to fill in again after effective relief work. Receiver Mikey Matthews is also out, leaving Semaj Morgan to handle punt returns as he did last week. The safety replacement is the writer's expectation; no broader starting-lineup overhaul is announced.
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UCLA is supporting its defensive tackles with linebackers near the line and aggressive safety run support. Sammy Omosigho and Jalen Woods have been effective blitzers and run defenders, but the base edge rush from Sahir West and Scott Taylor needs more production. The preview expects heavy press-man coverage to challenge Purdue's underneath passing; that is the projected matchup, not a guaranteed result.