Records Watch: 2022 Edition

During the bye week it is a great time to check in and see how some of the current players are doing statistically. We’re eight games in, and with likely five games to go, as Purdue will play in the postseason at least somewhere as long as it wins just one more game, there is a great chance to see some records. If Purdue wins the next four we’ll actually get two more games, as it would mean a trip to the Big Ten championship game in Indy. That leaves plenty of opportunity to see some new names in the record book.

Charlie Jones – WR

So far Jones has 72 receptions for 840 yards and nine touchdowns. He has been over 100 yards in five games, which is impressive for a guy that is in his first year at Purdue. He has blown away the numbers he put up at Iowa, and now he is climbing the Purdue record books. He needs 49 more receptions to tie the school’s single season record, which is possible with five games left, as he has had 10 or more receptions four times this year.

In terms of receiving yards he is almost certain to have the 16^th 1,000 yard season in school history. The record is 1,307 set by John Standeford in 2002, but David Bell likely breaks it last year if he doesn’t sit out the bowl game or if he doesn’t miss the Illinois game. Jones has a ways to go before getting to the single season touchdowns record of 16 set by Taylor Stubblefield in 2004, but he is already near the top 10.

Payne Durham – TE

Durham is not putting up the yards that Jones is, but the fourth year TE has found the end zone a lot. He is now up to 17 career touchdowns after Saturday’s game, which puts him in a tie for 9^th on the career receiving TDs. List. Next up is DeAngelo Yancey with 20.

Aidan O’Connell – QB

AOC already has a couple of Purdue records. Entering the season he had the single-season passing efficiency rating at 158.8 last year. He also owns that career record at 148.2, but it has slipped this year slightly to 144.9. That still has him comfortably in front of Jack Plummer’s 136.3. He also holds the single season completion percentage record (71.8% last year) and career record (67.8%, minimum 300 attempts). He has steadily climbed the ranks on total offense and is now sixth with 7,999 total yards. Could he get to 10,000? Maybe. he would need to rush for 236 yards without getting sacks again in order to get into positive rushing for his career (Unleash the Aidan O’Vick!)

In terms of passing yards he is at 2,270 for the year. Assuming five more games, he would need to average 343 yards per game the rest of the year to get the single season record of 3,985, set by Curtis Painter 2006. It should be noted that Purdue played 14 games that year and Painter edged Brees by two yards, but Brees’ record came in the 13 game 1998 season. AOC has already missed one game this year, and that may cost him a 4,000 yard season. Still, he will very likely join Brees (three times), Painter (twice), David Blough (twice), and Jim Everett (twice) as players with two seasons of at least 3,000 passing yards.

On the career passing list he is at 7,999 yards (he basically is treated as having zero rushing yards for his career, unlike Brees, Painter, Blough, etc., thus the total offense being the same). That is good for 6^th, and he can probably pass Kyle Orton’s 9,337 for fifth place. Should he get to 10,000 passing yards for his career he will be the third player to do so, behind Painter and Brees. His 715 career completions also has him 6^th on the all-time list, and reaching 900 for third place is definitely possible. His 15 touchdowns this season give him 58 for his career, good for 6^th place on the all-time list. His career best is 28, so with five games left he can reasonably get to 30.

Devin Mockobee – RB

With Jeff Brohm being so pass heavy it has been a while since we have seen a rusher get some recognition, but Mockobee has been special. Remember: he did not get a single carry against Penn State in the opener. He is at 561 yards on the ground already and has been over 100 yards three times. He can get just the ninth 1,000 yard rushing season in school history, and he would be the first freshman to do that.

Mitchell Fineran – K

Fineran has not been as consistent as last year, when he came up one kick short of tying Ben Jones with 25 field goals in one season, but with 33 made kicks at Purdue he is now sixth on the school’s career list. He was the most accurate kicker in Purdue history (minimum 15 attempts) before this season, and he still is at 78.6% even with a bad miss inside 30 yards on Saturday.

Cam Allen – S

With three interceptions this year Allen became the 12^th player in Purdue history with at least 10 interceptions. There is quite the logjam here, as four players have exactly 10 and six guys have 11 each. The only two ahead of that group are Ricardo Allen (13) and Stu Schweigert (17). If Cam manages to pass Ricardo he would tie the single season record of seven.