Oregon football history: Ducks set to meet Purdue Boilermakers again

While the Oregon football team is pretty familiar with some Big Ten foes, the Ducks haven’t really spent much time focusing on the Purdue Boilermakers. There’s been a limited number of encounters between these two teams. But, as the Oregon Ducks move on over to the Big Ten, expect for more frequent matchups against Purdue.

In total, the Ducks and Boilermakers have faced off against each other a grand total of three times on the gridiron. The first meeting between Oregon and Purdue happened back in 1979 and during that inaugural matchup, Oregon traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana only to be handed a frustrating 13-7 defeat against the Boilermakers.

Thankfully, things have improved a bit since then. But, well, only a little bit. 

Oregon football history vs. Purdue: Ducks have struggled against Boilermakers

Almost three decades passed before Oregon got the chance for a rematch with Purdue. During the 2008 season, the Ducks traveled back out to Purdue in search of a little bit of redemption for their loss almost 30 years prior.

And what did Oregon get? Well, technically a win, but it was in overtime. Purdue presented a pretty big challenge for the Ducks in 2008. Was 2009 any better? Not really. Oregon managed to win that one by a score of 38-36 in Autzen Stadium.

The Boilermakers have been a bit of a pain point for the Oregon football team.

Oregon Ducks football vs. Purdue Boilermakers series summary:

• First meeting: September 29, 1979
• Last meeting: September 12, 2009
• Oregon's record: 2-1
• Total games: 3
• Largest margin of victory: Oregon by 3 in 2009, Purdue by 6 in 1979

The sample size is pretty small here, but the Oregon-Purdue series tells an interesting story here. The Ducks have clearly grown as a program over the years, but Purdue has been a bit of a pest. Hopefully, with the move into the Big Ten, Oregon will demonstrate its ability to really thrive against a team like the Boilermakers.