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Ryan Walters reacts to first B1G win, matchup vs. Bret Bielema and Illinois
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Ryan Walters has his second win at Purdue but this one comes with a bit more significance. After a 1-3 overall start to the season, Walters secured his first B1G win with the Boilermakers in a 44-19 drubbing of Illinois.
That win of course comes at the expense of his former boss Bret Bielema. After the game, Walters said the win was a good one but he was not even thinking about who the opponent was ahead of the game.
“The fact it was Illinois, I know there wants to be a big storyline and added emphasis, but the reality is where we were as a team, it didn’t matter who the opponent was,” said Walters. “We needed to get this game, we needed to play tough… it was good to see the guys practice the way they did and prepare the way they did.”
He was asked again about the head-to-head matchup with Bielema, but Walters continued to downplay that aspect of the game. Walters said his focus was simply on figuring out what he needed to do to stop the opposition.
To his credit, Walters did admit he would take a minute to reflect at the end of the day and would probably wind up smiling about that aspect of the game.
“I haven’t thought about who the opponent was. To me, I’m just looking at what the offense does and how to stop it. What the defense does and how to stop it. All the things that were riding on this game regardless of my history with the opponent,” Walters explained. “I’m happy for our guys, they prepared the way they were supposed to, and you want them to be rewarded with a win and they were today.
“I’m sure tonight when I go home tonight and sit back and think about what just happened, I’ll be smiling.”
With one B1G win under his belt, Purdue is now 2-3 overall on the season and 1-1 in conference play. The Boilermakers must prepare for a road trip to Iowa City before returning home to face Ohio State in a pair of elite B1G matchups.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.