ake a moment and think back to August – this game was supposed to be the big one.

Big Ten preseason favorite Northwestern was slated to have its season hinge on a rematch with last year’s league champ, Purdue. And with NU returning nearly its entire offense and Purdue losing its starting quarterback and top wide receiver, the Wildcats seemed to be the early favorite.

OK, let’s get back to reality.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” NU coach Randy Walker said.

It’s a figure of speech, but after last Saturday, Walker would like to see his defense get just a finger on Boilermakers ballcarriers. The Cats (4-2, 2-2 Big Ten) let bottom-feeder Penn State score 38 points and barrel over linebackers for 213 rushing yards – and Walker knows this week won’t be any easier.

Purdue (4-1, 2-1) enters Saturday’s game after a bye week. The Boilers are the second of three consecutive NU opponents with an extra week’s rest coming into game day. Boilers redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Hance leads a team that has lost only to No. 8 Michigan.

Hance averages 204 yards passing a game, making Purdue’s the most aggressive pass offense NU has faced this season. And with Hance facing a secondary that let Penn State throw for 100 yards more than it was averaging, he could have a career day.

At least Walker said he knows what to expect from Purdue’s offense – or “basketball on grass,” as it’s known in college football circles.

“They could throw the ball every down,” Walker said. “But I think if you get deep down inside of (Purdue head coach) Joe Tiller, he’ll tell you he needs to run the ball.”

However, given Purdue’s rushing totals this season – senior running back Montrell Lowe averages less than 50 yards a game – it’s more likely that the Boilers will take to the air against a stumbling NU defense that allows 214 passing yards a game.

Not that this information makes the Cats’ job any easier. Defensive end Napoleon Harris said he knew last week that Penn State’s running backs would challenge NU on every snap. He expects much of the same from Purdue.

“They’re going to hand the ball to Montrell Lowe,” Harris said. “And I’m sure that if they’re successful with the run, they’ll stick to it.”

Meanwhile, the Cats will continue trying to find a consistent running game of their own. NU has been contained in four Big Ten games.

Earlier this week, Walker openly hinted that establishing a successful ground game is much harder against a Purdue defense that allows only 118 yards rushing a game.

“If we throw 60 passes at Purdue, it won’t bother me.” he said. “I’m not in this to get Damien Anderson his statistics.”

Purdue, which returned 10 starters on defense, will try to create an uphill battle for NU’s running back. In Anderson’s record-breaking campaign of 2000, the Boilermakers held him to a season-low 55 yards on 17 attempts en route to a 41-28 win in Evanston.

In that game, Purdue went ahead by 20 points in the third quarter before the Cats ditched their running game to match the aerial assault brought by then-Purdue quarterback Drew Brees – a scheme that has mirrored the strategy and execution of this season’s Boilermakers squad.

“Once you get down by that many points, you kind of get in the passing mode,” Anderson said.