Purdue Football

Purdue sophomore wide receiver Rondale Moore exited the first quarter of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers with what appeared to be a lower leg injury, per Bryan Fischer of College Football Talk.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports reported Moore had to be helped off the field.

Moore burst onto the scene for the Boilermakers as a freshman last season with 114 receptions for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 213 yards and two scores.

Prior to exiting Saturday's game, Moore had two receptions for 18 yards, giving him 29 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns in four games this season.

Palm reported Purdue starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar left the game with an injury on the same play as Moore. Sindelar was replaced by freshman signal-caller Jack Plummer.

If Moore is lost for any period of time, it will be a significant blow to a Purdue team that is off to a tough 1-2 start with losses to Nevada and TCU.

Moore is Purdue's biggest offensive weapon by far, and there isn't another player on the team who can take the top off a defense like him.

Tight end Brycen Hopkins was Purdue's second-leading receiver entering the game with 13 grabs for 202 yards and three touchdowns. At wideout, Amad Anderson Jr. would be the de facto No. 1 in place of Moore; he has 12 catches for 167 yards and one touchdown in the Boilermakers' first three games.

Purdue has agreed to a seven-year, $36.8 million contract extension with football head coach Jeff Brohm, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

Per Rittenberg, the school's board of trustees approved the contract Friday.

The 47-year-old Brohm has coached Purdue for two seasons, amassing a 13-13 record and a pair of bowl appearances. Under his leadership, the Boilermakers notched one of the most notable victories in team history when they knocked off undefeated No. 2 Ohio State 49-20 on Oct. 20.

That defeat stood as the Buckeyes' only loss en route to a 13-1 season.

Brohm coached Western Kentucky for three seasons before arriving in West Lafayette, Indiana, leading the Hilltoppers to a 30-10 record, two Conference USA titles and two bowl wins.

Brohm was a prime candidate for the open Louisville head coaching position after Bobby Petrino was fired in November. A transition seemed inevitable considering Brohm grew up in Louisville, played quarterback for the university and was an assistant coach on the team.

However, Brohm withdrew his name from consideration, offering the following reasoning to reporters, per Jake Lourim of the Louisville Courier Journal:

"After intense and thorough discussion, I believe it is important to finish the building process we have begun and honor the commitment I made to our football program, players, and recruits. While going home was very appealing and meaningful to me, the timing was not ideal. I believe that remaining at Purdue is the right thing to do, and I am excited for the challenges ahead."

The Cardinals eventually chose Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield to lead their program.

As far as Purdue goes, the "building process" Brohm mentioned may take a giant leap forward in 2019 with some top talent returning.

Wideout Rondale Moore, who accumulated 14 touchdowns and 1,471 yards from scrimmage during his freshman season, will be back. He's one of the best playmakers in college football and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate if he improves upon his production.

The same goes for linebackers Markus Bailey and Derrick Barnes and safety Navon Mosley, who were top three on the team in tackles.

Purdue does need to replace quarterback David Blough, who threw 25 touchdowns and completed 66.0 percent of his passes. However, there's enough talent coming back from a team that lost only one game by more than 10 points to make some progress in the Big Ten West after finishing 5-4 in conference play.

Former Purdue student and fan Tyler Trent will be immortalized by the school with a gate at the football stadium named after him.

The Boilermakers announced Wednesday that Ross-Ade Stadium's student gate will now be known as the Tyler Trent Student Gate:

Trent became an inspirational figure around the country for his passion and dedication to Purdue sports while also battling osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

He served as an honorary captain for the Boilermakers' season opener in 2018 against Northwestern and was in attendance for their 49-20 upset victory over Ohio State on Oct. 20. 

Trent died at the age of 20 on Jan. 1, more than four years after initially being diagnosed with cancer. 

The FBI is reportedly investigating a man who allegedly made death threats against the family of Tyler Trent, a Purdue superfan who had bone cancer and died January 1 at the age of 20.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), 39-year-old John Pinkham was arrested Monday and will face federal charges of intent to injure when he is extradited to Indiana from Florida.

He allegedly made the threatening posts on Trent's Facebook page while using an alias, although Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood told the Daytona Beach News-Journal (h/t the AP) that Pinkham said his girlfriend had sent the threats.

Trent inspired college football fans across the country during the 2018 season.

He received the Disney Spirit Award during ESPN's College Football Awards Show and was the subject of an emotional Tom Rinaldi profile during ESPN's College GameDay in October.

He also spoke to his beloved Boilermakers in the locker room following their upset victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes in October and was the honorary captain for the team at the Music City Bowl matchup against the Auburn Tigers.

Trent also raised more than $101,000 for Riley Hospital cancer research through the Purdue University Dance Marathon. Riley's Children Foundation announced the creation of the Tyler Trent Cancer Research Endowment for Riley Hospital in his honor, which uses funds to support research into cures for cancer.

John Matthew Pinkham was arrested in Florida on Monday for allegedly using an alias to make death threats against the mother of Tyler Trent, a cancer research activist and Purdue Boilermakers superfan who died on New Year's Day.

The Associated Press reported detectives said Pinkham, 39, also made threats of violence directed toward a vigil being held in Trent's honor on the Purdue campus Wednesday night. He was held on $10,000 bail.

Fox 59 reported messages posted on Trent's Facebook page under the alias "Julie Homan," which authorities allege originated from Pinkham, included one directed at Trent's mother that read, "Can't wait till I can choke the life out of you."

"Just wait until yall hear what I do at his funeral..I promise I will make headlines..I will kill his mother..just watch I will be talked about forever..this is no idol threat," another post read.

Pinkham has been charged with making written threats to kill or injure, according to the AP.

Alexandra Weliever of The Exponent reported the Tyler Trent Cancer Research Endowment had raised approximately $217,000 as of Dec. 18 after all donations were matched by the Walther Cancer Foundation.

Trent was 20 at the time of his death.

Tyler Trent, the Purdue Boilermakers fan with bone cancer who inspired college football fans across the country, died Tuesday, his family confirmed to the Indianapolis Star's Dana Hunsinger Benbow.

Trent had bone cancer osteosarcoma.

The Purdue Cancer Center tweeted Trent's legacy will live on in the future:

The 20-year-old was an honorary captain for Purdue when the Boilermakers played the Auburn Tigers in the Music City Bowl. He also received the Disney Spirit Award in December during ESPN's College Football Awards Show.

Trent's journey grew to a national scale when ESPN's Tom Rinaldi profiled him for the Oct. 20 edition of College GameDay.

Hours after that segment aired, Purdue upset the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 49-20 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Trent watched the game live from a suite at Ross-Ade Stadium.

"What gave him a sense of love and purpose touched all of us and inspired all of us," Boilermakers head coach Jeff Brohm said of Trent, per Benbow. "There was no quit in him. There was a lot of fight in him. It's like you couldn't get him down. While I'm sure he was in pain and suffering, he put a smile on his face."

Trent helped raise over $101,000 during the Riley Dance Marathon, a Purdue student-run event that supports the Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. He had also donated his blood and tumor tissue for research purposes.

Prior to his death, Trent announced he was working on an autobiography, The Upset, with money from the book's sales going to cancer research. He set his fundraising goal at $1 million.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay had one more Christmas present he waited an extra day to give to honorary Purdue captain Tyler Trent. 

Irsay provided a plane for Trent and his family to be flown to Nashville in time for the Music City Bowl between Purdue and Auburn:

Trent is a Purdue student who was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. He announced in September the cancer had gotten worse, preventing him from returning to school. 

"While I may not know how many days I have left, I'm trusting the one who does," Trent wrote on Twitter. 

He has become a staple of Purdue football during the 2018 season, including sitting in a suite at Ross-Ade Stadium for the Boilermakers' 49-20 win over Ohio State on Oct. 20. 

Per ESPN.com, Trent will be on the field before Friday's game with captains from both teams to take part in the coin toss. 

Purdue and Auburn will play the 2018 Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium on Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET. 

Trinity High School in Louisville announced Wednesday that classes have been canceled Thursday as a result of someone issuing a threat on Twitter against the school after Jeff Brohm announced he would remain at Purdue.

Trinity is Brohm's high school alma mater, and his father, Oscar, is an assistant coach for the school's football team, according to ESPN.com's Tom VanHaaren.

"We take these threats seriously, especially towards a school," St. Matthews police chief Barry Wilkerson told VanHaaren. "We're going to investigate as much as we can at this point. It's difficult when you have Twitter accounts to trace back, so it's a little more complex than pushing a button and figuring out who it is. We'll investigate it fully and bring charges if necessary."

Brohm was considered a front-runner for the Louisville head coaching vacancy after the school fired Bobby Petrino earlier this month. The 47-year-old is a Louisville native who played quarterback for the Cardinals from 1989 to 1993 and went on to serve as an offensive assistant at the school from 2003 to 2008.

"This has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me and my family. We are extremely happy at Purdue and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program," Brohm said in a statement Wednesday.

"After intense and thorough discussion, I believe it is important to finish the building process we have begun and honor the commitment I made to our football program, players, and recruits. While going home was very appealing and meaningful to me, the timing was not ideal. I believe that remaining at Purdue is the right thing to do, and I am excited for the challenges ahead."

ESPN's Chris Low reported Purdue gave Brohm a new contract that will pay him more than $5 million a year. The Boilermakers are 13-12 under Brohm. He was previously 30-10 in three seasons at Western Kentucky.

Jeff Brohm's attachment to his current job as head football coach at Purdue is stronger than his desire to take the same job at his alma mater. 

Per Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde and Pete Thamel, Brohm will stay with the Boilermakers after receiving a lucrative contract offer from the University of Louisville. 

Forde and Thamel added Purdue sweetened Brohm's contract by upping it from $4 million annually to as much as $6 million with possible added incentives.

Brohm released a statement Wednesday confirming his decision, via 247Sports' Jody Demling:

"This has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me and my family. We are extremely happy at Purdue and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program. After intense and thorough discussion, I believe it is important to finish the building process we have begun and honor the commitment I made to our football program, players, and recruits. While going home was very appealing and meaningful to me, the timing was not ideal. I believe that remaining at Purdue is the right thing to do, and I am excited for the challenges ahead. I want to thank the University of Louisville and Vince Tyra for reaching out and expressing their interest in me. As a former Cardinal player and coach, I want nothing but the best for the University of Louisville. Under the leadership of President Neeli Bendapudi and Vince Tyra, the future of the university is in great hands. I also want to all Cardinal fans for their support over the years."

There had been heavy speculation Brohm would be taking over at Louisville after Bobby Petrino was fired Nov. 11. 

Per Jake Lourim of The Courier-Journal, members of the Cardinals' 2019 recruiting class had been "given the impression" Brohm was going to be coaching the team. 

"One parent said in a message that after talking with the coaching staff that it looks like everything and everyone is pointing fingers toward Brohm coming in," Lourim wrote. "Another said the 2019 recruits were under the impression Brohm would indeed be the next coach."

Forde and Thamel noted Louisville's offer to Brohm was believed to be worth $35 million over seven years, but in April, Purdue increased his current deal that runs through 2024 to include a $6 million annual salary with additional incentives. 

Brohm played five seasons at Louisville from 1989-93. He was the team's starting quarterback for two years, compiling a 9-3 record as a senior that included a victory over Michigan State in the Liberty Bowl. 

The Cardinals' 2-10 record in 2018 is their worst in a season since winning one game in 1997. 

After Purdue won nine games from 2013-16, Brohm has led the program to 13 victories in his two seasons as head coach, including a 49-20 blowout over then-No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 20. 

Jeff Brohm led Purdue to a 28-21 win over Indiana on Saturday, moving the Boilermakers to 6-6 on the season and earning bowl eligibility. After the contest, Brohm addressed the rumors linking him to the coaching vacancy at Louisville.

"I want Louisville to do what's best for them," he said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com. "I'm a fan. But right now, I'm the coach at Purdue. This is where I want to be and I like it here."

Brohm added that any rumors connecting him to Louisville were "pure speculation."

As Rittenberg noted, Brohm has "been mentioned as Louisville's top choice" for head coach in the wake of Bobby Petrino's firing on November 11. Tim Sullivan of the Louisville Courier Journal called Brohm the "odds-on, people's-choice, favorite-son candidate" to fill Louisville's vacancy.

But Brohm's comments on Saturday, combined with a report from Dan Wolken of USA Today, suggest that perhaps the Purdue head coach isn't going anywhere:

"In fact, the feeling within the industry as Brohm’s Purdue team kicked off against Indiana was that the more likely outcome was that he would stay put with a big new contract extension rather than go home to Louisville, which has been skittish about giving out the kind of large, fully guaranteed contract it would require to lure Brohm from the Big Ten."

And Louisville's search isn't exclusive to Brohm, either.

"Without tipping my hand too much, we've got a handful on my shortlist that we have interest in," Cardinals athletic director Vince Tyra said Wednesday, per Sullivan. "I think we've got five to six that I would consider my shortlist. As we get through the week, we'll better know what that number is."

Wolken added that Troy head coach Neal Brown, Syracuse's Dino Babers and Memphis head coach Mike Norvell were believed to be on that shortlist.

Brohm, 47, is now 13-12 in his two seasons at Purdue, with a bowl win to his name last year and a major upset over Ohio State in 2018. He was excellent in his prior gig at Western Kentucky, leading the team to a 30-10 record in three seasons with the Hilltoppers and winning bowl games in each campaign.

His links to Louisville run deep, however. He grew up in the area, went to college at Louisville and served as an assistant coach for the program from 2003-08. There's a reason his name keeps coming up when the school's vacancy is discussed.

But for now, Brohm is maintaining that he isn't leaving Purdue.