Historically, Purdue football team hasn't fared well at Michigan Stadium

Purdue hasn’t won at Michigan Stadium since 1966, the longest drought of any Big Ten team.

Purdue football coach Danny Hope says his players know all about the fact that the Boilermakers have not won at Michigan Stadium since 1966. “To me, it makes it more exciting. It makes it a greater challenge. It makes it a bigger coup, a bigger stake,” Hope said. (Photo: Associated Press)

It’s a dubious streak that isn’t lost on Purdue coach Danny Hope’s players entering today’s game against the Wolverines.

“They can read, so they're fully aware of it,” Hope said. “To me, it makes it more exciting. It makes it a greater challenge. It makes it a bigger coup, a bigger stake.”

Hope said there's an easy explanation for why Purdue has struggled in Ann Arbor, where the Boilermakers have lost their last 17 games.

"They've had lot of good teams over the years," Hope said. "They've been one of the winningest programs in all of college football and have been in the upper echelon of their division over a long period of time and recruit a lot of winners at home because they're a really good football team, a great football program. Those type of programs have a great record at home."

Purdue (3-6, 2-3) won last year's shootout in West Lafayette, Ind., 48-42.

Michigan is 5-4, 1-4.

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.