Our weekly breakdown - this time of Purdue's 30-21 win over Oregon State - via Pro Football Focus data and analytics.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of ways to grade performances, and this is just one of them, a far-from-perfect system for which context is really important. This is basically a plus/minus sort of system at work.
OFFENSE
Snap Counts
Quarterback
Jack Plummer 77
Offensive Line
Gus Hartwig (Center) 77
Spencer Holstege (Left Guard) 77
Tyler Witt (Right Guard) 77
The rest are incorrect so we're not going to publish them. Greg Long did not play every snap, as he is credited, but they have Eric Miller for 64 snaps and Cam Craig for 13.
Running Back
Zander Horvath 55
King Doerue 18
Dylan Downing 5
Wide Receiver
David Bell 68
Jackson Anthrop 50
Milton Wright 45
Broc Thompson 32
Mershawn Rice 9
Tight End
Payne Durham 63
Garrett Miller 32
Jack Cravaack 8
Snap Count Note: Unless we missed someone on special teams, Purdue did not play a single true freshman, aside from punter Jack Ansell, who's 25 years old.
GRADING NOTABLES
• Jack Plummer graded very well, his second-best grade of his career, behind only the Maryland game two years ago for which he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
Payne Durham was the offense's highest-graded player by virtue of his two touchdowns. David Bell was close behind, then Zander Horvath. Broc Thompson graded well on limited snaps, compared to the other receivers.
• The offensive line graded OK, not great, but considering the context of how it's graded at times the past few seasons, OK is a good thing. Greg Long was the highest-graded lineman, even though especially early on, Purdue's tackles struggled some.
Oregon State did record a sack that is not reflected in PFF's data here. Otherwise, Oregon State is credited with just four pressure, two of them attributed to center Gus Hartwig, one to Eric Miller and the other to Cam Craig, so Long's grade is probably shaped by the fact he wasn't docked for any negative plays.
Hartwig and Craig didn't grade well in pass protection. Spencer Holstege graded impeccably on that front. Again, context matters, though, so take from all this what you will.
• Wide receiver Milton Wright graded at a team-best level in run-blocking. David Bell was second and Jack Cravaack third on limited snaps.
PASSING GAME
Jack Plummer's quarterback stats ...
He graded virtually identical in each category.
Kept Clean: 21-30, 231, TD
Under Pressure: 8-11, 87, TD
Not Blitzed: 18-26, 189
Blitzed: 11-15, 129, 2 TD
More ...
Playaction: 12-16, 180, 2 TD
No Playaction: 17-25, 138
Screen: 4-5, 18
No Screen: 25-36, 300, 2 TD
20+ yards: 1-5
10-19 yards: 5-7
0-9 yards: 13-15
Behind the line: 10-11
Note: Purdue was 16-16 throwing over the middle past the line of scrimmage.
• Plummer was 29-41 for the game. Three balls were dropped and two thrown away.
RECEIVING
• Purdue dropped three passes, per PFF's count.
RUSHING
• Horvath graded very well in the running game, and credits him with accumulating 80 of his 81 total yards after contact. Wow.
• Purdue was almost perfectly balanced running off the right and left sides.
DEFENSE
Snap Counts
Defensive Line
George Karlaftis (DE) 52
Branson Deen (DT) 42
Kydran Jenkins (LEO) 39
Lawrence Johnson (DT) 38
DaMarcus Mitchell (LEO) 28
Damarjhe Lewis (DT) 25
Jack Sullivan (DE) 17
DJ Washington (DT) 15
Prince Boyd (DT) 4
Jeff Marks (DT) 4
Linebacker
Jalen Graham 66
Jaylan Alexander 58
Kieren Douglas 56
OC Brothers 7
Secondary
Cam Allen (S) 67
Cory Trice (CB) 67
Marvin Grant (S) 66 — that's a first-game player basically playing all but one snap
Dedrick Mackey (CB) 63
Chris Jefferson (nickel) 18
Jamari Brown (CB) 4
Sanoussi Kane (S) 1
GRADING NOTABLES
• George Karlaftis was Purdue's best-graded defensive player and will probably up there nationally, credited with eight pressures on QBs, six hurries and two hits on the passer.
Branson Deen recorded five pressures, Jaylan Alexander three and Jalen Graham and Lawrence Johnson two each. Purdue totaled two dozen pressures.
Jaylan Alexander graded exceptionally well, too, as did Jalen Graham. Graham was Purdue's highest-rated defender in pass coverage by a mile.
PRESSURE
When Sam Noyer was in the game at QB, Purdue blitzed on the same number of dropbacks (11) than not.
Noyer's grades are atrocious, but his best grade — best being relative — was against the blitz: 7-of-10 for 71 yards.
When Chance Nolan was in the game, Purdue blitzed only three times as opposed to 15 snaps where it didn't. Keep in mind, Nolan was in in the fourth quarter, when Purdue had reason to just try to keep the ball in front of it on D.
• According to PFF, Purdue only missed two tackles, which is exceptional.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of ways to grade performances, and this is just one of them, a far-from-perfect system for which context is really important. This is basically a plus/minus sort of system at work.
OFFENSE
Snap Counts
Quarterback
Jack Plummer 77
Offensive Line
Gus Hartwig (Center) 77
Spencer Holstege (Left Guard) 77
Tyler Witt (Right Guard) 77
The rest are incorrect so we're not going to publish them. Greg Long did not play every snap, as he is credited, but they have Eric Miller for 64 snaps and Cam Craig for 13.
Running Back
Zander Horvath 55
King Doerue 18
Dylan Downing 5
Wide Receiver
David Bell 68
Jackson Anthrop 50
Milton Wright 45
Broc Thompson 32
Mershawn Rice 9
Tight End
Payne Durham 63
Garrett Miller 32
Jack Cravaack 8
Snap Count Note: Unless we missed someone on special teams, Purdue did not play a single true freshman, aside from punter Jack Ansell, who's 25 years old.
GRADING NOTABLES
• Jack Plummer graded very well, his second-best grade of his career, behind only the Maryland game two years ago for which he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
Payne Durham was the offense's highest-graded player by virtue of his two touchdowns. David Bell was close behind, then Zander Horvath. Broc Thompson graded well on limited snaps, compared to the other receivers.
• The offensive line graded OK, not great, but considering the context of how it's graded at times the past few seasons, OK is a good thing. Greg Long was the highest-graded lineman, even though especially early on, Purdue's tackles struggled some.
Oregon State did record a sack that is not reflected in PFF's data here. Otherwise, Oregon State is credited with just four pressure, two of them attributed to center Gus Hartwig, one to Eric Miller and the other to Cam Craig, so Long's grade is probably shaped by the fact he wasn't docked for any negative plays.
Hartwig and Craig didn't grade well in pass protection. Spencer Holstege graded impeccably on that front. Again, context matters, though, so take from all this what you will.
• Wide receiver Milton Wright graded at a team-best level in run-blocking. David Bell was second and Jack Cravaack third on limited snaps.
PASSING GAME
Jack Plummer's quarterback stats ...
He graded virtually identical in each category.
Kept Clean: 21-30, 231, TD
Under Pressure: 8-11, 87, TD
Not Blitzed: 18-26, 189
Blitzed: 11-15, 129, 2 TD
More ...
Playaction: 12-16, 180, 2 TD
No Playaction: 17-25, 138
Screen: 4-5, 18
No Screen: 25-36, 300, 2 TD
20+ yards: 1-5
10-19 yards: 5-7
0-9 yards: 13-15
Behind the line: 10-11
Note: Purdue was 16-16 throwing over the middle past the line of scrimmage.
• Plummer was 29-41 for the game. Three balls were dropped and two thrown away.
RECEIVING
• Purdue dropped three passes, per PFF's count.
RUSHING
• Horvath graded very well in the running game, and credits him with accumulating 80 of his 81 total yards after contact. Wow.
• Purdue was almost perfectly balanced running off the right and left sides.
DEFENSE
Snap Counts
Defensive Line
George Karlaftis (DE) 52
Branson Deen (DT) 42
Kydran Jenkins (LEO) 39
Lawrence Johnson (DT) 38
DaMarcus Mitchell (LEO) 28
Damarjhe Lewis (DT) 25
Jack Sullivan (DE) 17
DJ Washington (DT) 15
Prince Boyd (DT) 4
Jeff Marks (DT) 4
Linebacker
Jalen Graham 66
Jaylan Alexander 58
Kieren Douglas 56
OC Brothers 7
Secondary
Cam Allen (S) 67
Cory Trice (CB) 67
Marvin Grant (S) 66 — that's a first-game player basically playing all but one snap
Dedrick Mackey (CB) 63
Chris Jefferson (nickel) 18
Jamari Brown (CB) 4
Sanoussi Kane (S) 1
GRADING NOTABLES
• George Karlaftis was Purdue's best-graded defensive player and will probably up there nationally, credited with eight pressures on QBs, six hurries and two hits on the passer.
Branson Deen recorded five pressures, Jaylan Alexander three and Jalen Graham and Lawrence Johnson two each. Purdue totaled two dozen pressures.
Jaylan Alexander graded exceptionally well, too, as did Jalen Graham. Graham was Purdue's highest-rated defender in pass coverage by a mile.
PRESSURE
When Sam Noyer was in the game at QB, Purdue blitzed on the same number of dropbacks (11) than not.
Noyer's grades are atrocious, but his best grade — best being relative — was against the blitz: 7-of-10 for 71 yards.
When Chance Nolan was in the game, Purdue blitzed only three times as opposed to 15 snaps where it didn't. Keep in mind, Nolan was in in the fourth quarter, when Purdue had reason to just try to keep the ball in front of it on D.
• According to PFF, Purdue only missed two tackles, which is exceptional.
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