A few statistical superlatives and such based off Pro Football Focus' analytics, to take for whatever they're worth.
Basically, PFF's grades weigh positive-impact plays vs. negative-impact plays, a subjective formula that is imperfect, but can be revealing when taken broadly. We try to relay this info generally as to not bog it down in explanation, for one thing.
Today, some notes from Purdue's 35-7 loss at Penn State.
PURDUE OFFENSE
Snap Counts
WR
David Bell 56
Amad Anderson 53
Jackson Anthrop 42 (RB also, I guess)
Kory Taylor 11
Jordan Bonner 3
Note: First career action for Taylor and Bonner
RB
King Doerue 48
Zander Horvath 5
Alfred Armour 5 (fullback)
TE
Brycen Hopkins 48
Payne Durham 17
Kyle Bilodeau
Note: First career action for Bilodeau
QB
Jack Plummer 56
Aidan O'Connell 2
OL
T Grant Hermanns 56
T/G Will Bramel 50
G/T Matt McCann 56
G Alex Criddle 38
C Viktor Beach 35
G Jimmy McKenna 20
C Sam Garvin 23
T Eric Miller 10
G Mark Stickford 2
Note: Bramel moved from tackle to guard to start the game, switching with McCann, but switched back in-game.
Grades
Obviously the grades weren't kind to anyone on Purdue's offense, but it was particularly rough on the offensive line and tight ends all across the board, but also King Doerue and Jackson Anthrop and in part because each fumbled, and Anthrop dropped a pass.
There's no sense in piling on here with details about the offensive line and PFF's grades. You saw the game. It was another long day for Will Bramel and Viktor Beach, but also Grant Hermanns, per this analysis.
Bramel was docked for allowing seven quarterback hurries, and may lead the nation in that category now. Beach, who was replaced by Sam Garvin in the second half — not sure if it was injury or performance yet — allowed four.
Jack Plummer did not grade negatively.
Passing
Under pressure, Plummer was 2-of-8 for eight yards, and sacked 10 times, obviously, with a QB rating of less than 40. When he was blitzed he was 6-of-12 and sacked five times, so only half of Penn State's sacks came from blitzes, per this data.
When Plummer was not pressure, he was 12-of-20 for 116 yards and his TD throw to Amad Anderson, and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt, most of any category. When he wasn't blitzed, he was 8-of-16 passing.
Purdue dropped three passes, in PFF's estimation.
• David Bell did grade positively in the passing game, catching four balls on eight targets for 61 yards, an average of 15.3 yards. Almost all of it came against corner John Reid.
• A week after Purdue had some success throwing to its running backs against Minnesota, the ball went King Doerue's way just twice, and one was a screen that was dropped. Doerue was docked for two drops. Alfred Armour made the only RB reception of the day, an eight-yard safety-valve completion.
• A week after they were shut out vs. Minnesota, the ball was thrown to tight ends five times.
Rushing
• King Doerue was credited with 30 yards after contact on a day in which he finished with 26 rushing yards net. That's probably not a great thing.
• Not much to add here in terms of directional success or lack thereof, because you saw it, but a reminder that Purdue is really struggling to get the edges, and that's not reflecting well on either than tackles or tight ends.
PURDUE DEFENSE
Snap Counts
DL
DE George Karlaftis 78
Leo Derrick Barnes 73
DT Kai Higgins 43
DT Anthony Watts 37 (got hurt, because of course he did)
DT Lawrence Johnson 34
DT Jack Sullivan 27
DT Branson Deen 21
DT Giovanni Reviere 1
LB
Ben Holt 77
Jaylan Alexander 59
Cornel Jones 21 (got hurt but returned)
Secondary
S Jalen Graham 77
CB Cory Trice 75 (wow)
CB Dedrick Mackey 63
S Navon Mosley 57
Nickel Simeon Smiley 51
S Brennan Thieneman 44
CB Kenneth Major 18
CB Cam Allen 2 (ejected)
Grades
• DT Anthony Watts graded the best on the defense, before getting hurt, but Jaylan Alexander — pressed into action by Cornel Jones' injury — was close behind. Alexander graded well against the run. Jones didn't grade well in his 21 snaps.
• Watts and Lawrence Johnson (strong against the run) were not just the only positive grades among D-tackles, but the only defensive tackles who didn't grade poorly. Kai Higgins, Jack Sullivan and Branson Deen struggled, in PFF's assessment.
• Cory Trice, in 75 snaps, graded very well. So did linebacker Ben Holt, buoyed by a positive grade in pass defense.
Trice was the only DB to grade positively, but Jalen Graham didn't grade poorly, nor did Kenneth Major in limited snaps or Navon Mosley.
Purdue missed 10 tackles.
Pass D
• Cory Trice saw just one ball thrown at him, and it went for a loss of a yard for KJ Hamler. Whether that was Trice locking his spot down or a function of Penn State's offense, we can't say for sure.
• Penn State was credited with 187 yards after the catch.
• Sean Clifford was 1-of-7 for nine yards when deemed to be under pressure, and all three of his touchdowns came when he was not under pressure. While it might have seemed as if Purdue had some success being more aggressive with its blitzes as the game went on, the numbers here tell a different story, that Clifford was 6-of-7 for 116 yards and two scores, with a sparkling QB rating, when blitzed on eight snaps.
Run D
• Penn State was credited with 135 yards after contact, and graded the best running behind center Michael Menet.
Basically, PFF's grades weigh positive-impact plays vs. negative-impact plays, a subjective formula that is imperfect, but can be revealing when taken broadly. We try to relay this info generally as to not bog it down in explanation, for one thing.
Today, some notes from Purdue's 35-7 loss at Penn State.
PURDUE OFFENSE
Snap Counts
WR
David Bell 56
Amad Anderson 53
Jackson Anthrop 42 (RB also, I guess)
Kory Taylor 11
Jordan Bonner 3
Note: First career action for Taylor and Bonner
RB
King Doerue 48
Zander Horvath 5
Alfred Armour 5 (fullback)
TE
Brycen Hopkins 48
Payne Durham 17
Kyle Bilodeau
Note: First career action for Bilodeau
QB
Jack Plummer 56
Aidan O'Connell 2
OL
T Grant Hermanns 56
T/G Will Bramel 50
G/T Matt McCann 56
G Alex Criddle 38
C Viktor Beach 35
G Jimmy McKenna 20
C Sam Garvin 23
T Eric Miller 10
G Mark Stickford 2
Note: Bramel moved from tackle to guard to start the game, switching with McCann, but switched back in-game.
Grades
Obviously the grades weren't kind to anyone on Purdue's offense, but it was particularly rough on the offensive line and tight ends all across the board, but also King Doerue and Jackson Anthrop and in part because each fumbled, and Anthrop dropped a pass.
There's no sense in piling on here with details about the offensive line and PFF's grades. You saw the game. It was another long day for Will Bramel and Viktor Beach, but also Grant Hermanns, per this analysis.
Bramel was docked for allowing seven quarterback hurries, and may lead the nation in that category now. Beach, who was replaced by Sam Garvin in the second half — not sure if it was injury or performance yet — allowed four.
Jack Plummer did not grade negatively.
Passing
Under pressure, Plummer was 2-of-8 for eight yards, and sacked 10 times, obviously, with a QB rating of less than 40. When he was blitzed he was 6-of-12 and sacked five times, so only half of Penn State's sacks came from blitzes, per this data.
When Plummer was not pressure, he was 12-of-20 for 116 yards and his TD throw to Amad Anderson, and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt, most of any category. When he wasn't blitzed, he was 8-of-16 passing.
Purdue dropped three passes, in PFF's estimation.
• David Bell did grade positively in the passing game, catching four balls on eight targets for 61 yards, an average of 15.3 yards. Almost all of it came against corner John Reid.
• A week after Purdue had some success throwing to its running backs against Minnesota, the ball went King Doerue's way just twice, and one was a screen that was dropped. Doerue was docked for two drops. Alfred Armour made the only RB reception of the day, an eight-yard safety-valve completion.
• A week after they were shut out vs. Minnesota, the ball was thrown to tight ends five times.
Rushing
• King Doerue was credited with 30 yards after contact on a day in which he finished with 26 rushing yards net. That's probably not a great thing.
• Not much to add here in terms of directional success or lack thereof, because you saw it, but a reminder that Purdue is really struggling to get the edges, and that's not reflecting well on either than tackles or tight ends.
PURDUE DEFENSE
Snap Counts
DL
DE George Karlaftis 78
Leo Derrick Barnes 73
DT Kai Higgins 43
DT Anthony Watts 37 (got hurt, because of course he did)
DT Lawrence Johnson 34
DT Jack Sullivan 27
DT Branson Deen 21
DT Giovanni Reviere 1
LB
Ben Holt 77
Jaylan Alexander 59
Cornel Jones 21 (got hurt but returned)
Secondary
S Jalen Graham 77
CB Cory Trice 75 (wow)
CB Dedrick Mackey 63
S Navon Mosley 57
Nickel Simeon Smiley 51
S Brennan Thieneman 44
CB Kenneth Major 18
CB Cam Allen 2 (ejected)
Grades
• DT Anthony Watts graded the best on the defense, before getting hurt, but Jaylan Alexander — pressed into action by Cornel Jones' injury — was close behind. Alexander graded well against the run. Jones didn't grade well in his 21 snaps.
• Watts and Lawrence Johnson (strong against the run) were not just the only positive grades among D-tackles, but the only defensive tackles who didn't grade poorly. Kai Higgins, Jack Sullivan and Branson Deen struggled, in PFF's assessment.
• Cory Trice, in 75 snaps, graded very well. So did linebacker Ben Holt, buoyed by a positive grade in pass defense.
Trice was the only DB to grade positively, but Jalen Graham didn't grade poorly, nor did Kenneth Major in limited snaps or Navon Mosley.
Purdue missed 10 tackles.
Pass D
• Cory Trice saw just one ball thrown at him, and it went for a loss of a yard for KJ Hamler. Whether that was Trice locking his spot down or a function of Penn State's offense, we can't say for sure.
• Penn State was credited with 187 yards after the catch.
• Sean Clifford was 1-of-7 for nine yards when deemed to be under pressure, and all three of his touchdowns came when he was not under pressure. While it might have seemed as if Purdue had some success being more aggressive with its blitzes as the game went on, the numbers here tell a different story, that Clifford was 6-of-7 for 116 yards and two scores, with a sparkling QB rating, when blitzed on eight snaps.
Run D
• Penn State was credited with 135 yards after contact, and graded the best running behind center Michael Menet.
