In the fourth quarter of this game Saturday against its Big Ten West albatross, Minnesota, Purdue was in a familiarly uncomfortable position, with its offense doing nothing on the scoreboard and its defense again having too much asked of it.
Having already botched some opportunities and thrown back some breaks, the script was playing out in a way we've seen before. Then, Purdue flipped it.
The defense — an extraordinary game from this defense, getting no help in the second and third quarters, and most of the fourth — maintained it the full 60 minutes. There was never that lapse, as Purdue got every third-down stop it needed in order to head it off when it seemed imminent.
The offense still isn't scoring enough — running completely dry after a first-drive touchdown then a gift-wrapped field goal — but figured it out at the end. Aidan O'Connell wasn't himself today, but did enough to give Mitchell Fineran a chance to dash his own demons from the past few weeks.
The four-minute offense concerns from the Penn State, well, Devin Mockobee just laughed at them. Just a big-time and clutch play by the young running back to cap an offensive day in which Purdue had real balance. Couldn't have seen that coming.
It was great for Purdue to overcome its own failings to win this game. There were the three first-half turnovers and a couple opportunities that weren't cashed out. You're never perfect, but a couple of gaps get filled in and this is a very different game.
But it was also great for Purdue to win this game Big Ten-style, to beat Minnesota at its own game.
Strong defense, timely scoring, good special teams. No critical errors.
This was the position after halftime Purdue's been in a bunch of times now already this season and the results have been mixed. This time, there was no ghastly turnover, or disastrous missed tackle, or horrific penalty.
Purdue played a close game and did everything right. It was solid. All it needed to be to win against Penn State and Syracuse was be solid.
It figured it today for an enormous and cathartic win over a program that's more enjoyable to beat than probably any other in the Big Ten, all things being equal. It was a bit of a role reversal in that while Purdue didn't play a flawless game, it was Minnesota that committed all the major gaffes. The dropped touchdown-turned-INT was probably the biggest play of the game. There was a personal foul, as well, that kept Purdue on the field. Tanner Morgan looked like a shell of the guy who looked like Tom Brady against Purdue just a few years ago.
I am complimenting Purdue by saying they didn't screw it up, but that's part of being good in football, and the part that's been elusive for Purdue through the first month of the year.
It bears mentioning that Minnesota was down some big offensive pieces and that certainly mattered, but for Purdue's defense to have this sort of game and and for the offense to figure some things out late and for the Boilermakers all across the board to dash their self-destructive tendencies, that's a big, big deal moving forward.
This was a great — dare I say, elite — win for Purdue and a badly needed one.
But I'll say again what I said before this game: The great thing about college football is that every week can be a season unto itself. Just when you think you have everything figured out, everything changes.
Purdue can't look at this game as any sort of destination. It has to keep getting better and better. Today was a great start toward turning this thing around.
Kudos to everyone involved. That defense really showed up with a different personnel mix. Those maligned corners came up big. Cory Trice, for one. Cam Allen keeps making plays, including the ones that fall right in his lap. Bryce Hampton made a huge play. Jacob Wahlberg has looked like a revelation the past 120 minutes of football. That defensive staff did good work this week.
Jeff Brohm called a good game today, I thought, with what might have been a compromised quarterback. Aidan O'Connell really gutted one out and those running backs ran their tails off.
Great win for Purdue. Have to build on it now.
Having already botched some opportunities and thrown back some breaks, the script was playing out in a way we've seen before. Then, Purdue flipped it.
The defense — an extraordinary game from this defense, getting no help in the second and third quarters, and most of the fourth — maintained it the full 60 minutes. There was never that lapse, as Purdue got every third-down stop it needed in order to head it off when it seemed imminent.
The offense still isn't scoring enough — running completely dry after a first-drive touchdown then a gift-wrapped field goal — but figured it out at the end. Aidan O'Connell wasn't himself today, but did enough to give Mitchell Fineran a chance to dash his own demons from the past few weeks.
The four-minute offense concerns from the Penn State, well, Devin Mockobee just laughed at them. Just a big-time and clutch play by the young running back to cap an offensive day in which Purdue had real balance. Couldn't have seen that coming.
It was great for Purdue to overcome its own failings to win this game. There were the three first-half turnovers and a couple opportunities that weren't cashed out. You're never perfect, but a couple of gaps get filled in and this is a very different game.
But it was also great for Purdue to win this game Big Ten-style, to beat Minnesota at its own game.
Strong defense, timely scoring, good special teams. No critical errors.
This was the position after halftime Purdue's been in a bunch of times now already this season and the results have been mixed. This time, there was no ghastly turnover, or disastrous missed tackle, or horrific penalty.
Purdue played a close game and did everything right. It was solid. All it needed to be to win against Penn State and Syracuse was be solid.
It figured it today for an enormous and cathartic win over a program that's more enjoyable to beat than probably any other in the Big Ten, all things being equal. It was a bit of a role reversal in that while Purdue didn't play a flawless game, it was Minnesota that committed all the major gaffes. The dropped touchdown-turned-INT was probably the biggest play of the game. There was a personal foul, as well, that kept Purdue on the field. Tanner Morgan looked like a shell of the guy who looked like Tom Brady against Purdue just a few years ago.
I am complimenting Purdue by saying they didn't screw it up, but that's part of being good in football, and the part that's been elusive for Purdue through the first month of the year.
It bears mentioning that Minnesota was down some big offensive pieces and that certainly mattered, but for Purdue's defense to have this sort of game and and for the offense to figure some things out late and for the Boilermakers all across the board to dash their self-destructive tendencies, that's a big, big deal moving forward.
This was a great — dare I say, elite — win for Purdue and a badly needed one.
But I'll say again what I said before this game: The great thing about college football is that every week can be a season unto itself. Just when you think you have everything figured out, everything changes.
Purdue can't look at this game as any sort of destination. It has to keep getting better and better. Today was a great start toward turning this thing around.
Kudos to everyone involved. That defense really showed up with a different personnel mix. Those maligned corners came up big. Cory Trice, for one. Cam Allen keeps making plays, including the ones that fall right in his lap. Bryce Hampton made a huge play. Jacob Wahlberg has looked like a revelation the past 120 minutes of football. That defensive staff did good work this week.
Jeff Brohm called a good game today, I thought, with what might have been a compromised quarterback. Aidan O'Connell really gutted one out and those running backs ran their tails off.
Great win for Purdue. Have to build on it now.
