Instant takes from Nebraska's 43-37 loss to Purdue
Here are three instant takes to Nebraska’s 43-37 loss to Purdue in a battle to lead the Big Ten West:
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Offensive line shakeups don’t help
Nebraska started two different linemen on the right side of the offensive line. Hunter Anthony started at right tackle instead of Bryce Benhart and redshirt freshman Henry Lutovsky started at left guard. Benhart replaced Anthony at right tackle in the second half.
As usual, Turner Corcoran, Ethan Piper and Trent Hixson started at left tackle, left guard and center, respectively.
Despite the changeup on the right side, Purdue tied its season-high sacks number at halftime. The Boilermakers had four sacks for 38 yards in the first half.
In the second quarter, Nebraska allowed back-to-back sacks. Anthony got beat on the first play and Thompson was sacked for eight yards on second down. On the next play, Lutovsky and Anthony both let their defenders by them for a nine-yard sack. The Huskers had to punt on 4th-and-26.
Nebraska-Purdue postgame nuggets
Corcoran let Jalen Graham blow by him and sack Thompson for a loss of 14 yards early in the first quarter. The big hit Graham delivered on the quarterback’s blind side while he was looking to throw, forced Thompson to fumble. Luckily for Nebraska, Hixson jumped on the ball.
Nebraska’s offensive line made second-half adjustments and held up much better after the break. They didn’t give up a sack in the second half but Thompson still took some big hits. After one incomplete play on third down where he got hammered after the throw, he went to the sideline and knelt down like the wind was knocked out of him.
With Benhart back in at right tackle, the line shaped up enough to allow Thompson and the offense to score 24 points in the second half. But with the line allowing so many pressures each game, Thompson’s healthy still remains a concern.
Husker defense still has lots of work to do
Nebraska’s defense had its first big test under interim defensive coordinator Bill Busch. They allowed 27 points and 296 yards in the first half against a very good Purdue offense. The Boilermakers had 608 total yards including 391 passing yards.
The Huskers gave up their first touchdown in the second half since the third quarter of the Oklahoma game against the Boilermakers. However, they made good enough adjustments to help keep the offense in the game.
One of Nebraska’s weak points was the run game.
Running back Devin Mockobee ran all over NU. He had 115 yards on 17 yards for an average of 6.8 yards per play in the first half. Toward the end of the second quarter, Mockobee led an entire drive of his own as he ran seven consecutive plays to score and help Purdue go up 27-10.
Boilermaker Head Coach Jeff Brahmer only ran the ball on that drive and why not? The Huskers couldn’t stop it.
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To make matters worse, linebacker Nick Henrich went down during the drive and limped off the field. He didn’t return. Nebraska’s other star linebacker Luke Reimer was in street clothes. Eteva Mauga-Clements and freshman Ernest Hausmann were forced to step in a huge game against a great offense.
Purdue averaged 4.6 yards per carry on the ground with 217 rushing yards. Mockobee finished with 178 rushing yards on 30 carries and averaged 5.9 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell played lights out as he went 35-of-54 with 391 passing yards and four touchdowns.
With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter and NU down one score, the Huskers desperately needed a defensive stop. They had them on the rope with a 4th-and-1 but O’Connell got the first down with his legs. The Boilermakers steamed ahead and the Huskers’ defenses couldn’t find an answer.
Trey Palmer and big plays boost offense and team
As the clock started to wind down in the first quarter, the offense got a spark. Trey Palmer had a 10-yard catch in the middle of the field and Marcus Washington grabbed a pass for five yards. With time for one more play, quarterback Casey Thompson let one fly and connected with Oliver Martin 45 yards downfield.
Those 45 yards from Martin’s catch were more than all of Nebraska’s first-quarter yards (38).
Running back Jaquez Yant scored a 2-yard touchdown to end the drive and Nebraska closed Purdue’s lead to 10-7.
Martin’s catch sparked Nebraska’s defense and special teams as well.
The Huskers’ defense forced Purdue to punt after five plays and 19 yards. On the punt, Phalen Sanford busted threw the middle and blocked the punt. Nebraska’s offense got the ball back at its 39-yard line.
Thompson connected with Palmer for a 39-yard gain and Timmy Bleekrode sailed a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to end the drive and tie it up 10-10 with nine minutes to go in the second quarter.
To start the second half, Thompson found tight end Travis Vokolek for his first catch of the game. Vokolek snatched the ball and earned roughly 10 yards after contact for a 30-yard catch. On the next play, Palmer was wide open in the endzone for a 37-yard touchdown to help close Purdue’s lead to 27-20.
Later in the third quarter, Palmer had a 60-yard rush on a jet sweep to get Nebraska to the 22-yard line. Thompson missed a wide-open Alante Brown in the endzone and Bleekrode nailed the 22-yard field goal, 27-23 Boilermakers.
And of course, Thompson found his favorite receiver, Palmer, for a 72-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter to make the score 34-30 Purdue.
When things were looking bleak for the Scarlet and Cream, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple knew what to do. Thompson found Palmer for a 70-yard gain and the Huskers scored two plays later with 5:55 remaining to close Purdue’s lead 43-37.
Palmer finished with 237 receiving yards on seven catches and two touchdowns. The wide receiver set a record for the most receiving yards in a game in Nebraska history.
Nebraska didn’t get the ball back at the end of the game to go for the win but it’s safe to say they would have gone to Palmer.
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