10 Observations for Indiana State blowout

This is what has us talking after Purdue’s season opening 49-0 victory vs. Indiana State on Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium. 

1 – Ideal start

Ryan Walters had to be pleased, as the script for the game unfurled ideally for Purdue.

The offense was clicking behind the passing of Hudson Card, who was working the edges of the field and throwing on the run with aplomb. Purdue got a lead … and kept pushing, doing to Indiana State what it was supposed to do: Dominate.

Some history from this 49-0 win: Purdue’s most recent season-opener shutout? Sept. 5, 2004, vs. Syracuse, a 51-0 rout in Ross-Ade. The last home season-opener shutout? Sept. 10, 2022, a 56-0 win over Indiana State.

Mission: Accomplished.

2 – Job done

Purdue didn’t need to just win today, it needed to assert itself. It did that. Good thing. Because, from here on out, the lifting gets a lot heavier following next week’s bye. Up next: A visit from Notre Dame, which hasn’t been to West Lafayette since 2013.

“I felt like we expected this type of outcome,” said Walters. “So, nobody was surprised by it. I felt like we just did what we’re supposed to do.”

3 – Hot hand

Hudson Card hit 13 of his first 14 passes for 184 yards with two TDs as Purdue took an early 14-0 lead. And Card never let up in leading Purdue to 583 yards: 335 passing and 248 rushing.

When the dust settled, Card had hit 24 of 25 passes (96 percent) to break the FBS single-game record for highest completion percentage (minimum 20 completions).

No Purdue QB in history had ever passed for over 90 percent completion percentage (20 or more attempts) in a game. Kyle Orton vs. Ball State (.885 23-of-26 vs Ball State, 2004) was tops.

“I’m not surprised, because he’s been doing this, really, since spring ball,” said Walters. “I’ve been talking about how much more comfortable he is, how much more confident he is, not only in the scheme and knowing what we’re doing on offense, but also just as a leader in embracing his role as a quarterback of this team.”

3 – Spreading it out

Before halftime, Purdue had completed passes to seven different players: Max Klare, Drew Biber, De’Nylon Morrissette, Jahmal Edrine, Jaron Tibbs, Shamar Rigby and Devin Mockobee.

Jayden Dixon-Veal, Andrew Sowinski, George Burhenn, Jesse Watson and Leland Smith joined the catch club in the second half. All told, 12 players caught passes.

“The ball was spread around a lot to different receivers, tight ends and running backs,” said Walters. “So, I thought all those guys did a good job of doing their job.”

Smith was one of four players to make TD grabs, joining Klare, Tibbs and Morrissette. In fact, all seven TDs were scored by seven different players.

4 – Penalty fever

Looking for a nit to pick? This is it: 11 penalties for 110 yards.

The flags started to fly against Purdue in the second quarter: holding, holding, false start, roughing the passer, face mask … on and on it went. Purdue was an equal opportunity offender, too, as eight different players earned yellow hankies.

“There were still areas of the game where it got sloppy,” said Walters. “You look at the stat sheet and we had 11 penalties to there two. That can’t happen if we want to continue to have success on game days. We’ll look at a tape. I thought some of them were judgment calls that could have went either way. Some of them weren’t. So, some were just the result of technique and fundamentals and being lazy. So, we’ll correct that.”

MORE: Purdue-ISU photo gallery | Points after

5 – Mistake-free

A pretty clean first game, aside from the issue with penalties.

Missed tackles? There were few. Dropped passes? No big whoop. Blown coverages? No big deals. Turnovers? There was just one, a first-quarter lost fumble by Biber on the offense’s second possession of the game.

Staffers never know what to expect the first time out. But this has to make the coaches pleased.

6 – Freshmen time

Youth was served, as Purdue started two true freshmen: CB Tarrion Grant and Rigby. And each held their own. It was the first time two true freshmen had started in a season opener since 2019.

“We got both those guys here in June,” said Walters. “Both of them physically don’t look like freshmen, and they don’t play or practice like freshmen, either. And that’s both from a physical and a mental standpoint. Anytime you can be a starter game one as a true freshman, that means you are fully comfortable with the game plan, fully comfortable with the adjustments within the game plan. That’s hard to do, and especially when we didn’t have them in the spring.”

And don’t forget about true freshman K Spencer Porath, who won the job of kicking field goals. He didn’t attempt one on this day, but he split the uprights on all of his PATs–seven of them. A nice start to a career that is loaded with promise.

PDF: Purdue-Indiana State statistics

7 – Isn’t that special

Let’s hear it for special teams!

Much was made about Dillon Thieneman assuming punt return duties. He was more than solid in his debut. In fact, his first run back was his best, going for 14 yards. Thieneman finished with three returns for 29 yards. He is the ultimate wild card, a big play waiting to happen. Who knows? One of his returns could win a game for the Boilermakers. Overall, Walters was happy with special teams.

“I thought we were clean from a substitution standpoint,” he said. “Spencer didn’t have an opportunity to kick a field goal, but thought the the ball was coming off his foot on PATs well. I thought Ben Freehill did a nice job putting most of (his kickoffs) through the end zone. Thought Keelan (Crimmins) did a heck of a job as a punter today giving us good hang time and good ball locations. I thought we protected him.

“I think we got the best special teams coordinator (Chris Petrilli) in the country. Those guys play hard for him.”

8 – Backup time

The inflated score allowed Purdue to substitute liberally, as seemingly every player dressed played. Walkon RB Elijah Jackson took advantage, running 69 yards for a TD. It was the program’s longest TD run since 2018, when Rondale Moore hit paydirt from 76 yards vs. Northwestern.

9 – Deeeee-fense

The unit has a lot to prove after a bumpy 2023. This was a nice first effort, albeit vs. an overmatched foe. Still, this is something the defense can build off, pitching a shutout and yielding only 154 yards with just 50 through the air. Purdue had three sacks and 11 TFLs.

Shout out to Will Heldt, a nice opening effort for a guy staffers hope can be their next great edge rusher. Two sacks, three TFLs for No. 15 today as well as a team-high seven tackles.

10 – Injury-free

Ask any coach, and he’ll sing a “Hallelujah!” for getting through a game without major injury incidents. That was the case today.

“You’re gonna have some bumps and bruises, but I am happy that we have a bye week next week,” said Walters. “One, to continue to improve on some of our technique and fundamentals and learn from some of the mistakes we made today, also to get back healthy and add some guys that were out today, and so that we can really get going, because the season is here for real-for real now.”