10 Observations Purdue-Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. — This is what has us talking after Purdue’s 19-0 loss at Northwestern on Saturday.

1 – Without a doubt, this was the poorest effort–by a mile–for Purdue all season. You’d think there would be a sense of urgency for the Boilermakers to end a four-game losing streak. No dice. While Purdue was oh-so-close to winning last week at Minnesota (27-20), it was never in this game. The losing streak is now five. Oh, and Purdue has lost 13 Big Ten games in a row.

“Not very good in any three areas, offense, defense or kicking,” said Barry Odom. “Credit to Northwestern. They kicked our tails from the head coach all the way down, and in every way that you can, they did, and they played their brand of ball and won the game. We didn’t play anywhere close to what it needs to look like to play winning ball in any phase, offense, defense or kicking.

2 – Got a question for you: Is Purdue the worst team in the Big Ten? Whatever your answer, these are tough times for the Boilermakers, who are 10-24 overall and 3-19 in the Big Ten since the start of the 2023 season.

“Got a lot of work ahead of us and frustrated for all the people that support Purdue, frustrated that how we played today,” said Odom.

3 – Did Purdue know it had to play a game today? It didn’t seem like it. The Boilers looked like zombies (Hey, it’s Halloween season, right?) from the start, getting totally out played and looking largely disinterested in falling behind 13-0 at the break. Purdue was lucky the score was that close. This was the first shutout at the hands of Northwestern since 1956–a 14-0 loss in the first year of coach Jack Mollenkopf.

“For whatever reason, I missed” said Odom. “We weren’t ready to go play from when the time the ball was kicked off. I didn’t feel that going up. We had a really good week of preparation, thought our things that we did at the hotel last night, this morning, felt like we were ready to go play, and we didn’t.

“And that’s as disappointed as I’ve been when I sit here and think about that statement. How could I not get this team ready to go play a conference game? And we didn’t, so very frustrated, disappointed in our coaching staff and myself.”

4 – Purdue could not get off the field. It was exasperating and demoralizing for a defense that was manhandled. NU went 7-of-16 on third downs, as the Wildcats dominated time of possession (37:39 to 22:21) and the game in running 74 plays to Purdue’s 56. First downs? 25-11 for NU. On and on it went on a dreary day that looked a lot like 2024.

“Winning is really, really hard,” said Odom. “No matter where you are, those things are hard. And when you make it more difficult on yourself than it needs to be, then it gets frustrating. But the options are: What are you going to do? Stay in the in the path and keep doing what you’re doing? Or are you going to fix things and go to work and find a way to grit and grind and find a way to go get it? And I choose that side.”

5 – A week after holding Minnesota to 30 yards rushing last week, Purdue allowed 66 in the first quarter alone en route to yielding 235. No doubt, NU was the more physical team on this. Purdue was battered by Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon.

What did Odom think of the team’s effort?

“It wasn’t very good today,” he said. “It’s hard to say out loud, but it wasn’t.”

6 – Ryan Browne took a hard hit early in the second half, forcing him to leave the game. Malachi Singleton took over and had some success. Browne was OK to come back in, but the staff stuck with Singleton. How will the QB spot play out next week?

“Left shoulder,” said Odom. “And we’ll get a little more information …

“If you’re not one of the guys out there with the first 11, you’ve got to train like you’re the starter. And I think Malachi has done that, Bennett Meredith has done that. So, hopefully, Ryan be able to get back and go lead us. We also have to get ready to go play with who’s available from a health standpoint.”

7 – October was supposed to be a defining month for Purdue, a chance to earn some wins. It hasn’t happened. The Boilers are O-fer October with one game left: Rutgers for Homecoming. It looks like the Boilermakers last chance to sip from the victory cup. Could this be a 2-10 season after last year’s 1-11 effort?

What’s missing from this team?

“I don’t know,” said Odom. “I do feel like from where we started December to where we are today, it’s a different team in a number of things. But still, we got to win games. I said from the first day I had an opportunity to speak publicly, they’re never rebuilds. Those don’t exist anymore. So, it’s put the team together and an organization together that plays winning ball. And we’re coming up short right now. So, there’s a number of people that got to get it right, and that starts with the guy standing right here.”

8 – Did Purdue learn its lesson on penalties last week, when it had a season-high nine last week? Nope. The penalties continued to persist. The Boilers had 6 at the half and finished with 8. Oh, and Purdue lost the turnover battle again: 3-2.

“Penalties are never good,” said Odom. “I think we would look at every single one of them and identify the reason that it happened. We coach and we teach it, and then eventually the team has got to understand how important it is not to commit those mistakes. And that takes self discipline, and we’re not there yet.”

9 – There was a time when Purdue “owned” Northwestern. The roles have been reversed for years. NU has won 12 of the last 18, and the last three in a row. The Wildcats are everything Purdue wants to be, playing harder, smarter and tougher than Purdue.

10 – In total control of the game, NU called a dubious fake punt late in the first half … and failed. Purdue got the ball at its 47-yard line, a golden opportunity for the Boilers to chip at a 13-0 deficit. Alas, Purdue went 3-and-out. The sequence encapsulated the day for Purdue.