Data Driven: Purdue's loss to Indiana

Each week after Purdue football games, we’ll take a closer look back at the game through PFF data and analytics. Today, Purdue’s 56-3 loss to Indiana to close the season.

(Editor’s note: PFF data is just one organization’s interpretation of the happenings from Saturday’s game. It is not to be taken as gospel).

OFFENSE

Offensive snap counts:

QB Ryan Browne 74
WR Nitro Tuggle 71
WR EJ Horton Jr. 69
WR Michael Jackson III 68
RT Bakyne Coly 54
C Bradyn Joiner 54
RG Hank Purvis 54
LG Jalen St. John 54
LT Joey Tanona 54
RB Antonio Harris 38
TE Christian Earls 34
TE Luca Puccinelli 34
LT Jude McCoskey 23
C Giordano Vaccaro 22
RT John Randle Jr. 22
RG Ethan Trent 22
RB Jaron Thomas 19
WR Jesse Watson 15
TE Christian Moore 13
LG Drew Woodruff 12
RB Malachi Thomas 12
RT Marques Easley 10
TE Rico Walker 7
WR Corey Smith 6
WR Arhmad Branch 4
QB Malachi Singleton 2

Grades and notes:

• Mediocre-to-poor grades litter the report card for the Boilermakers, as one would expect from a 53-point loss
• The top-rated player? True freshman tailback Jaron Thomas in limited action
• The offensive line fared respectably, as Tanona, Joiner and St. John finished among Purdue’s best grades on offense
  • For the first time of the season (that I can recall), Purdue put the entire second unit of the offensive line in once the game got out of hand
  • Marques Easley will miss the first half of the 2026 season opener after his targeting ejection in the second half
• Purdue’s run-blocking grades weren’t pretty, a good indication of Purdue’s struggles to run the ball between the tackles
• Pass protection came back respectably, especially among the first unit
  • Antonio Harris and Jaron Thomas graded well out of the backfield, too. Never an easy task for young running backs.
• Ryan Browne played nearly every snap at quarterback this week, turning in his best grade since the Michigan game
  • He finishes the season with his first six performances all grading better than his final six
• The tight end position struggled for one final time to close out the season
  • Once George Burhenn went down at Notre Dame, this group turned into a black hole
• Virtually no rotation at wide receiver stands out
  • As the season wound down, Purdue really stuck with the top three of Jackson III, Tuggle, Horton Jr.
• Credit Jaron Thomas for coming in as a true freshman and putting a nice showing on the field. He’s a part of Purdue’s future.

Ryan Browne’s passing chart:

• Clean: 19-37, 151 yards, INT
• Under pressure: 6-10, 87 yards
• Not blitzed: 13-21, 111 yards, INT
• Blitzed: 12-26, 127 yards
• Play action: 10-14, 89 yards
• No play action: 15-33, 149 yards, INT
• Screen: 7-8, 14 yards
• No screen: 18-39, 224 yards, INT

• Browne’s average depth of target: 10.4 yards
  • For the most part, this lines up with what Browne did early on in the season. In some recent weeks, he threw short much more often
• None of his grades came back particularly great, though he did handle the blitz well, per PFF
• Browne attempted eight passes of 20+ yards, but he completed just one of them
  • His interception came in this category
• Four “big-time throws” and three “turnover-worthy passes” for Browne
  • This sums up his season to a degree – some flashes of really good traits, some really tough turnovers and blows to Purdue’s momentum
• Two drops by Purdue wide receivers: Tuggle and Watson
• Tuggle led the team with 11 targets. Eight for Jackson, eight for Horton, five for Puccinelli
• Purdue allowed nine pressures but zero sacks. Browne did a nice job at spinning his way out of sacks.

Running game:

• Purdue ran for a paltry 1.6 yards per carry
  • Not a single one of Purdue’s 27 carries went for 10+ yards
  • Purdue had more yards after contact (50) than total rushing yards (43), a real reflection of the offensive line’s struggles to clear holes
• Purdue’s ball carriers forced just three missed tackles by Indiana
  • This comes after two consecutive weeks of no missed tackles forced
• Three scrambles from Ryan Browne

DEFENSE

Defensive snap counts:

CB Tony Grimes all 55
Tahj Ra-El 53
Mani Powell 51
Vi’Naz Cobb 46
Hudauri Hines 46
CJ Nunnally 44
Ian Jeffries 43
Charles Correa 42
CJ Madden 41
Smiley Bradford 34
Chops Harkless 32
Alex Sanford Jr. 25
Demeco Kennedy 23
Breeon Ishmail 14
Trey Smith 11
Winston Berglund 9
Ryan Turner 9
An’Darius Coffey 9
Jamarius Dinkins 8
Zeke Williams 6
Sanders Ellis 4

Grades and notes:

• Among regular contributors, CJ Madden, Tahj Ra-El and Hudauri Hines turned in nearly identical grades
  • PFF credits Hines with a nice close to the season after some early struggles
• Myles Slusher did not see a snap after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty marred his day at Washington
  • His replacement, Vi’Naz Cobb, struggled mightily, finishing as the lowest-graded Purdue defender
• Purdue missed 13 tackles
  • The defense simply did not tackle well this season, missing double-digit tackles in all but two games
  • Multiples: Smiley Bradford (3), Vi’Naz Cobb (3), Mani Powell (2), Tony Grimes (2)
  • The tackling grades were ugly once again
• In pass coverage, Purdue’s defensive backs graded out respectably
  • Only Cobb turned in a really negative grade, though nobody truly excelled
• Purdue generated just four pressures of Fernando Mendoza and no sacks
  • The pass rush grades were not particularly effective
• More rotation on Purdue’s defense, though that’s to be expected in a decisive loss
• There are some building blocks on the defense, but Purdue needs substantial improvement here

Fernando Mendoza’s passing chart

• Clean: 6-12, 105 yards, 2 TD
• Under pressure: 2-3, 12 yards
• Not blitzed: 2-6, 12 yards
• Blitzed: 6-9, 105 yards, 2 TD
• Play action: 3-4, 38 yards, TD
• No play action: 5-11, 79 yards, TD
• Screen: 2-2, 32 yards, TD
• No screen: 6-13, 85 yards, TD