Express Ten Observations of Bucket Win

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart11/28/22

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Here is what has us talking after Purdue’s 30-16 win at Indiana that punched the Boilermakers’ ticket to the Big Ten title game.

1 – Purdue is going to Indy! The victory punched the Boilermakers’ ticket to the Big Ten championship game where they will play Michigan, which will be in the title game a second season in a row. This is the first time Purdue has won the Big Ten West and played in the title game. Purdue and Michigan last played in 2017, Jeff Brohm’s first season. The Wolverines won, 28-10.

“It’s the ultimate feeling,” said Brohm. “Because, like I said, if you dream about that, it can happen. But it’s hard. It’s really hard.”

2 – The staff and players handled the pressure. The moment Nebraska finished off Iowa, 24-17, on Black Friday, the spotlight swung to Purdue. The Boilermakers were in the driver’s seat to win the West with a victory at Indiana, which was a 10.5-point underdog. Could Purdue deal with the expectations and handle the pressure? Yes and yes.

3 – Devin Mockobee got knocked out of last week’s win vs. Northwestern after the first series. He was put in concussion protocol but emerged to play today vs. Indiana. And, he was motivated playing in front of a legion of family and friends from Boonville, Ind. Mockobee delivered again today, rushing 15 times for 99 yards and a TD and catching a team-high five passes for 58 yards. He’s a difference-maker.

“That’s exactly what he is, difference-maker,” said Brohm. “This is a guy who just wanted to take a chance to prove himself and we wouldn’t be here today without him. He’s that valuable of a player. He’s just humble, hard working, continues to get better. He doesn’t need any credit. He just wants to go out compete.”

4 – Not only did the win allow the Boilermakers to claim the Big Ten West, but it also allowed Purdue to retain the Old Oaken Bucket. Brohm has a 4-1 mark vs. the Hoosiers, with the lone loss coming in double OT in West Lafayette in 2019.

5 – Aidan O’Connell was off the mark in the first half, hitting only 7-of-15 passes for 113 yards. But he found his groove in the second half. The highlight? A 60-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter to Charlie Jones, which gave Purdue a 24-10 lead. O’Connell is dealing with a personal matter that made him very emotional after the game on the sideline.

“He’s got a lot going on right now,” said Brohm. “Can’t say anything. So, he’s emotional for a lot of reasons. He played really hard. Stepped up to the plate when his teammates needed.”

O’Connell hit 18-of-29 passes (62 percent) for 290 yards with two touchdowns.

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6 – Fans were biting their fingernails in the first half, when Purdue could muster just three points and trailed, 7-3 and had only 133 yards. Would the attack come to life?

“Well, we were just gonna continue to battle, reset a little bit and make a few adjustments,” said Brohm. “I thought on offense, we came out and we said ‘Hey, let’s try to get it to these guys really.’ Changed some formations up and some splits up. Just to kind of throw them off a little bit. Thought that helped us move the ball down the field.”

Purdue finished with 388 yards, with 98 on the ground and 290 via the air.

7 – Charlie Jones needed seven catches to reach 100. Alas, Jones finished with four receptions for 143 yards but had a big 60-yard TD in the fourth quarter that gave Purdue a 14-point lead. Jones also had a 58-yard grab in the first half. He has 97 catches for 1,199 yards and 12 TDs on the season.

“We were fortunate that he had a relationship with Aidan O’Connell,” said Brohm. “We had an idea he would be a pretty good player, but we didn’t know we could do this.”

8 – The game took a turn when starting Indiana QB Dexter Williams left the game with what looked like a serious leg injury in the first half with a spirited run game. Had the Hoosiers moving. Connor Bazelak took over and was a mixed bag, hitting 24-of-42 passes for 201 yards with a TD. The IU offense lost its edge without Williams.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Brohm. “I know he’s already been through some injuries and probably suffered a bad injury. You never want to see that happen. That’s awful. So, speedy recovery.”

9 – What if Purdue pulls a monster upset and takes down Michigan in the Big Ten title game? The Boilermakers would head to the Rose Bowl for the first time since Drew Brees’ senior season in 2000.

“They play great defense,” said Brohm. “They got a running game. Quarterback is athletic and can make plays. … So, we’ll have more than our hands full. And we’re going to just enjoy this for a little bit before we get going on them.”

10 – Special teams were special. In the second half, the unit came up with a blocked field goal by Kydran Jenkins that helped keep IU at bay when Purdue led 17-7.

“Special teams came through today and we knew we’re gonna have to gain an edge in all three segments,” said Brohm. “That was critical.”

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