GoldandBlack.com Saturday Simulcast: Purdue-USC Wrap

The staff of GoldandBlack.com and co-hosts Nate Barrett and Alan Karpick discuss today’s Purdue-USC matchup and take your questions following the Trojans’ 33-17 win in Ross-Ade Stadium in a game that was delayed in the beginning by just over three hours.

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Purdue-USC recap

Purdue’s most anticipated matchup of the young season had to wait longer than expected, as inclement weather delayed the Boilermakers’ Big Ten opener against USC by over three hours, turning the Saturday clash into an evening affair.

Barry Odom and company suffered their first defeat of the season, at the hands of the Trojans, falling 33-17 on Saturday night. The loss extends a four-game losing streak in Big Ten openers for the Boilermakers, who last won their Big Ten opener back in 2021, a 13-9 win over Illinois.

PDF: Purdue-USC statistics

USC had no issues getting acclimated to Ross-Ade Stadium after the lengthy delay, having five plays of 20+ yards in the opening quarter. The Trojans were forced to settle for a field goal on its opening drive before cashing in on an 80-yard march on their drive, with quarterback Jayden Maiava handing the Boilermakers a 10-0 deficit on a three-yard rush for a score at the beginning of the second quarter.

Maiava was a thorn in the side of the Boilermakers on Saturday, accounting for 292 total yards on the night, including 282 yards through the air and a score with his legs. Maiava looked toward his favorite targets, Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon for much of his damage, as that elite receiver tandem combined for eight catches for 178 yards. The Purdue secondary had no answers for USC’s aerial attack, allowing a season-worst 282 passing yards.

Spencer Porath connected on his fourth field goal in as many tries this season to erase Purdue’s “0” from the scoreboard in response to USC’s first trip to the end zone. The Trojans then extended their lead to 14 with a six-yard touchdown run via Waymond Jordan to cap off a ground-centric 75-yard drive, taking a 17-3 advantage into halftime.

After the Trojans kicked another field goal, Purdue found an unlikely source for its first touchdown of the night. After guiding the Boilermakers down the field on 5-6 passing for 54 yards, Ryan Browne found the end zone on a head scratching play. Browne flipped a pass behind the line of scrimmage to Michael Jackson III in the right flat, who fired the ball back to Browne on the opposite side of the field. Jackson airmailed his quarterback, but a heady Browne scooped up the “lateral” and scurried 34 yards for the score.

The circus play cut the Trojans’ lead to ten, making it a 20-10 game with 8:47 left in the third quarter. USC was then forced to settle for another three-pointer from the leg of Ryon Sayeri, his third of four on the night, to extend the lead back to 13.

The backbreaker proved to be the most viral of moments, sure to make the highlight reel. With Purdue threatening in opponent territory, Ryan Browne’s pass was tipped and grabbed by 6-foot-5, 360-pound USC defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett, who took the interception 70 yards for the score.

Browne led a response on the following drive, hitting Michael Jackson for a 31-yard gain to set up a nine-yard strike to Nitro Tuggle for the score, cutting into the USC led, making it a 30-17 ballgame at the start of the fourth quarter.

Tuggle had the best game of his brief stint in West Lafayette, tallying four catches for 69 yards and the aforementioned score. The sophomore receiver headlined the improved play from the wide receivers from last week, with Tuggle, Michael Jackson and EJ Horton having 69 or more yards. As a team, Purdue had 305 yards through the air, stemming from the arm of Ryan Browne.

Purdue’s offense was a mixed bag on Saturday night, moving the ball well at times, but a trio of costly interceptions from Ryan Browne proved to be too much to overcome in the defeat. All three turnovers came when Purdue was in the red zone, marking the difference in what was a closer game than the scoreboard may suggest.

After suffering its first setback of the season, Purdue has little time to regroup, with a daunting trip to South Bend awaiting next Saturday.