Purdue passes first test of adversity in Southern Illinois triumph

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Getting punched in the mouth is a reality that every team has to go through at one point or another. Everything is stress free when the birds are chirping and the sun in shining, but Barry Odom and Purdue got their first taste of adversity on Saturday night and while it wasn’t pretty, passed their first test.

Southern Illinois came out firing offensively, marching down the field on a 10-play, 75-yard drive to open the game. After a swift response by the Boilermakers, a 13-yard strike from Ryan Browne to sophomore wide receiver Arhmad Branch, the Salukis continued to put the pressure on. DJ Williams found a wide open Fabian McCray for a 63-yard gain that set up Southern Illinois’ second touchdown in the opening ten minutes.

The Boilermakers faced a 14-7 deficit, while the defense looked eerily similar to that of one of the worst in all of college football from a year ago. The difference a week makes in college football loomed large in the first quarter, with Purdue being put on its heels against the Salukis.

“Obviously the last week, when you look at how we started the game, just almost completely opposite this week,” Barry Odom said on Saturday.

While the defense struggled against Southern Illinois’ attack, it was the offense that picked up the slack and kept the Boilermakers from having to fight off what was shaping up to be another one of the Salukis’ upsets over an FBS opponent.

Purdue scored on four straight possessions to start the game and after seeing its first deficit of the year, rattled off 27 points in a row to come out with the upper hand on Saturday night. Veteran running back Devin Mockobee shouldered the load, with a performance that encapsulated the type of win the Boilermakers etched. Gutsy.

Mockobee toted the rock a career-high 32 times, with two more catches, for 126 yards and two scores on the ground, for a Purdue offense that leaned on the ground game. The offense, headlined by Mockobee’s gritty effort, provided a spark while the defense struggled to find its footing in Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday night.

“When one side of the ball is struggling, then the other two sides, they need to pick that that side up. And tonight, our offense did that as we started the game and so did special teams. So how important that is to be able to play complimentary football,” Odom said.

Mike Scherer’s unit was able to settle into the game after the two aforementioned drives to start the contest, limiting Southern Illinois to just 130 yards of offense for the remainder of the game. A key third down sack from Charles Correa and a big hit from Smiley Bradford on a fourth down stop in the second quarter gave the Purdue defense confidence while the offense handled business on the flip side of the football.

“On the looks we were getting defensively after the first two series, I thought we calmed down and played smart football. We were a little bit slow for whatever reason. As we got started, we saw the formation, we had checks into that. We just didn’t get it executed,” Odom said.

“Coach Scherer, the defensive side, they made some changes and went to a couple things that we had repped this week that we didn’t think we were going to get to early on, but we had to, and the players did a great job on understanding what we needed to change and then going and changing it,” Odom said.

After its first shaky start of the season, Purdue settled in and found a way to get out of West Lafayette with a 2-0 mark to kick off the Odom era.

Saturday night wasn’t as pretty or flashy of a win as some may have hoped, but taking lessons in a win is the name of the game. There is a scenario in which the Boilermakers don’t make the necessary adjustments and find themselves in a catastrophe, dropping the first game to an FCS opponent in program history.

“I don’t know if people will listen and understand this, but winning is really hard, and you got to find a way. We got to find an edge on how it takes to get your team there. And I’m never, ever going to apologize for winning. So we understand the challenges that are upcoming. We understand we’re not anywhere close to what we will be as a finished product. We’ll continue to strive in every single area,” Odom said.

While Saturday’s showing leaves questions and uncertainty moving forward, it marked an important moment for the Boilermakers under Barry Odom. What would happen when things get hard? Purdue passed that test, finding a way to weather the storm and wind up coasting to a 17-point victory despite looking adversity in the face.

Bigger tests loom, however. A 2-0 USC squad that looks like an offensive juggernaut is set to make its way to West Lafayette next weekend, while top ten Notre Dame and a surging Illinois team await, as well. Purdue is going to face more adversity this fall. There’s no question about that. Performances like the one Saturday aren’t going to cut it against the Trojans, Fighting Irish and Illini.

Having the experience of getting through adversity could come in handy, though, as the Boilermakers begin one of the toughest stretches of their season over the next month. Whether or not Odom and company will use it to their advantage remains to be seen, but at least for the first test in that regard, Purdue passed.