Ten observations: Washington 49, Purdue 13

SEATTLE — Here is what has us talking after Purdue’s 49-13 loss at Washington.

1 – This was a step back. Those are Barry Odom’s words, not mine. But, I’m not gonna argue with him. This step back looked similar to the 19-0 no-show/lay-down effort at Northwestern last month. This was an oh-so-forgetable night in the Pacific Northwest that left many muttering to themselves. What’s going on for a team that just lost its ninth in a row?

“From coaching, all the way down to playing and executing it, we got whooped anyway you slice it or dice it in all three phases, plus coaching, we got our tails kicked,” said Odom, whose team is 2-9 overall and 0-8 in the Big Ten. “Didn’t see it coming. Shocked as I sit here and think about how we started the game, how we were throughout the course of the game. Very, very disappointing, and obviously we took step back today, and it was a big step, and I’ve got to do a great job on finishing the season the right way.”

2 – Can we say a quick word about the QB play? Not a lot to say, really. Yes, there are issues at receiver and tight end. Still, Malachi Singleton is limited as a passer and struggles to pick out receivers quickly and deliver the ball. Ryan Browne? He is apt to make poor decisions, which we saw tonight with a ninth INT tossed. He has a Big Ten-high nine picks–with just nine TDs. What’s going on with the position?

“This week’s plan, we were going to get Malachi in early,” said Odom. “Once we did and saw what they were playing and how they were playing, I thought offensively felt like we were going to stick with him for a little while longer. In all areas, on both sides of the ball, they had our number.”

Singleton was 16-of-28 for 150 yards and a TD; Browne was 1-of-6 for 17 yards and a pick.

3 – A big storyline on this drizzly night: Purdue was facing its former head coach in Ryan Walters, who lasted just two disastrous seasons in West Lafayette. Walters had to recognize this Purdue, which looked and played a lot like his 2024 team that went 1-11. Is Purdue still competing?

“We didn’t tonight,” said Odom.

The Boilers were out gained 506-267. It was every bit as ugly as that.

4 – The scoring issues for the offense are well-documented. And they persisted on this night. A big issue: Offensive creativity. Why hold back? Purdue is 2-8. Let it all hang out. Roll the dice. Shoot your shot. Purdue’s first half drives: Punt, downs, downs, INT, punt. For all intents and purposes, this game was over by then with Washington leading 28-0.

“I think we’re creative enough,” said Odom. “I think there’s times that we don’t block well at the point of attack, we can’t get a first down, we can’t separate on man coverage. When we do and we have opportunities, we don’t play catch well enough. We have too many drops, and then quarterback decision-making, we’ve got to continue to improve. We’ve got enough playmakers on that side of the ball that we should play better than we are.”

5 – The listless offense deserves another mention in this space–given how poorly in continues to play. Three times early on, Purdue had the ball in Washington territory. And three times, it came up with bupkus. Twice–TWICE–Purdue got stuffed on 4th-and-short on unimaginative runs up the middle. It was maddening. Enough.

6 – Trailing 7-0, Purdue was set to get off the field after a third down stop by S Myles Slusher. But he was flagged for taunting the UW sideline, which resulted in a first down. Washington subsequently scored a TD. And Slusher never played another snap. Later in the game, TE Rico Walker got ejected following two penalties. Just not a good look for a team that prides itself on being disciplined.

“The last three weeks, we haven’t had any penalties hardly,” said Odom. “And then tonight, we did. And that kind of example of exactly how we played. It was awful in every way. And when you are getting your tail kicked and then you have a personal foul, that says we got long ways to go.”

7 – Purdue knew Washington QB Demond Williams was an elusive runner. And he strutted his stuff on this night not just running–but passing, too. At one point, UW scored on six consecutive possessions. It was too easy. Williams was a cool 16-of-19 passing for 257 yards with two TDs and ran for 23 yards. He’s good.

8 – Purdue flip-flopped QBs all night … Browne, Singleton, Browne, Singleton. The dial-a-QB system didn’t really matter. (See above). Poor reads, bad throws, dubious decisions … Has the QB merry-go-round been a detriment?

9 – A positive? Spencer Porath, who nailed two field goals–including a career-long 53-yarder. Hey, it’s something on an otherwise lost night for a program that’s drowning in questions with an exasperated fan base.

10 – Yes, this was rock-bottom for the 2025 season–for now. A game with Indiana looms to close out the season. So, there is that. What was Odom most disappointed in tonight?

“All of it, really,” he said. “I thought that we didn’t have answers coaching. We didn’t execute. I did not see a team that was motivated and played the way that you should. When you get so few opportunities to play the game. This didn’t look like a team that I’ve been a part of … That’s unfortunate. I can’t point fingers. I’ve got to fix it. We were awful in all areas, including coaching tonight.”

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