Ten observations: Purdue-Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. — Here is what has us talking after Purdue’s 31-14 loss at Nebraska.
1 – Purdue was poised for success from the start after Nebraska lost a fumble on the opening. kickoff. Purdue was set up at the Husker 33-yard line. Alas, the offense ran five plays and lost a yard. That set an ominous tone on the day. Purdue avoided its first shutout since 2013 with too little, too TDs by Jayden Dixon-Veal (29-yard catch) and OLB Kydran Jenkins.
“It was a microcosm of kind of what was to come offensively,” Ryan Walters. “We 62 plays and only 195 yards. As an offense, you can’t get the ball in the end zone one time. You can’t win a ballgame doing that. We as a staff have to look at what we’re doing and try and put our guys in positions to move the chains and get positive yards and put points on the board. And that starts with me.”
2 – With a 2-6 record, Purdue’s postseason hopes are backed against the wall. With four games to play, the Boilermakers must win out to reach 6-6. The next game: At 8-0 Michigan, where Purdue–losers of three in a row in 2023–will likely be a 20-plus point underdog. The faint bowl dream figures to die in Ann Arbor.
3 – The offense could get little to no traction. In a word, it was feckless, finishing with 195 yards. The first half was an exercise in futility. Purdue was blanked on the scoreboard, netting 103 yards and just one play over 15 yards to go with two turnovers as it fell behind 14-0. Things would not get much better in the second half on a cold, blustery day in Lincoln. The final was 31-14 Nebraska, but it wasn’t really that close.
Positives?
“It’s hard to look at positives,” said Walters. “We’ve seen where we’re at. We’re 2-6. Had an opportunity to win a game on the road if we play clean, tough physical football. We talked about how the turnover margin was going to be huge, and protecting the ball was gonna be huge. We talked about stopping the run game defensively, it was gonna be huge, capitalizing on special teams was gonna be huge. We weren’t able to do that and as a result we lost the game.”
4 – Purdue had two weeks to prepare for this game. Alas, it didn’t look like it. QB Hudson Card hit just 16-of-32 passes for 100 yards with a TD and two interceptions. He often was pressured and sometimes under threw targets, who seemed to struggle to get open time and again. Down-field passing? It was almost non-exisitant. There was one pass over 15 yards in the game. Early in the third quarter, Card was replaced due to being banged up for a series by Bennett Meredith before promptly returning.
“Nobody’s coaching him to freestyle,” said Walters. “Part of it is what he is seeing out there. Is he able to get through his reads in an efficient manner? So, I don’t think it’s fair to set up here fresh off the field to do analysis on the passing game. Definitely we will look at it.”
5 – A forced fumble by S Dillon Thieneman early in the second half set up Purdue at the Husker 20-yard line. It was a golden chance to gain some mojo and cut into Nebraska’s 14-0 lead. But the offense lost ground. Purdue had to settle for a field-goal attempt. And … well, keep reading.
6 – The field-goal kicking continues to confound this program, which has missed its last five attempts and is 3-of-10 on the season. Purdue took things to another level early in the third quarter, when Ben Freehill’s 37-yard attempt was blocked and returned 68 yards for a TD. It was a deflating moment. That gave Nebraska what felt like an insurmountable 21-0 lead.
“I think the operation time was bad,” said Walters. “The holder didn’t catch it clean which slows down Freehill. Can’t get the ball in the air. They block it and score a touchdown.”
7 – Speaking of Thieneman, he is one Boilermaker who laid it on the line all game. He had the forced fumble along with a team-high 12 tackles and lots of hustle on special teams, too. He was special on a day when not much was for Purdue.
“Dillon Thieneman continues to be a guy we hang our hat on,” said Walters. “Plays football the right way.”
Jenkins also continues to show out as one of the Big Ten’s top defensive players, scooping and scoring on a 55-yard fumble, delivering a devastating hit on the QB and notching two sacks and 4.5 TFLs.
“You look at really, Nic (Scourton) and KJ, and what they’re able to do on opposite ends of each other,” said Walters. “They complement each other well and pose a lot of problems both in the run game and in the throw game.”
8 – The o-line already was banged up, with No. 1 right OT Marcus Mbow out for the season. But, it suffered more attrition in the first quarter, when No. 1 left OT Mahamane Moussa was helped off the field. He entered the game as “questionable” after hurting an ankle in the previous game. Later in the first half, No. 1 right guard Jalen Grant was helped off the field, but he later returned.
“Honestly, I think they played well,” said Card. “They gave me time back there. I thought they played a good game and even though they’re low on numbers, they’re finding a way to give me time back there. Credit to them. At the end of the day, we just have to be better as a group.”
9 – After going two games without a fumble, Devin Mockobee coughed up the ball after a strong 16-yard run. His first half fumble was recovered by the Huskers. It was Mockobee’s seventh fumble of the season.
10 – The defense was solid for the most part, allowing only 277 yards, as Purdue came up with four takeaways. Alas–like the Iowa loss–one or two breakdowns prove hazardous.
“There’s a couple plays out there where, whether it’s guys not in the right spot or guys trying to do too much or not getting a call,” said Walters. “When you play a game that is this tight, when both sides of the ball are struggling to move it, you gotta be clean. You have to make them earn it and, unfortunately, there were a couple plays out there where we gave it to him.”
