10 Observations for Northwestern loss

Here is what has us talking after Purdue’s 26-20 OT loss vs. Northwestern on Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium.

1 – Purdue got the ball first in OT. Facing a 4th-and-6 from the 20-yard line, Ryan Walters opted to go for a first down instead of attempting a 38-yard field goal. The Boilermakers’ pass failed, and Northwestern subsequently scored the winning the TD. Why not try the field goal to take the lead?

“From that down and distance and that hash, that’s been a struggle for us in the kicking game,” said Walters. “I had a discussion, and that’s why we called the time out to really thoroughly process the situation and what decision we should make.

“Just felt like from a percentage standpoint, we had a higher probability of getting that first down than we did kicking that field goal, and I felt like we had a good play call to get us that first down. So, the decision was made.”

Had the ball been on the other hash, Walters said they would have attempted the field goal. Spencer Porath was 2-of-2 on the day. But he was just 1-of-3 from beyond 30 yards on the season.

2 – Today was a sobering reminder of just how much of a slog this season has been. The loss to a 3-5 NU squad was Purdue’s last best chance to taste victory in 2024. Now, a 1-11 finish looks almost assured. The last 1-11 season was 2013 under Darrell Hazell. Before that, Purdue was 1-10 in 1993 under Jim Colletto.

3 – Walters planned to use both Hudson Card and Ryan Browne under center. And we found out how it would look, with Card starting and playing the first two series with Browne taking control for the next two series. Card took over for good after Browne’s second series.

“I thought Hudson was making good throws and good decisions,” said Walters. “So just felt like he gave us the best chance to push the ball down the field. They were taking away a lot of the things that we wanted to do in the run game. So, I felt like he gave us the best opportunity to move the ball and get in the end zone.”

Is Card the QB moving forward?

“We’ll see how the week goes and what gives us a chance to move the ball from a game planning perspective,” said Walters.

4 – How did the two QBs do in their first two series? Card was 4-of-7 for 60 yards and ran once for a yard; Browne was 3-of-3 passing for 15 yards with 2 carries for 8 yards. Purdue got is only points on a 26-yard field goal on a drive engineered by Card. Should Walters have stuck with Card after the first two drives when he looked to have a nice rhythm?

“No, because we had a plan for both of those guys, that we were gonna give both of them opportunity,” said Walters. “And so wanted to give Rhino an opportunity, as well, because of the way he had played of late. So that was the plan going into it, and we stuck with that plan.”

5 – In a season defined by staggering losses–66-7 vs. Notre Dame; 38-21 at Oregon State; 52-6 at Wisconsin; 35-0 vs. Oregon–this was another stinger. Hide the women and children: The next two games are at Ohio State and vs. Penn State. Will the Buckeyes be a 30-plus point favorite?

“Everyone is disappointed,” said Walters. “Went into the locker room and told them I know it doesn’t seem like it at times, I know it’s hard to hear right now, but we are close. Two of the last three games have went to overtime. So, you’re right there, and when it’s at its hardest, and the noise gets the loudest, and adversity is staring at you straight to the face, and you feel like your back is against is against the wall …

“It is human nature to want to want to cave in and succumb to the pressure, succumb to the noise. That’s easy. It’s hard to stick together. It’s hard to keep working and keep fighting. But if you keep digging, eventually you’re gonna find diamonds, and you’ve got to trust that. You got to trust the process, you got to trust the foundation, you got to trust the work. You got to fall in love with the work.”

6 – Purdue had two weeks to prepare for this game. The last time it came off a bye, the Boilermakers lost 66-7 vs. Notre Dame, the worst defeat in school annals. Purdue looked better this time around, though the opponent was a big factor. NU is not good.

7 – The defense continues to struggle. Missed tackles, poor angles … it is difficult to watch. Purdue was facing a NU squad that was No. 18 in overall offense in the Big Ten (271.1 ypg) and No. 17 in scoring offense (18.4 ppg). NU had 17 points and 212 yards at halftime. What happened on NU’s game-winning TD in OT, when it scored in just two plays?

“Eyes got in the wrong spot,” said Walters. “They went back to a play that had hurt us earlier, and obviously we didn’t get it corrected.”

8 – WR CJ Smith finally debuted. And his first impression wasn’t a good one. Purdue looked to him on the first play from scrimmage. Card delivered a perfect pass that hit Smith in the hands … and he dropped it for what would have been a 40-plus yard gain.

“Obviously had the drop early,” said Walters. “He did make a really nice play on that third down. He almost got that first down on the screen there at the end of the game. I thought he ran good routes. I thought he played hard. It was just good to see him back playing.”

Smith finished with 4 catches for 55 yards.

9 – The slow starts persist. Purdue trailed 10-3 after the first quarter. So, for the year, Purdue has been outscored 55-10 in the opening 15 minutes. The only TD the team has scored in the first quarter came in the opener on Aug. 31 vs. FCS Indiana State.

10 – The run game was non-existent. Purdue had just 47 rushing yards on 23 carries. The long run? It was 9 yards by Card.

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