10 Observations from Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. — This is what has us talking after Purdue’s 24-17 loss at Michigan State in Spartan Stadium on Friday night.

1 – The losing streak has reached 10 games with tonight’s loss at Michigan State. The last time Purdue dropped 10 in a row was 2013. That streak could reach 11 with a game at Indiana looming Nov. 30. Ryan Walters got emotional in the post-game press conference discussing his team.

“I don’t know a locker room in the country that would be 1-9, when we go down like we did in the first half and continue to fight,” said Walters. “There’s no finger pointing. They’ve still been practicing their tails off; they’re still showing up and going to work every day. If you have kids, you want them to have success when they work hard. They are working hard, man. It just hurts when you don’t come out on the right side.”

2 – A second quarter sequence defined the game and season for Purdue. With MSU leading, 10-7, Purdue had the ball. That’s when Devin Mockobee lost a fumble that the Spartans recovered on their 33. MSU then benefited from two Purdue penalties: 1) a Tarrion Grant PI negated a Dillon Thieneman INT. 2) Unsportsmanlike conduct on Jeffrey M’ba extended a drive and gave MSU a first down at the Purdue 3-yard line. The Spartans cashed in with a 2-yard TD run to take a 17-3 lead with 7:45 to go in the first half.

3 – Special teams bugaboos seemingly haunt the team each game. There has been a misplayed kickoff return, muffed punt return, blocked punt … and tonight we saw a missed 30-yard field goal by Ben Freehill due to what appeared to be a bad hold that caused a low kick.

“I think it was more the hold,” said Walters. “I couldn’t tell if it was a bad snap. We definitely didn’t catch that cleanly. The timing was off, and that’s why it got blocked.”

4 – The ground game was abysmal, netting -4 yards on 19 carries. Still, Purdue out gained MSU, 338-293.

5 – The status of Walters is the backdrop over these last two games. Will he be back for a third season with a revised staff? Or, will Purdue’s brass opt to make a change? We may not learn a verdict until after the Indiana game on Nov. 30. What will AD Mike Bobinski do? Is Walters feeling pressure?

“Every Saturday and every Friday night, you feel pressure,” he said. “It comes with the territory; it comes with sitting in the chair I’m sitting in. Right now, all I care about is trying to put together good plans for the locker room. My focus right now is on Indiana; that is what I can control. So, I don’t feel any other pressure than trying to win a ball game. If you start worrying about other things, then you aren’t focused on the right things for the locker room. I’m focused on Indiana and what’s left in eight or nine days.”

6 – Will tonight’s outcome have a big impact on Walter’s future? Some felt that was the case. Walters appeared to be more animated than usual tonight on the sideline. And his team turned in one of its better performances of the dreary season. Did he show enough to impress? Purdue had lost its previous two games by 35 points or more, making it the first Power 4 program to do so since Kansas in 2015.

“Like I said, it’s tough,” said Walters. “These guys are stuck together. The culture in the locker room is really good, and I continue to keep fighting. It’s been hard, obviously you’re not winning. You have these games where it’s tight, and there’s a couple plays away. They’ve built a lot of diversity, and they have stuck together.”

7 – Another game, another first quarter with no TDs. Purdue did mange a Freehill 40-yard field goal, the second field goal the offense has scored in the opening 15 minutes vs. FBS foes. The Boilermakers’ only TD in the first quarter in 2024 has been vs. FCS Indiana State in the opener. Add it up: Purdue has been out scored 97-13 in the first quarter.

8 – Three times the defense got the offense the ball with Purdue trailing 24-17. And three times the offense failed to score, with Jahaml Edrine dropping what would have been a 75-yard TD catch with about five minutes to go. QB Hudson Card tried, enjoying just the second 300-yard passing game (342 on 26-of-47 passing with a TD and INT) of his Purdue tenure. And TE Max Klare excelled with 7 grabs for 83 yards and a TD.

9 – The defense played its best game of the season since a 49-0 win vs. Indiana State to open the season. The D pitched a shutout in the second half. And Purdue held MSU to under 400 yards (293), just the second time it has done so to a foe in 2024 (Indiana State was the other).

“Obviously, just being focused and executing our job the right way made a difference,” said Kydran Jenkins. “We came out a little slow, but in the second half we came out a little better and picked it up. Guys were doing their job running around playing it fast and just executing in the second half.”Obviously, just being focused and executing our job the right way made a difference. We came out a little slow, but in the second half we came out a little better and picked it up. Guys were doing their job running around playing it fast and just executing in the second half.”

10 – One game left: At Indiana. You know the Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti will want to lay it on the Boilermakers, having lost three in a row in the Bucket series and not beaten Purdue in Bloomington since 2016. IU may be playing for its College Football Playoff life and a chance to play in the Big Ten title game.

“It has been tough,” said Card. “I love Coach Walters. I know our team loves Coach Walters, and it is just tough when things don’t go your way. As a quarterback, all that responsibility bears on you, and it has been unfortunate how the season has gone but we still have one more opportunity for the seniors to send this off in the right way.”