Old National Presents: 3-2-1

Three things learned. Two questions. One bold statement. It’s time for the 3-2-1, a look at Purdue football.

Three things learned

1 – Purdue may have something in QB Ryan Browne. Why not roll with him, even if Hudson Card is healthy? Purdue is gonna do just that: He’ll start Friday night vs. No. 2 Oregon.

“Proud of the way he played,” said Ryan Walters. “It’s because of the way he prepared, and I’m looking forward to watching his growth and maturation this week.”

Browne, a 21-year-old redshirt freshman, is decisive. He’s tough. He’s fast. He’s a developing passer. Most vital: Browne produced, finishing with 415 total yards vs. Illinois and nearly delivering an improbable comeback in a 50-49 OT loss at Illinois.

“We definitely wanted to utilize Ryan’s athletic ability,” said Walters. “He brought some energy, some juice, and executed the game plan.”

Browne’s first half/second splits were unreal:

•1st half: 4 of 7 for 9 yards
•2nd half: 14 of 19 for 288 yards, 3 TDs

“I had been confident the whole time,” Browne said. “I just settled in a little bit and started pushing the ball down the field a little more and once we started stretching them out we had more options.

“We just rallied with each other. We know what we have and we’re just going to keep fighting.”

2 – The defense is abysmal

How bad is it? The unit may go down as the worst in school history.

Purdue is last in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 39.0 ppg. The next closet team (UCLA) is yielding 28.5 ppg. The single-season Purdue record for highest scoring average allowed is 38.2 in 2016.

The Purdue record for most average yards allowed is 471.3 in 1994. Purdue is yielding 456.7 per game in 2024. The next closest team (Rutgers) is allowing 369.8.

The unit was ablaze on Saturday, allowing 50 points a week after surrendering 52. It’s the first time Purdue has allowed 50 points in back-to-back games. This also is the first time Purdue has allowed 50 or more points in three games in a season since 2013, as Notre Dame hung 66 on the Boilers in September in Purdue’s worst loss ever (66-7).

Will the bleeding ever stop?

Walters has not been involved with the unit since OC was Graham Harrell was let go after the Nebraska game, devoting his focus on the offense.

3 – Walters will continue to call plays.

Why not? He resurrected a moribund offense after assuming command last week, taking over play-calling from Jason Simmons. The idea Walters at 2:30 a.m. last Thursday.

“The week of the Wisconsin game I spent learning the vocab, the rules within the offense,” said Walters. “I didn’t feel comfortable calling it that game because I wouldn’t be able to spit out plays fast enough.

“Got to mid-week last week and felt like I had the vocab down enough to know what play I want to get to, so I just felt like me calling the game was going to give us the best opportunity to put points on the board. That’s why I made the decision I made.”

The move resulted in Purdue notching 536 total yards, the most since it has had since tallying 583 vs. Indiana State in the opener. And the 49 points last week were the highest since the opener.

“We just put in new plays that really impacted the defense the way we wanted to,” said tight end Max Klare. “We executed at a really high level (Saturday) and I’m super proud of Ryan because he played his ass off and left everything out there for us. He gave us a chance to win that game.”

MORE: First look: Oregon | Big picture: Mixed feelings after near miss at Illinois | First and 10 | QB Ryan Browne to start vs. No. 2 Oregon: “It would be unfair not to”

Two questions

1 – Will Card play on Saturday?

He missed the Illinois game while in concussion protocol. And his status for Friday is murky.

“I’m not sure if Hudson will be available or not,” said Walters. “You know, “Ryan Browne will start the game on Friday. I think just the way he played, it would be unfair not to.

“We’ll see about Hudson’s availability moving forward.”

If and when Card is ready, it sounds like he and Browne both could play.

“I told them this is the way we’re going to play moving forward,” said Walters. “They both got to be able to execute that style of play. I think they both can and are athletic enough to do so.

“So, yeah, I’m excited about what that will look like.”

2 – Can Browne continue to play well?

That’s the question and potential conundrum. It’s easy to surprise a foe with a new game plan and player. Defenses now will game plan for Browne. What’s his counter punch? Oregon will be ready. What is Purdue gonna do to keep the vaunted Ducks off balance?

“I do think Ryan, he exudes confidence and is vocal and a tough kid,” said Walters. “He likes to go play. I do think that guys fed off that … It was fun to watch.

“So, I think they were excited about the way he played, and ultimately if he played well, that means guys around him played well, as well.”

One bold statement: Offensive style here to stay

We saw this attack rely more on quarterback runs, among other tweaks in formations and personnel, at Illinois.

Browne finished with 17 carries for a team-high 118 yards. Card never has carried more than seven times in a game this season and has 24 rushes this season.

Purdue also made an effort to involve as many people as possible. A good example: Little used WR Arhmad Branch scored the Boilermakers’ final TD on a 3-yard run.