Points After: Purdue's loss at Illinois
After improbably forcing overtime at No. 23 Illinois, Ryan Walters rolled the dice on a game-winning two-point conversion, which failed, and the Illini escaped 50-49.
It was Purdue’s fifth-straight loss, but nothing like the others.
After trailing by 24 in the third quarter, previously dead-in-the-water Purdue rallied to bring the game down to the final play.
PDF: Purdue-Illinois statistics
Purdue took a 43-40 with 49 seconds left in regulation, on Devin Mockobee‘s TD catch and an ensuing two-point conversion, but responded by forcing OT with a game-tying field goal at the buzzer after replay couldn’t overturn a lost fumble by QB Luke Altmyer. That possession resulted in the game-tying field goal.
A few quick takeaways …
• Kudos to Purdue for really competing after halftime. That’s been a huge red flag during this losing streak, but the Boilermakers made this a game when it didn’t look like it would be one.
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Purdue is 1-5 and now heading into the hard part of the schedule, but at least this showed a little bit of competitiveness and fight, two things wholly absent in the 66-7 loss to Notre Dame and 52-6 loss at Wisconsin.
• Purdue’s defense just could not get the third-down stops to really give the Boilermakers a chance. A number of third-and-long conversions led to Illinois points, including a third-and-20 just before halftime right after an unfielded kickoff burned Purdue for an atrocious turnover. Then, in overtime, another third-and-long conversion that loomed large in the outcome.
• Ryan Walters seemingly called the plays offensively Saturday, and his familiarity with Illinois’ system and coaches probably paid some dividends in the second half, playing with backup QB Hudson Card.
Browne threw for 297 yards and three TDs and ran for 118.
