Purdue's four best offensive fireworks from last season

The Jeff Brohm tenure at Purdue saw plenty of offensive fireworks. Known for his pass-happy attack, Brohm came to Purdue to revitalize the “basketball on grass” approach, and he saw his best success with Aidan O’Connell at quarterback. During Purdue’s run to the Big Ten West crown, some sparks from the offense certainly helped lead the way. GoldandBlack.com revisits four of the top plays from a season ago.

DEVIN MOCKOBEE’S 68-YARD RUN VS. MINNESOTA

In a slugfest of a game, neither team could put together a string of drives on offense. We may never know how healthy O’Connell truly was for this game, but he certainly wasn’t 100%.

Purdue took an early 10-0 lead, and after a fortuitous interception in the end zone by Cam Allen, it felt like the Boilermakers could pull away. Instead, the game sat in a 10-10 deadlock for more than 15 minutes of play.

Following a Mitchell Fineran field goal to put Purdue ahead, a Gopher three-and-out gave Purdue the ball back with a chance to put the game away. Enter Devin Mockobee.

To that point, Mockobee totaled just 32 yards on the ground for the afternoon, but he took the handoff on the first play of the drive and took it 68 yards to set up the touchdown that sealed the deal for a ranked road win.

Not only did the run help win the game, but it helped set the table for Mockobee’s breakthrough freshman campaign which saw him set the Purdue record for rushing yards by a freshman.

PAYNE DURHAM’S CLUTCH CATCH-AND-RUN VS. MARYLAND

One week following the ranked road win over Minnesota, Purdue saw itself in another close one away from home.

A back-and-forth affair left Purdue with a one-point lead and possession of the ball with 2:25 to play. After a short carry by Mockobee, O’Connell put the ball in the air, and it paid off.

Payne Durham sat uncovered across the middle, and he turned a short completion into a 56-yard jaunt inside the Terrapins’ five-yard-line. The yards after catch helped Durham eclipse the 100-yard mark, and it set up a touchdown that put the Boilermakers up eight points.

Though Maryland drove down the field and scored easily, Purdue’s defense forced an incompletion on the two-point attempt, and the Boilermakers escaped with their second road win in as many weeks.

FOURTH DOWN CONVERSION AT ILLINOIS

After a pair of non-competitive losses to Wisconsin and Iowa, questions about the season felt warranted. The Boilermakers sat at 5-4 and headed westward on I-74 to take on a ranked Illinois team.

Purdue cracked Ryan Walters’ defense, though, and led 28-21 late in the game. Following a Kieren Douglas interception on a tipped ball, Purdue took possession in Illini territory with a chance to put the game away and secure its second ranked win away from home of the year.

Purdue’s drive sputtered, however, and it faced a fourth-and-nine from the Illinois 32-yard-line. Going into the wind, Brohm elected to keep the offense on the field and go for it. O’Connell found TJ Sheffield across the middle of the field to move the chains and keep the drive alive.

The clutch conversion led to a Fineran field goal, putting the Boilermakers ahead by two scores. For the 14th time in the last 18 meetings, Purdue earned the right to hold the Cannon for another 365 days.

CHARLIE JONES’ TOUCHDOWN AT INDIANA

Purdue entered the Old Oaken Bucket Game in a new position. Following Iowa’s shocking loss to Nebraska the day prior, the Boilermakers would earn their first-ever trip to the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over 4-7 Indiana.

After the Hoosiers took a 7-3 lead to the locker room at halftime, Purdue fans undoubtedly felt uneasy. A loss in this game would hurt.

Fear not, as the Boilermakers tacked on a pair of early touchdowns in the second half to take the lead. However, the game didn’t feel completely in Purdue’s control until O’Connell found Charlie Jones for a wide-open touchdown to put the Boilermakers up two scores with less than 10 minutes to play.

The O’Connell-to-Jones touchdown marked the final of their 10 touchdown connections during the 2022 season. Would the Boilermakers have won eight games without Jones’ late summer transfer to Purdue? It seems unlikely.

Ultimately, Purdue took the game handily and clinched its only Big Ten West title in program history, giving Purdue fans a memory they won’t soon forget.