Upon Further Review: Nebraska
Each weekend, or at least most, following Purdue football games, GoldandBlack.com will take a detailed look back at the contest in hopes of illuminating some of its finer points and overlooked moments. Today, the Boilermakers’ 28-10 loss to Nebraska.
PDF: Purdue-Nebraska statistics
PURDUE DEFENSE
Purdue did some really good things on defense but also got exposed on some stuff.
They gave Dylan Raiola a lot of different looks, including the Mahomes treatment here on this third down, dropping eight into coverage with plenty of eyes on the quarterback. Purdue wins this one, but later the freshman made some great throws into zone windows.
As you know, Purdue tweaked its alignments some to play Dillon Thieneman closer to the line and Joseph Jefferson deep.
That made Thieneman as much a linebacker as anything — position lines blur in this system. How much of a difference this made, hard to say — but Thieneman was a real weapon on money downs.
Outside of a bad taunting penalty, Jefferson seemed impactful in Thieneman’s spot. He hit people, at least.
THE SEQUENCE THAT SUNK THE OFFENSE
This seems like the juncture when all the air came out of the balloon for the offense. This was a great. balanced first-half drive that brought the Boilermakers into scoring territory only to bog down. Here’s why.
Second down … read option. Nothing wrong with that.
But Nebraska is defending like this like it doesn’t believe the quarterback is going to keep the ball. Everyone is flowing with the running back. The high side of the field empties out and if Hudson Card keeps this, he either gets five or six yards or a chance to throw over top of a charging defender.
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Instead, third-and-long, and Nebraska can tee off. This applies to every offense on earth but Purdue needs to stay out of third-and-long. It has a left-tackle problem right now.
Spencer Porath comes in and misses his first-ever field goal try, badly.
Absolutely deflating.
Check that earlier comment. Purdue has a protection problem, period.
Purdue has three guys between this guy and the quarterback here.
Here it just gets run in circles by a simple twist, looking like an offensive line that has barely played together, because, well …
Yes, Card could have checked this down to Reggie Love, as well.
MISC
• Credit where it’s due here. This is nice design and great execution by the offense, as Purdue uses pre-snap motion and Max Klare‘s gravity against this zone to open up the boundary for Jaron Tibbs on a play that doesn’t take long to develop. Perfect back-shoulder throw by Card and the sort of play you need giant receivers to be able to make.
• Purdue definitely tweaked its running game some for Nebraska, using Pistol formations — the back lined up deep, directly behind the QB — and much more under-center stuff.
The thinking there would be to allow backs more of an opportunity to see running lanes and react.
• To the untrained eye here, Yanni Karlaftis was excellent.
This play again, watch him absolutely refuse to get blocked.
