The expectations for Purdue under second-year head coach Darell Hazell weren’t high after winning just one game last season, but it is fair to say the team is disappointed with their 3-6 start. They have played better than their record indicates.
Last week against Nebraska, the Boilermakers were outmatched. The program just does not have as many talented players as the Cornhuskers, and it was reflected in the 35-14 final score. Still, there was a lot for Purdue to feel good about from that game.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Boilermakers were down 28-7, but they did not give up. They recovered a Nebraska fumble early in the period and quickly scored, before intercepting a pass on their next defensive series, giving their offense the ball in UN territory. Purdue couldn’t finish, but they had a number of opportunities to make it a closer game than what the final score told.
Prior to their bye week, they lost a heartbreaker to Minnesota, 39-38. The Boilermakers led most of the game, but another failed fourth-quarter drive in their opponent’s territory gave the Gophers the momentum and a chance to drive down the field for the game-winning field goal.
The big thing for this Purdue team is their resilience. Even in their other losses to Michigan State, Notre Dame, Iowa, and Central Michigan, they did not give up.
Against the Spartans, Purdue was down 38-17 heading into the fourth quarter. Two MSU turnovers turned into two touchdowns for the Boilermakers, and it was a one-possession game until a pick-six by sophomore quarterback Austin Appleby killed the Purdue comeback.
Inconsistent passing by Appleby and Danny Etling, a sophomore who was benched midseason, has limited Purdue’s offense. To make matters worse, leading receiver Danny Anthrop, a junior, suffered a potentially major, non-contact knee injury last week, and there is speculation that he may be lost for the season.
No other Boilermaker wide receiver has more than 15 catches or 125 receiving yards on the season.
The offense will be forced to rely on their running game, which ranks as one of the better rushing attacks in the nation, with an average of 5.1 yards per carry. Senior running back Akeem Hunt has over 900 yards from scrimmage this season (35th in the nation) with nearly 200 coming of off 36 receptions.
Defensively, Purdue has play-makers, but as a unit, they can’t keep opponents out of the endzone. Junior safety Frankie Williams has three interceptions and seven pass breakups alongside senior safety Landon Feichter who leads the team with 75 tackles and four interceptions.
Still, they’re allowing 31.7 points per game, and once opponents get the early lead, they simply sit back and wear the Boilermakers down by running the ball. Junior cornerback Anthony Brown has done his best to make difference in stopping both the run and the pass with 5.5 tackles for loss and eight pass breakups, but collectively, the defense cannot put it all together.
Even so, Purdue fights to the very end. They’ve given quality Big Ten opponents a run for their money over their last three games, and they are going to make the Badgers work for it this week.
