OK Purdue fans, you can remove the paper bags from your faces and breathe normally. One of THOSE games went our way for once.
How about that one? The Boilermakers rallied to win a difficult Big Ten game on the road for the second week in a row, once again proving they're better than the multiple lows we've seen this season.
If you ask me, that near-loss at home against Florida Atlantic feels like a long time ago at this point. Against the Owls, Purdue struggled to contain a run option attack and some speedy athletes. It was concerning, to say the least, as Purdue would only see the schedule become harder after that game. Purdue then went to Minnesota and beat the Gophers at their own game, through physicality and running the ball. Then, on the road at Maryland, Purdue's defense stepped up time and time again for key stops.
I can't state enough how massive the defense was on Saturday, especially as Purdue's offense continued shooting itself in the foot in the second half. There were two fumbles and an interception in three straight drives. The pick, which was the second of the three critical mistakes, was a ball Aidan O'Connell threw behind Charlie Jones. While it could have been caught, it wasn't the best pass and a Maryland DB took advantage.
Granted, Purdue did get clicking late in the game. Thank Payne Durham for scoring and then, in the last several minutes, making a massive play to get Purdue to the 2-yard-line.
Some have argued whether or not Purdue made the right decision with how it handled clock after that big Durham play. With the Terps out of timeouts, AOC appeared to intentionally fall short of the goal line to run some clock, and then Purdue punched it in with breakout RB star Devin Mockobee. Had Purdue kneeled it one more time, it would have kicked a field goal to go up by four with maybe a minute to play. Some believe that would have been the right idea, but I think always going for points makes the most sense, because a touchdown ensured Purdue couldn't lose in regulation. Maryland fans seem salty after this one, mostly because of a no call on a blocked extra point, in which they think Purdue DB Cam Allen jumped offsides. Here's the replay that shows he definitely didn't jump early:
Overall, I'm just happy to win on the road. You take the W, you get on the plane and then you go home and move on. The Boilers are in the thick of the Big Ten West division race and now head home to play Nebraska under the lights. Believe it or not, first place will be on the line, even as Nebraska has an interim head coach leading the way. I can't wait to see what happens next with this team. I'm dubbing them the "Cardiac Boilers" now, just because every game seems to come down to the final minute.
See you all at Ross-Ade Stadium!
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