Quick thoughts after Purdue's win Saturday.
• Purdue overcame a ton to beat Minnesota, much of the problems the Boilermakers' own doing.
The four first-half turnovers. The defensive letdowns after the 90-minute rain delay. The red zone mistakes. Poor decision-making. It was a lot.
All that, and the Boilermakers still somehow put themselves in a position to win. And maybe there's something to be said for that. The Boilermakers are a team without a margin for error, yet they overcame on Saturday, at least enough to beat a Big Ten opponent in a game that much was going against.
Purdue made the plays late, the Anthony Mahoungou catch and run, the Markell Jones' touchdown and then the Ja'Whaun Bentley 76-yard pick six.
• Not sure what David Blough was thinking/seeing on his two first-half interceptions, particularly the second.
Brycen Hopkins, Blough's intended target in the end zone, never came open, being bracketed by two Gophers. Doesn't seem possible that Blough ever clearly saw Hopkins. Consider Purdue could have gotten points to give it the lead, the interception was costly.
On the first pick, Jackson Anthrop flashed open, but Blough didn't take account for the Gopher defender over the top.
The interceptions nearly undid the entire game, had it not be for the post-rain delay heroics.
• I don't understand Purdue's play calling on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter, after the Boilermakers had advanced to — or started in — Minnesota territory. Not sure if Purdue got jumpy over its faulty offensive line, which would be understandable, but Jeff Brohm seemed uncharacteristically conservative.
Starting at the 40 on the second drive, after a holding penalty on the Minnesota punt knocked Purdue 10 yards back, Purdue handed off to Markell Jones on the perimeter and then threw to him. After a failed third down, Spencer Evans missed a 52-yard field goal.
On the previous, Purdue had the ball at the 35, but a holding penalty knocked the Boilermakers back and they were forced to punt.
They were consecutive frustrating penalties when Purdue had the wind and perhaps could have gotten momentum.
Luckily for Purdue, the drives didn't matter to the final outcome.
• Nice work by Purdue on the tributes to Joe Tiller on Saturday.
They set the correct tone — and the halftime video in particular — was excellent.
It worked, as it happened, well that more than 40 of the 1997 team was set to return to Ross-Ade for its 20-year reunion. Many treated it as a celebration of Tiller's life, Drew Brees said, as it should be.
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