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Time to hand out grades following Purdue's 44-41 double OT defeat to Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket game.

Lots to like. In just his third career start, Aidan O’Connell continued to impress. Yes, his interception in the end zone on the opening possession was killer. But he showed a lot of moxie and toughness … as well as his trademark accuracy and pocket poise. O’Connell hit 28-of-49 passes for 408 yards with three touchdowns. He is the third Purdue QB to throw for 400 yards, the first time a Big Ten squad has had three signal-callers exceed the 400-yard passing plateau in a game. And how about David Bell? His jaw-dropping catch in the first half was one of the ages, as he finished with nine grabs for 136 yards and a TD. Tight end Brycen Hopkins went out with a bang, making eight receptions for 142 yards and two TDs. One score covered 72 yards. Next stop: The NFL.

Grade: A

Where was this all season? Kudos to the line, which was playing its best as the season was drawing to a close. Good to see true freshman Cam Craig see action at left guard. He has a bright future. Purdue ran for a season-high 181 yards led by Zander “Mike Alstott” Horvath. He rumbled 23 times for 164 yards and two scores (7.1 ypc). It was the first 100-yard rushing game for any Boiler in 2019. And Horvath’s 48-yard jaunt was the longest of any Purdue player this season. The one negative: Horvath lost a fumble. He was then benched briefly when Purdue could have used him to pick up a key first down on fourth-and-inches. Instead, the Boilers went with a QB sneak that failed.

Grade: A

Purdue was plagued by another slow start. Sound familiar? The Boilermakers fell behind, 14-0, as the offense sputtered early on (so did the defense). The O’Connell pick hurt, as Purdue was rolling on its opening drive and got bupkis. Still, the final numbers look shiny: 589 yards. The two turnovers were detremential, especially when you consider Indiana had no turnovers.

Grade: A-

Not. Good. Not good at all. Indiana wideouts often were WIDE open. Purdue’s cause was hampered by having a banged up secondary. Cory Trice missed the game with injury, while Kenneth Major was banged up. And the Hoosiers had their way with Purdue passing the ball, as the Boilermakers had many coverage break downs. It was never more evident than in OT. IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey connected on 23-of-39 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. One positive for Purdue: It had five sacks.

Grade: D

The Hoosiers were without top back Stevie Scott. Didn’t matter. True freshman Sampson James stepped in and rushed 22 times for 118 yards and a TD. Then, he got hurt. Ramsey also burned Purdue time and again with his feet, carrying 19 times for 42 yard and two TDs—one the game-winner in the second overtime. Add it up: Indiana rushed for 185 yards. But IU averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.

Grade: B

The defense had its moments, as IU had to punt three times. But the final numbers were brutal: 522 yards allowed. And IU was 11-of-19 on third downs and 1-of-1 on fourth down. Another killer fact: Purdue generated no turnovers a week after getting four turnovers at Wisconsin. Too many coverage breakdowns for Purdue, which also got pushed around at times by a big, physical Hoosier o-line.

Grade: D

A mixed bag. J.D. Dellinger went 2-of-3 on field goals, hitting a 20-yarder and a 34-yarder (in OT). But he missed a 39-yarder. Purdue punted just one time. The coverage was good, save for a 39-yard kickoff return that could have been disastrous late in the game. The Boilermaker return game was a non-factor ... again. Could Jackson Anthrop have fielded the last punt in regulation? Instead, Purdue was forced to start inside its 5-yard line. That hurt. Purdue was fortunate that Indiana kicker Logan Justus missed all three of his field-goal attempts. He entered the game having made all 14 attempts.

Grade: B-

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