Markell Jones says he feels 100 percent.
Saturday, he didn’t always look it.
Yet, the running back — Jones is dealing with an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, suffered vs. Cincinnati Sept. 10 — overcame fumbles on back-to-back plays in the second quarter to post 124 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown.
It was the third 100-yard game of his career, the second this season.
“It felt great,” Jones said of the shoulder following Purdue's 24-14 win over Nevada. “I think I was seeing it pretty well today. The guys up front did a really, really good job making holes. I think you (in the media) could have probably made a couple plays out there, it was that easy to run. They did a heck of a job.
“I had a couple turnovers and that’s something we emphasize in our room especially, so I’m sure we’ll address that in practice.”
Jones hadn’t practiced much during the two weeks leading into Saturday’s game, doing individual drills and going vs. the defensive scouts, but not getting reps during team. Purdue wanted to keep him as fresh as possible for the game, and Jones thought he’d be OK, particularly with rehab and with Cortisone injections on game day.
He held up, but was still labored at times.
On Purdue’s last drive, for instance, Jones took the first handoff for a 13-yard rush, but it was his last play of the day. He came to the sideline after while flexing his left hand.
Perhaps the biggest sign, however, that he wasn’t quite right was the turnovers. On the first, he took a handoff right, but took a helmet from Asauni Rufus — a nice play by the safety — right on the ball, jarring it loose.
After a Wolf Pack touchdown, which gave the guests a 14-3 lead, Jones got the first play of the next Purdue drive, as well. And it looked good at first, with the sophomore running into the second level, but after 20 yards Rufus punched the ball free.
“The first one he kind of just got lower than I did and just made a good play, put his helmet on the football,” Jones said. “And I’ll see a lot of people cutting me this year. I have to figure out what I’m going to do, whether I’m going to give them a little something-something or whatever.
“The second one he did punch out. I didn’t see him or feel him and he punched it.”
O-line review
With its two starting tackles out, Purdue thrust two reserves into the starting lineup on Saturday.
Fifth-year senior Cameron Cermin made his 21st start, his first this season, in place of Matt McCann at right tackle. McCann was out with a right ankle injury suffered during practice on Wednesday. Junior Jalen Neal, a J.C. transfer, started at left, by far his most extensive playing time. Starter Martesse Patterson is out with what Darrell Hazell has described as a “personal” issue.
Cermin frequently looked solid, as one might expect from a veteran, but Neal had issues, allowing some pressures at times. He did have a nice block on Jones’ touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
Even though QB David Blough faced pressure, he was sacked only once, the first Purdue has allowed this season.
“I thought the offensive line did a really nice job,” Hazell said. “With two new guys out there — Cerm has obviously been out there before, but Jalen has never been — I thought he did a good job, he had the one holding call,” Hazell said. “He tried to explain it to me, but I didn’t want to hear it. But I thought they did a good job, really pounding those (Wolf Pack) guys inside, wearing them down, you could really see those guys, they started hanging their heads late in the third and fourth quarters.”
The severity of McCann’s injury is still unknown. The redshirt freshman sat on the bench most of the game while wearing a boot on his lower right leg.
And there’s Patterson’s matter, as well.
“We’ll wait to see what happens with Martesse in the next couple of days,” Hazell said.
Two back
The Boilermakers got two defensive players back from injury, as cornerback Da’Wan Hunte and defensive end Austin Larkin debuted.
And they were excellent.
Hunte, who started, finished with eight tackles, including a half for a loss. And that TFL was a critical play, as he tackled James Butler (with help from Jake Replogle) for a loss before Nevada’s potential game-tying field goal miss late.
Larkin gave Purdue a boost off the bench, finishing with one of Purdue’s five sacks.
“Those two are good players for us, two starters for us,” Hazell said. “It’s nice to have those two guys back, just for confidence. They’re both not 100 percent, but to have them on the field and be able to contribute to a win was big.”
Etc.
• Reserve receiver Bilal Marshall might have had the offensive player of the day when he hauled in a 48-yard scoring pass with 1:20 remaining in the first half.
It was the senior’s first career touchdown. And part of a day in which he set career-highs for receptions (five) and yardage (82).
“Every semester since I’ve been here, it seems like Bilal is a guy who finds a way to make himself better,” Blough said. “He may get injured or something or find himself behind someone else on the depth chart. But it was really special. He might have been even a little bit emotion — it was cool — but that was a big-time catch. That was a big-time move, probably the play of the game for our offense for sure.”
• Freshman Lorenzo Neal played a snap, coming in for Replogle when the senior’s helmet popped off and he was forced to the sideline, by rule, for a play.
Neal is the seventh freshmen to play this season.
• Junior C.J. Parker started in place of Leroy Clark at safety, the J.C. transfer’s first career start. He had a tackle.
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