Purdue 15, Northwestern 23 - Quick Wrap

In a battle of Big Ten West teams playing back up QB's, Northwestern got the best of Purdue 23-15 at home.

Purdue's starting Quarterback Hudson Card was ruled out of Purdue's road game at Northwestern the morning of with ribs, and Head Coach Ryan Walters made the choice to rotate between his two back up QB's for the game, Bennet Meredith and Ryan Browne.

Both QB's turned it over in the first half, and Purdue failed to score until the second half, as Northwestern broke things open in the second half to run away from Purdue and straight to bowl eligibility with its sixth win of the season.

Purdue's defense looked like it would keep Purdue in things in the first half after surrendering another first possession touchdown. Khordae Sydnor led a dominant pass rush by Purdue even without one of its best defensive weapons, Nic Scourton. Sydnor had two sacks on his own in the first half and Purdue had five as a team.

But Northwestern got the better of Purdue in the second half, hitting two big touchdown plays of over 30 yards including a 52 yard Cam Johnson touchdown reception.

Purdue made it a game late, getting within one score on a Devin Mockobee 2 yard TD run after a big Tyrone Tracy Jr. run, but Purdue never had a passing game to go with its running, and couldn't get back to the end zone after getting the ball back with 2 minutes left to play.

Ryan Browne was 12 of 16 for 100 yards and 2 interceptions while Bennet Meredith was 5 of 7 for 36 yards with a lost fumble.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. was excellent with 16 carries for 160 yards while Browne added 85 yards on 21 carries.

No starting quarterback Hudson Card for Purdue and the offense floundered under its first series with Bennett Meredith. Purdue ran for two yards, had a hitch pass blown up, and was sacked on third down to give Northwestern the ball around midfield.

It took just four plays for Northwestern to get all the way downfield against Purdue. After stuffing the run on the first play to the right, a 35 yard pass from Ben Bryant connected with A. J. Henning set up Cam Porter to go the rest of the way. Porter had carries of 11 yards and then 7 to put the first touchdown no the board and give Northwestern the early lead.

A bad snap would prevent Northwestern from converting the extra point.

Ryan Browne got the second series for Purdue, the young QB showed off his athletic ability with his legs alongside a nice run by Devin Mockobee for 13 yards had Purdue near midfield. Browne this tossed the ball forward to Tyrone Tracy Jr. on a sweep and Tracy got free, breaking through tackles and cutting back up field for 28 yards down to the Northwestern 30 yard line.

But Northwestern sacked Browne on the next play, forced a fumble, and even though Gus Hartwig recovered, Purdue was left with second and 20. Two QB runs would set up a long Ben Freehill field goal attempt that would curve just left of the sticks and leave the game 6-0.

Bryant took a big hit by multiple Purdue defenders on a third and five on Northwestern's second drive and looked to be going down, but the QB was able to toss the ball forward as he was going down and found Cam Porter open just in front of the line. Porter would get the first down. Then Bryant found a wide open Cam Johnson streaking up the left sideline and the pass hit Johnson right in the hands, but the receiver fumbled the catch and Northwestern wouldn't convert, punting back to Purdue.

Giving Tyrone Tracy Jr. continued to be Purdue's best play as the running back broke off a 17 yard run to start Purdue's third possession of the game. Then he did it again, going 27 yards up the middle to get Purdue into Northwestern territory. Purdue kept it on the ground, running with Mockobee for a first down and then Meredith for 11 yards. Purdue made its way to the 17 yard line before being stuffed on back to back carries on third and fourth and short to give the ball back to Northwestern.

Northwestern shot themselves in the first on the first play when a nice run was called back for a hold. Then Mo Omonode sacked Bryant on the replay of first down, pinning Northwestern to its own two yard line. A failed run and a second sack by Omonode and Khordae Sydnor forced a punt.

Hunter Renner kicked it just 26 yards to give Purdue excellent field position at the Northwestern 31 yard line.

Purdue might have found something with freshman Ryan Browne. That and the short field helped Purdue get all the way to the end zone. Problem is, they couldn't get past the end zone line.

Browne started the drive by completing his second pass attempt off a hand off and roll left. He found tight end Garrett Miller for 11 yards in the flat then ran the ball four straight times to get to the half yard line. It looked, and was called in for the moment, like Browne scrambled into the end zone from 8 yards out. But Browne took a hit and replay showed that his knee was down just in front of the end zone.

Then Northwestern shut down a jet sweep to Deion Burke at the one yard line. Then they stopped Tracy Jr. on a carry at the goal line. Then again, Tracy Jr. was piled up just in front of the goal line and Purdue's promising drive ended at the half yard line.

Northwestern did enough to flip the field, going 28 yards on a play action crossing pattern to Bryce Kurtz on first down out of its own end zone. Purdue then stuffed Northwestern on three straight runs to get the ball back with just under three minutes to play in the first half.

Purdue showed some dazzle, after an opening ten yard carry by Tracy Jr., Purdue used Northwestern's aggressiveness towards the run against them calling a flea flicker. It worked. Bennet Meredith found TJ Sheffield one on one on a crosser and hit him in stride for 22 yards as Purdue looked to get on the board for the first time of the half. But Meredith and Tracy Jr. would mishandle a hand-off and Northwestern would fall on the ball, taking over with just over two minutes remaining in the half.

Northwestern moved quickly into Purdue territory with a 26 yard pass to Kirtz on third down, but Purdue's defensive pressure got to Bryant again. Yanni Karlaftis would drop Bryant for an 8 yard loss. Then on 3rd and 18, Khordae Sydney would get another sack and push Northwestern entirely out of field goal range. Northwestern would punt and put Purdue inside its own five yard line.

Ryan Browne would then do the one thing he couldn't do with less than a minute remaining and more than 90 yards to the far end zone, the freshman dropped back, saw a receiver towards the sideline and didn't see the two defenders. The ensuing interception looked like a game changer, giving Northwestern the ball at the Purdue 20 after the Garnett Hollis Jr. interception.

But Sydnor wasn't done leaving his mark on the game, dropping Bryant again with the help of Kydran Jenkins on second down. Northwestern was then forced to stop the clock and bring Jack Olsen out for a 38 yard field goal which he pushed wide right.

Northwestern punted on its first possession, carrying over the lack of offensive momentum from both teams in the first half to the second. A holding call wiped off a decent game on the left side on second down, and a third down incompletion forced by Cam Allen would give the ball back to Purdue at the Purdue 37.

Purdue's offense didn't have any more luck. Meredith completed a pass for -2 yards after a Tracy Jr. run of 5 yards and then ran up the middle for four yards on third down before Purdue punted into the end zone.

Again Northwestern got the ball, again Purdue stopped them, forcing a punt. But this time the punt with the wind forced TJ Sheffield back. Sheffield called for a fair catch but never got to the ball cleanly and it bounced away from him after hitting his hand. Northwestern would cover and be in Purdue territory. Northwestern would inch closer to the goal line, but have to settle for another field goal attempt.

This time Jack Olsen would make the field, knocking it through from 30 yards to go up 9-0.

Purdue continued to trade in one QB for the other with each drive. This time Browne started the drive with a 12 yard run. Then the freshman QB found Mockobee out of the backfield for a 25 yard gain through the air. Mockobee went up and made a nice catch between two defenders. Then Mockobee pushed Purdue further into Northwestern territory with a fourteen yard run left and to the sideline where he finished the play by leaping a defender.

At the Northwestern 20 yard line, Tyrone Tracy Jr. then got a carry and broke free, getting all the way to and into the end zone for Purdue's first points of the game.

Northwestern looked to be slogging through another drive but hit a RB screen for a first down. Then Bryant found Cam Johnson in one on one coverage matched up with Dillon Thieneman on a corner blitz. Johnson caught the hot route, shook Purdue's best defensive back, and burst up the field for 52 yard touchdown reception to give Northwestern the two possession lead.

Bennet Meredith was back in the game and Purdue had another three and out.

Bryant kept looking Cam Jonhson's way, and Johnson went 31 yards on a reception on second down for Northwestern on a back shoulder grab. Then Northwestern went after Purdue on the ground. Porter went 14 yards on three straight carries, and then busted the game open with a 34 yard carry after a Bryant incompletion on 2nd and 7 set up a long third down. Porter went all the way to the house and put Northwestern up 16.

With Browne back in, Purdue was able to move up the field quickly getting three consecutive first downs on a Browne run, a Mockobee carry, and a Mockobee receptions. But Purdue couldn't get into the red zone, and failed a fourth and ten attempt at the Northwestern 30 yard line.

With just over six minutes to play and a lead, Northwestern was happy to try and run the clock out, and Purdue stopped the Wildcats on third down but was flagged for a personal foul that kept the drive alive. Northwestern took a shot on the next play with Bryant floating one up the right side of the field. Thieneman broke towards the pass from his safety position and caught the ball and got one foot in for the interception.

A 57 yard run by Tracy Jr. where he got by the entire Northwestern defense, but just couldn't get into the end zone before getting chased down at the six yard line had Purdue thinking about getting back in the game with under five minutes left in the game. But Purdue continued to struggle in the red zone, failing to convert for points on its next three plays before finally getting in on a toss left to Devin Mockobee.

The touchdown would get the game to 23-13, meaning Purdue would have to go for two and get the ball back with 3:06 left to play.

Purdue dialed on a speed option with Deion Burks coming across as a third option, catching the toss and going back across the field and inside the pylon for the two-point conversion, bringing Purdue within one score.

Northwestern was content to try and run for a first down, but Purdue was able to hold three straight rushes by Northwestern. Purdue used its final two timeouts and Northwestern would punt the ball back to the Boilers with a chance to get the ball, score a touchdown, and tie with a two point conversion.

After a short punt that took some time off the clock as it bounced dead, Purdue would get the ball at its own 38 with 1:59 left to play down 23-15.

With 62 yards to go, no timeouts, and needing 8 points, Purdue's offense was gonna be tested with freshman Ryan Browne staying out to play his second straight drive after leading them to a touchdown in its last drive.

Browne completed a few short passes early, followed by scrambles for first down, but on third and two, he locked onto Burks on the left side of the field and didn't see linebacker Xander Mueller step in front and intercept the pass. Ending Purdue's comeback attempt.