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Stats (PDF): Purdue-Vanderbilt box score
It wasn’t always pretty. But, it was a win. The final: Purdue 42, Vanderilt 24.
That’s what Purdue needed on this day after it opened 2019 with a stupefying 34-31 loss at Nevada.
Who cares if Purdue’s offense lacked any semblance of balance, throwing for 509 yards and running for only 31?
Who cares if Purdue had special teams issues, including some poor punting and a penalty that negated a long punt return by Rondale Moore?
Who cares if Purdue’s defense allowed several long pass plays?
None of it matters. The Boilermakers got a much-needed victory with TCU coming to West Lafayette next week. Style points don't matter. The program has tasted success and can build off this.
Here are 10 things you need to know about Purdue’s triumph.
1. What more can be said about Rondale Moore? He set a new standard today by catching a career-high 13 passes for 220 yards and a TD. How does Moore do it?
“I think it’s different from our perspective,” said tight end Brycen Hopkins. “You all see it out there and we are right next to him when he does it. I don’t know how he does some of the stuff he does. When I get back to the sideline, I honestly asked him: 'How do you keep doing that?' I don’t really understand, but he’s a great player and I am glad to have him on my team.”
2. Purdue’s offensive line won’t be confused with Iowa’s or Wisconsin’s. And Jeff Brohm often likes to set up the run with the pass. Still, the Boilermakers need more from their rushing game. At halftime, Purdue had six rushes for seven yards (1.2 ypc). The long run? It was for two yards. It didn’t get much better in the second half, as the Boilermakers finished the game with a scant 31 yards rushing on 18 carries. That comes to 1.7 yards per rush. Zander Horvath led the team with 15 yards on eight carries. The last time Purdue won a game when it ran for 40 or fewer yards? It was the epic victory vs. Ohio State in 2000.
"We have to find a way to run the ball more," said Brohm. "I think we are aware of that. It seemed like every time we handed it off, we got minus four. So, there are a lot of things to work on and improve. I think this team, what you are gonna see this year from us in order for us to win, we have to show more grit, more fight, more toughness and just battle to the end and make it a one-game season and find ways to win."
3. Give Elijah Sindelar credit: He has some thick skin. After Jeff Brohm gave Sindelar some—ahem—constructive criticism early in the game, he responded. Brohm’s message to Sindelar: Know where No. 4 is. Who is No. 4? It’s Rondale Moore. Sindelar threw the air out of the ball today, hitting 34-of-52 passes for 509 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. In two games, Elijah Sindelar has hit 68-of-104 passes (65 perent) for 932 yards with nine TDs and three picks. He has gone 34-of-52 in each game this season.
"Elijah did a great job of reading the out," said tight end Brycen Hopkins. "I think our offensive line did a great job keeping him protected and our receivers did a great job, as well.
"I think he was doing a great job. That’s probably the best game I have seen Elijah throw the rock. He was zipping it in when he needed to, he was putting air under when he needed to. He’s a smart player, he’s athletic and I put my trust in him."
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4. Purdue’s defense came under some scrutiny this past week after it melted down in the 34-31 loss at Nevada by allowing 17 fourth-quarter points. The unit did a better job today making “big plays”--sacks, tackles for loss, and turnovers. The defense finished with three sacks (it had one at Nevada), five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, an interception and six passes broken up. No play epitomized the ability to make a big play—at a key time, no less—than when end George Karlaftis broke through the line and batted down a pass on a fourth-down attempt by Vanderbilt late in the third quarter.
5. Hat’s off to Purdue’s banged-up secondary, which played well today. Yes, Vanderbilt passed for 420 yards and two touchdowns and had pass plays that covered 75 and 49 yards, among other long-gainers. Still, the Boilermaker DBs played pretty well for a second game in a row. Sophomore cornerbacks Dedrick Mackey and Kenneth Major ranked 2-3 on the team in tackles vs. Vandy. Each had a pass break-up, and Mackey had a pick. These two are tough and aggressive ... and pretty good, too.
6. There was been much hubbub about defensive coordinator Nick Holt working from the press box—and not from his traditional spot on the field—in the loss at Nevada last week. Brohm said earlier this week that Holt would remain perched in the box. But, come game time, Holt was back on the field. And, the results were good—for the most part. Brohm didn’t say where Holt would be next week when TCU visits, but one would presume he will stay on the field—where he always traditionally has worked. The defense made more big plays today. And best of all: There was no fourth quarter melt-down.
"I think as we evaluated last week’s performance, there were some advantages to being upstairs,” said Jeff Brohm. “But I think in the end, probably Nick’s strength is his fire and his passion for football and his ability to kind of get around the team and motivate them on the field.
“So, yes, we went ahead and switched that back.”
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7. Not a good day for special teams—again. True freshman punter Brooks Cormier punted four times and averaged just 30.0 yards. A 22-yarder resulted in Vandy starting a drive at Purdue’s 44-yard line, and the Commodores went on to score a TD to cut Purdue’s lead to 28-16 with 12:27 left in the game. There also was a holding penalty that negated a long punt return. And don’t forget about the missed 42-yard field goal by J.D. Dellinger.
8. How about those tight ends? Fifth-year senior Brycen Hopkins and redshirt freshman Payne Durham looked good. Hopkins made just three grabs for 41 yards, but two went for TDs. He now has three on the year. Durham nabbed two passes for 28 yards, hauling in the first TD of his career. The duo is a real force.
“Those are some good stats, but I’m also disappointed in my two drops that I had but I am glad I was able to make it up and they kept coming back to me,” said Hopkins. “That means a lot when Coach keeps believing in me when I make a bad drop like that.”
9. It’s crazy not to think that Purdue got an emotional lift of some sort from the dedication of the Tyler Trent Student Gate. Fans were given gold towels for the event and they sung “Happy Birthday” to Tyler, who would have turned 21 years old today. Count Rondale Moore among those who are still moved by Trent’s spirit.
“Tyler Trent, man,” he said. “Obviously, as I have spoken about it before, we got to build a relationship before he passed away, but he was a great friend of mine and we ended up texting every day and we ended up building a really good friendship. He is a fighter and the definition of a Boilermaker.”
10. Brohm said that he should have played more players in last week’s loss at Nevada. Mission accomplished today, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Players could be seen hustling on and off the field, making frequent substitutions. The d-line was especially active, with Purdue using eight linemen: George Karlaftis, Derrick Barnes, Kai Higgins, Branson Deen, Jack Sullivan, Lawrence Johnson, Giovanni Reviere and Anthony Watts up front. That had to play a role in Purdue limiting Vandy to 71 yards rushing.
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