Ten things you need to know about Purdue's 40-14 win vs. Maryland

1. Cory Trice may be a rising star. He was all over the field today and basically iced the game with a 37-yard pick in the dying moments of the first half. He added another pick in the third quarter. Trice is the first Boiler with two interceptions in a game since Markus Bailey at Indiana on Nov. 26, 2016. The 6-3 redshirt freshman is a looming figure on the edge who was moved from safety to corner in August. Trice said then he hadn’t played corner since middle school.

“We always thought Cory had some great promise,” said Jeff Brohm. “He came in as a safety. So, really, he has been a safety his whole life. Due to our situation, we asked him to move to corner because it was a position of need, we didn’t have the depth we wanted. He went over there, and he’s green there, he’s raw. Because of it, he lacks fear. He just goes out there and plays. Doesn’t know any different. And he competes and he challenges some things.”

2. Not ready to say “Elijah, who?” yet. But, golly, Jack Plummer took a big step in his development today. After being battered for 10 sacks last week at Penn State, the redshirt freshman enjoyed a coming-out party of sorts on this sun-splashed day in Ross-Ade Stadium. Plummer hit 33-of-41 passes for 420 yards with three TDs. And he was sacked just one time.

“I think last week, a lot of things happened, pressure, losing a little confidence as the game goes on, which happens,” said Brohm. “I think he has done a great job of studying the things he needs to get better at. Going out and working hard at it. I thought we did a much better job of helping him a little bit. But he executed. Threw some accurate footballs. Took care of the ball, was a good leader, had more poise, I thought, in the pocket.”

3. Freshman party. Purdue’s first three touchdowns were scored by true freshmen: 23-yard TD catch by David Bell, a 4-yard TD run by King Doerue and a 59-yard TD catch by Milton Wright. Oh, and the fourth TD was tallied by redshirt freshman cornerback Cory Trice on a 37-yard pick six. Gives you an indication of how young—and potential-laden—this program is.

“I think we got some good young talent,” said Brohm. “You know what? The time now is for them to play. Our goal is to win now, though. We are gonna try to win now. We will try to improve to get better, but the guys are up due to our situation.”

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4. There is hope. Yes. After three defeats in a row—often in dreary fashion—the Boilermakers finally sipped from the cup of victory. Purdue hadn’t won since taking a 42-24 win vs. Vanderbilt in Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 7, the second game of the year. Perhaps Purdue can use this triumph as a catapult. Winnable games loom: Illinois, Nebraska, Indiana at home as well as a trip to Northwestern. The point? Bowl eligibility remains a very real possibility.

“Very proud of our team today,” said Brohm. “I thought we had a great week of practice. We hadn’t been playing the way we like to. Things hadn’t gone our way. We’ve made some mistakes, had some tough losses. … our guys understand it’s about getting better. It’s about whoever is out there, find ways to compete, play hard, stick to it even when things are maybe struggling—-good things eventually will happen. Today, we came out and played one of our better games.”

5. The run game showed some much-needed life—Purdue entered the game second-to-last in the nation in rushing. The staff made three changes on the line, inserting redshirt freshman Eric Miller at right tackle, sophomore Sam Garvin at center and sophomore Mark Stickford at left guard. Will Bramel also saw time at right tackle. The Boilermakers finished with a season-high 127 yards rushing on 37 carries. True freshman King Doerue ran 19 times for 69 yards with a TD.

6. Fifth-year senior running backs Tario Fuller (jaw) and Richie Worship (knee) dressed for the first time in 2019. But neither impacted. Fuller played a bit, carrying five times for 10 yards. He also fumbled. Worship never got in. In the end, with the way Purdue was passing the ball, it didn’t matter. Still, just getting the two back in the fold should help moving forward.

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7. The maturation of true freshman David Bell continues. He has steadily gotten better as the season has progressed, showing flashes of his ability at times. Bell had a 49-yard TD catch in the opener, made four catches vs. Vanderbilt and had eight against Minnesota. Today, Bell had nine catches for 138 yards with two TDs. All are highs for his brief career. For the year, Bell has 26 catches for 438 yards and three TDs.

“He makes plays,” said Brohm. “When you throw it to him, he’s gonna make the play 99 percent of the time. He makes contested catches. He catches the deep ball in traffic. He catches the deep ball down the sideline. He showed some physicality after the catch today. He got open on numerous slants. He’s a big-time player. He’s someday that has to be a big part of this offense. As we continue to get better around him, I think he can showcase himself even more.”

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8. We are starting to see more true freshmen take the wraps off their Purdue career. Today, running back Da’Joun Hewitt and linebacker Khali Saunders played for the first time. It’s also worth noting that true freshman safety Cam Allen played in his fifth game of 2019, making him ineligible for a redshirt. If you are counting, 10 of 26 freshmen from the Class of 2019 have played this season.

9. The defense allowed some big plays, but the bottom line is Purdue permitted just 14 points. So, in the last six quarters, the Boilermakers have allowed just three touchdowns—one at Penn State in the second half and two all day today vs. Maryland.

“To come out in the second half and shut them out was great to see,” said Brohm. “It was great by our defense to have a shutout performance in the second half. A lot of things happened well. Cory Trice is one that stood out. He turned the momentum at the end of the first half and then made a good pick in the second half when they are driving. New people are stepping up."

10. Hello, Brycen Hopkins. The fifth-year senior tight end had been noticeably silent most of the season. He entered today with 14 catches—six came in the opener. Today, Hopkins had career-highs in 10 catches and 140 yards. He is the first Purdue tight end to have 10 catches in a game since Tim Stratton in the 2001 Sun Bowl. This offense needs Hopkins' to excel.

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