11/2/2019 football Edit

Sophomore walk-on QB O'Connell delivers off the bench in crunch-time

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

PDF: Purdue-Nebraska statistics

As Jack Plummer was being helped off the field with an apparent right leg injury, Aidan O'Connell knew he was the next man up. Purdue trailed, 20-17, with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. The Boilermakers were at the Cornhusker 11-yard line. What was O'Connell thinking as he buckled his chinstrap with the game on the line?

"Let’s go," said O'Connell. "There is no time to be nervous, hide in a shell. You just have to take it like a man."

O'Connell did just that. He proceeded to finish the drive, which resulted in a 7-yard King Doerue TD run five plays later to give Purdue a 24-20 lead. But the Cornhuskers quickly responded with a touchdown to take a 27-24 advantage with 4:21 left in the game.

Purdue (3-6 overall; 2-4 Big Ten) needed this win to stay on course for bowl eligibility. How would O'Connell respond in this pressure situation?

Just fine, thank you. Even with the added pressure of Boilermaker and NFL legend Drew Brees watching from sideline while the New Orleans Saints were in an off week he excelled.

"He’s one of the best quarterbacks to ever do it, but you have to tune that stuff out," said O'Connell. "It’s about the people between the white lines. I know I had their support. You really have no choice. You have to step up to the plate and do your job."

The sophomore walk-on did just that. O'Connell marched Purdue on a 12-play, 82-yard drive that culminated with 9-yard TD run on a reverse by David Bell to deliver a 31-27 victory. It was a gutty call by Jeff Brohm. It also was a play Purdue had just installed this week ... and one O'Connell never had run before.

"I don’t think I have repped that play," said O'Connell. "That’s a new play we just put in this week."

What was the play called?

"I don’t know if I am allowed to say," said O'Connell, who played for the first time ever last week vs. Illinois and hit 8-of- 14 passes for 67 yards with a TD. "It’s basically power with reverse. We got it from an NFL team, I forget which team. But that’s how we get a lot of our plays. Like I said, we put it in this week.

"Jack repped it and I got a mental rep. Sometimes, that’s all you get. You prepare as the backup like you’re the starter. You have to know every play even if you’ve never repped it, which we have a lot of plays … a lot of plays. There are a lot of plays you’ll never rep. In the game, you have to go out there and perform."

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Purdue Boilermaker legend Drew Brees watched from the sideline. (Krockover Photography)

O'Connell hit 6-of-7 passes for 62 yards. He missed his first pass, but O'Connell hit his last six--all coming on the game-winning drive.

"(I'm) very proud of Aidan," said Jeff Brohm. "As you guys know, he came in here and worked his tail off and gotten himself ready to compete and play. I think playing last week helped him. He got in there, got a little rust off and got some nerves out of him. I think he was relaxed when he came in. He made some big throws.

"(It was a ) tremendous job by him. It's something that when you put in work your whole life when you take a chance and come here to walk-on and play, when maybe you can go somewhere else and play faster, and then go out and help us beat Nebraska, I think it’s a great moment for him."

After the game, Brohm said Plummer is "probably out the rest of the year." That makes this O'Connell's team. He began the season as the third-stringer. Now, after Elijah Sindelar and Plummer both were hurt, O'Connell is the No. 1 man. Next up: A game at Northwestern next Saturday. And that will be special for O'Connell, a native of the Chicago suburb of LIncolnshire who attended Stevenson High and who had planned to play at Wheaton College before opting to walk-on at Purdue.

"Pretty cool," he said. "I have a lot of family and friends out (to watch). Should be a lot of fun. But we will try to go and win the game."

The Boilermakers need to win that--and then prevail at Wisconsin and vs. Indiana to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.

"I feel super sorry for Jack," said O'Connell. "This kid worked so hard. He's one of my best friends. (I) pray for Jack. It’s my job to do what I have to do.

"Starter, backup, I try to prepare myself like I am the one and I’m gonna play. Who knows? I’m gonna try to be a leader as best I can and hopefully win a few more games this season."

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