Stats (PDF): Purdue-Vanderbilt box score

MORE: Upon further review | GoldandBlack.com blog | Holt was back on the sideline | Purdue's big numbers in Vandy win | 10 things you need to know about Vandy win | The 3-2-1 | Final thoughts

It’s time to hand out grades following Purdue’s 42-24 victory vs. Vanderbilt.

Jeff Brohm said in the post-game that Elijah Sindelar gets better the more he throws the ball. And, boy, did he throw the ball. The fifth-year senior enhanced his resume for admission into Purdue’s “Cradle of Quarterbacks” by hitting 34-of-52 passes for 509-eye-popping yards. Oh, and he also threw for five touchdowns. It was the stuff of legend. He now leads America in passing (466.0 ypg). Sindelar completed passes to nine different targets. He showed off his strong arm on TD toss No. 1 to tight end Brycen Hopkins. And he displayed a feathery touch on his scoring dart to Rondale Moore. Sure, Sindelar still inexplicable misfires on some passes. Still, at 6-4, 225 pounds, smart, strong-armed ... this guy is straight from quarterback central casting. But, is he OK? Sindelar appeared to take a hit to the head late in the game and was taken into the medical tent. Stay tuned.

GRADE: A

Mom always said: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But, I am contractually obligated to fill this space. So, here it goes: The Boilermaker ground game stunk. It was pathetic. It was anemic. It was … embarrassingly ineffective. How’s all that? There, I typed it. This isn’t breaking news to Jeff Brohm. He admitted his team’s colossal struggles on the ground in the post-game. He didn’t need to look at the stat sheet. Had he, he would have seen his club had 31 yards rushing, averaging 1.7 yards per tote with a long jaunt of 10 yards behind a still-in-progress line. (How good will that front ever be this year? That's a story for another day. Now, some adversity has hit, as fifth-year senior guard Matt McCann left the game with an apparent ankle injury.) To his credit, Brohm was smart enough not to force the issue. Purdue ran just 18 times; it passed 52. Brohm knew where his bread was buttered on Saturday. He rode Elijah Sindelar and the passing game hard. Smart move, Jeff. Purdue is No. 125 out of 130 schools in the nation in rushing, averaging 63.5 yards. The Boilers have rushed 47 times for 127 yards (2.7 ypc).

GRADE: F

It’s all about playing to your strengths. And that’s exactly what Jeff Brohm did vs. Vanderbilt. Cave man football wasn’t going to work vs. Vanderbilt. So, Brohm opted to go over the top and pass, pass, pass … and then pass some more. It worked to the glorious tune of 540 total yards and 42 points. Most vital: It meant victory for a Boilermaker team that oh-so-badly needed a victory. Unlike at Nevada when it had just seven second-half points, Purdue finished strong vs. Vandy with 28 points after halftime. Still the preposterous run-pass imbalance brings this grade down.

GRADE: B-

Any good pass defense begins with a good pass rush. And Purdue did a better job this week generating a push. Vandy quarterbacks Riley Neal and Deuce Wallace felt some heat, as Purdue tallied three sacks and got pressure. Linebacker Markus Bailey blitzed often, and end George Karlaftis brought heat off the edge. Still, Neal bought enough time to do some considerable damage, hitting 24-of-35 passes for 378 yards with a pair of TD tosses and a pick. And the Commodores scorched the Boilermakers for some big pass plays. None were more egregious than the 75-yarder for a TD in the fourth quarter that cut Purdue’s lead to 35-24 with 9:16 to play. Yes, the Boilers sprung too many leaks. But the plan was to make the Commodore quarterback win the game. And, he failed to do so. Kudos.

GRADE: C+

Coming into the game, Purdue knew it couldn’t let Vanderbilt run wild. It knew it had to contain running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and make the Vandy signal-callers win the game. It worked. Nick Holt’s defense time and again swarmed Vaughn, limiting him to 56 yards rushing on 17 carries (3.3 ypc). Vaughn jawed a lot during the game. He even flexed a time or two. But, he didn’t live up to his 2018 1,200-rushing-yard-hype. Vandy finished with 71 yards rushing (2.6 ypc) with a long run of 23 yards. Purdue did a good job of keeping fresh bodies rotated in up front, using eight different linemen during the game. Sawed-off linebacker Ben Holt cleaned up a lot of messes, leading the squad with 11 tackles.

GRADE: A

Much was made of coordinator Nick Holt working in the unfamiliar confines of the press box for the Nevada game. And, that was the plan for this game, too, so it was a surprise to see Holt on the sideline at kickoff. Good move by Jeff Brohm to bring the intense Holt back on the field to do his job. The players seem to feed off his energy and intensity. And there’s a benefit to getting his feedback eye to eye on the sideline. Playing a lot of nickel vs. Vandy and dialing up the pressure often, the defense made more big plays this week, notching three sacks. When the going got tough and things tightened a bit in the second half, Purdue found a way to make a key stop. And Holt’s defense even registered a turnover. Progress, people.

GRADE: B

Lots to sort out here, as the special teams were a sore spot for a second week in a row. In the opener, Purdue muffed two punts that played a huge role in the stunning 34-31 defeat. This week, the Boilermakers saw a penalty negate a long Rondale Moore punt return and J.D. Dellinger missed a very makeable 42-yard field goal. And the punting left something to be desired. Freshman Brooks Cormier averaged 30.0 yards on four boots. He had punts of 25 and 22 yards. Woof. Positives on special teams? Six of Dellinger’s seven kickoff were touchbacks. That’s about the only thing to crow about. The special teams never have regained the mojo they had under former special teams boss Tony Levine back in 2017.

GRADE: D

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