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PDF: Purdue-Illinois statistics

Time to hand out grades following Purdue's 24-6 loss to Illinois.

It was a monsoon in West Lafayette. Not good conditions to pass the football, which was bad news for an offense that likes to ... pass the ball. So, the sloppy environment played a big role in this poor grade. Jack Plummer hit just 8-of-20 passes for 71 yards with a killer pick-six in the second quarter that got him pulled. The redshirt freshman's decision-making was dubious. Aidan O'Connell replaced Plummer not once--but twice. The sophomore walk-on hit 7-of-13 passes for 65 yards with a TD. Jeff Brohm wasn't pumped with either of his signal-callers, throwing the job open this coming week. With the quarterbacks struggling in the horrid conditions, wideout David Bell was a total non-factor. He made five catches for a scant 18 yards. Bell had had 13 catches for a school freshman-record 197 yards last week in earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for a second time in a row.

GRADE: F

By Purdue's standards, 135 yards rushing is excellent. The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers wouldn't be impressed. But, hey, for the second-worst rushing team in the United States of America, 135 yards on the ground is huge. In fact, it was a season-high total for Purdue. But the Boilermakers needed a season-high 44 carries to get there (3.1 ypc). And 54 of those yards came in the fourth quarter after the outcome of the game basically had been decided when the Illini led, 24-0. So, take that for what it's worth. Zander Horvath got most of those yards late, as he ended up leading the club with 54 yards rushing. Stop me if you've heard this: The line struggled to get a consistent push. It's a common refrain.

GRADE: C

Ross-Ade Stadium was a quagmire, making moving the ball a chore--especially through the air. This was a day when the Boilermakers needed to be able to run the ball. And, they couldn't do it consistently well when it mattered. The longest run of the day? It was just 10 yards. And that came late in the game when the outcome basically was decided. Purdue couldn't pass the ball in the persistent precipitation. And it was hurt by two turnovers by Jack Plummer, losing a fumble and throwing a mojo-killing pick-six. Illinois scored 14 points off those turnovers. Purdue actually out gained Illinois, 271-268. But it ran 77 plays to the Illini's 60. The Boilermakers were in the red zone one time--on their lone touchdown drive of the game late in the fourth quarter. Too little, way too late.

GRADE: D

Let's just say that Illinois didn't test Purdue's ability to defend the pass. Why? Because it didn't need to since Illinois was able to run most of the day largely unencumbered. The Fighting Illini hit just 3-of-7 passes for 26 yards. (One pass was a trick-play heave that failed.) The Boilermaker defense needed to make Brandon Peters throw to beat them. It didn't happen. Peters and Illinois were able to pass on their own terms all game. In the end, Peters didn't need to chuck it much--which was a good thing on rain-soaked afternoon.

GRADE: A

Purdue entered this game wanting to slow down the Fighting Illini run game. It failed. From the get-go, Illinois had its way all ... game ... long. Illinois finished with 242 yards rushing on 53 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per tote. Dre Brown scorched the Boilermakers for 131 yards rushing (7.3 ypc) with a 44-yard jaunt. Jeff Brohm said in the post-game that the interior of the d-line has been an issue all season. And, that showed on this day. Illinois found running room, and its backs ran hard. On a positive note, it was good to see Semisi Fakasiieiki play well. He had seven stops and a TFL playing dinged up at linebacker; he's a defensive end by trade.

GRADE: D

The inability to slow down Illinois' ground game was disappointing. And that's what proved costly for the Boilermakers on a soggy day in West Lafayette. Another issue: Lack of turnovers generated. (Honestly, this has been an issue for almost two years.) For the second game in a row, the Boilermakers lost the turnover battle. Purdue has generated just eight turnovers in eight games (two fumble recoveries; six interceptions). Purdue has a minus-6 turnover margin. Only Rutgers has forced fewer turnovers in the Big Ten. (Being mentioned in the same breath as Rutgers is never a good thing.) Let's leave on a positive note: Phenom end George Karlaftis had six tackles, a sack and two TFLs. He hasn't slowed down and is one course to be a Freshman All-American.

GRADE: C-

A solid effort. Zac Collins was dependable in his role as a rugby punter, putting four punts inside the 20-yard line on eight punts. Pooch punter Danny Corollo made the national highlight shows when he nearly whiffed on a second-half punt, dribbling the ball a mere 15 yards. Jackson Anthrop had a 17-yard punt return. Coverage teams were good. No field-goal attempts for the Boilermakers.

GRADE: B

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