Stats (PDF): Purdue-Vanderbilt box score

MORE: Grading the Boilermakers | 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

Let’s take a closer look at Purdue’s 42-24 win vs. Vanderbilt …

In what could turn out to be a huge play for Purdue's near future, Elijah Sindelar scrambled on 3rd-and-14 late in the fourth quarter with the Boilermakers leading, 42-24. He gained seven yards. But instead of sliding at the end of the play, Sindelar lowered his head and shoulder as he went down to absorb a hit. And he appeared to be struck on the head and arm. Purdue punted on the next play, as Sindelar subsequently was taken to the medical tent and backup signal-caller Jack Plummer began to warm up. Purdue never got the ball back, as the game ended. Media requested to speak with Sindelar after the game but was told “Elijah is in the medical tent and will probably not be coming to the postgame.” Sindelar wasn't present and Jeff Brohm offered little in the way of an update after the game. Stay tuned.

The secondary gave up some big plays (43, 46 and 75 yards) and yards (420) in the passing game, but it played well overall for a second week in row. Even more impressive about Saturday’s effort? The unit was banged up, according to the BTN broadcast. CB Kenneth Major (Achilles), CB Dedrick Mackey (groin) and safety Navon Mosely (shoulder) all had health issues. BTN said Mackey was most questionable. According to Data Driven, Mackey was targeted 12 times and seven were completed for a total of 161 yards. Two big plays accounted for most of it. Still, nice effort by cornerback coach Greg Brown's crew. Oh, and Major and Mackey played every snap despite their physical condition. Impressive.

Big George Karlaftis continues to impress. He showed what he is all about late in the third quarter when he burst off the edge, leaped and knocked down a pass on a fourth-and-one at the Purdue 15-yard line to snuff out a Vandy drive as Purdue led, 28-10. Get used to seeing plays like this. He played more snaps than any other defender (64), as Purdue was credited with 20 QB hurries. Seven hurries were by "Leo" Derrick Barnes, and Purdue had seven hits on the quarterback. Karlaftis and Barnes set the tone up front.

The drive of the game? It was early in the fourth quarter.

After letting Vanderbilt score on a one-play, 75-yard drive to cut its lead to 35-24, Purdue responded with a gutty seven-play, 95-yard drive that took 3:11. Purdue avoided disaster early in the drive when Elijah Sindelar handled a poor snap from Viktor Beach, chased and picked up the ball in his own end zone, whirled and threw it out of bounds. Officials ruled Sindelar was outside the tackle box and his pass went past the line of scrimmage (15-yard line).

But replays appeared to show Sindelar’s pass going out at about the 12-yard line. That would have resulted in an intentional grounding call in the end zone, resulting in a safety for Vandy. That would have made the score 35-26 with the Commodores getting the ball with eight minutes left in the game. Purdue kept possession and leaned on a big 70-yard catch by Rondale Moore to set up the icing touchdown on a Sindelar one-yard TD plunge to make it 42-24.

Rondale Moore got a little help from an official who provided an inadvertent screen on his fourth-quarter 34-yard TD catch that gave Purdue a 35-16 lead. The TD grab essentially put the game away for the Boilermakers. Speaking of Moore ... remember last week when he had just three catches for 10 yards in the second half? Moore had seven for 169 yards and a TD in the second half vs. Vandy en route to making a career-high 13 receptions for 220 yards.

After Purdue's second drive of the game, Jeff Brohm laid into Elijah Sindelar after the fifth-year senior signal-caller threw behind tight end Brycen Hopkins on a third-and-four. According to the broadcast, Brohm said to Sindelar: “Snap out of it,” as well as, “If you wanna keep playing, you better show me you can make a play.”

To that point, Sindelar was 3-of-5 passing for 10 yards. He responded to Brohm’s “encouragement” on the next possession by hitting 5-of-7 passes for 71 yards. Sindelar capped the drive with a 12-yard scoring dart to Hopkins to tie the game, 7-7. For the rest of the first half, Sindelar hit 14-of-21 passes for 167 yards and two TDs after he was “coached up” by Brohm. Sindelar ended up having a sensational day, completing 34-of-52 passes for 509 yards with five touchdowns and a pick.

Purdue’s defense played almost exclusively in nickel. And, it was a wise decision, as nickel back Simeon Smiley played 74 of 82 snaps.

The Boilermakers wanted to limit the Vanderbilt rushing game and make the Commodores throw to win. It worked. Vandy star RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn was limited to 56 yards rushing (3.3 ypc), and the Commodores had only 71 yards rushing. Vandy threw for 420 yards, but produced just 24 points. VU QB Riley Neal was sacked three times with a pick.

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