Purdue 40, Maryland 14: Grading the Boilermakers

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PDF: Purdue-Maryland statistics

Time to hand out grades following Purdue's homecoming win vs. Maryland that made the Boilermakers 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten.

The aerial attack finally looked like it did earlier this season when Elijah Sindelar was leading the nation in attempts (104), completions (68), passing yards (932) and TD passes (9) after the first two weeks of 2019. Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer played like a senior, hitting 33-of-41 passes for 420 yards with three touchdowns in just his third career start. (The 420 yards were the second-most ever by a Purdue freshman.) And he was helped by the reemergence of tight end Brycen Hopkins, who caught a career-high 10 passes (on 12 targets) for 140 yards. And how good is David Bell gonna be? The true freshman had the second 100-yard receiving game of his young career, making nine grabs for 138 yards and two TDs. He now has 26 catches for 438 yards (16.8 ypc) and three TDs in 2019.

Grade: A

Purdue’s season-high rushing total entering the game was 123 yards vs. Minnesota. It eclipsed that vs. Maryland with 127 yards. Progress, as the offense attacked the edges for most of its yards. The Boilermakers began the day with the second-worst rushing game in the nation (50.8 ypg). True freshman King Doerue continues to lead the way. On this day, he had 69 yards on 19 totes with a score. And his 26-yard run in the fourth quarter was a season-long for the squad. Doerue has 67 carries for 226 yards and three TDs—all team-highs in 2019. The Boilermakers welcomed back fifth-year senior backs Richie Worship and Tario Fuller. Worship didn’t play, while Fuller had five carries for 10 yards with a fumble. Hey, it’s a start for both vets. Maybe they can contribute more moving forward. And kudos to a much-maligned o-line--which had three new starters--that got a steady push.

Grade: B-

Lots to like for an attack that looked a lot like the one that had 519 yards at Nevada and 540 vs. Vanderbilt. Remember: The Boilermakers had only 204 yards vs. TCU and 104 at Penn State. This is an offense littered with youth. And that youth started to grow up on Saturday. The staff did a good job of using spacing and motion to get Maryland going sideways to create mismatches. Making tight end Brycen Hopkins a priority was huge. He had just eight catches the last four games. Purdue has some mojo as it heads to Iowa.

Grade: A

Have to lead with redshirt freshman cornerback Cory Trice. He is a 6-3 freak who continues to evolve after moving from safety to corner in August. Trice made the move into the starting lineup vs. Penn State. Against Maryland, he showed his playmaking skills by picking off two passes and running one back for a TD. The Terps had just 218 yards passing and hit just 54 percent of their passes. (Maryland quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome often misfired.) The Boilermakers also tallied two sacks on Pigrome. Bottom line: Purdue kept things buttoned up vs. the pass.

Grade: B

The Terps gouged Purdue on the ground, running 26 times for 185 yards (7.1 ypc). Quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome did most of the damage, running 13 times for 107 yards. He burned Purdue on a naked boot leg in the first half, escaping around right end on a third-and-one for a 61-yard TD scamper. Running back Javon Leake had a 31-yard scamper and also had a 21-yard TD jaunt. No doubt, Purdue missed having both of its No. 1 tackles: Lorenzo Neal and Anthony Watts.

Grade: C

The numbers weren’t sterling, as the Boilermakers yielded 403 yards. And Maryland had eight plays of 20 yards or more. No doubt, the Boilermakers missed linebacker Cornel Jones and lineman Brandon Deen, who both got hurt last week. But the bottom line is this: Purdue allowed just 14 points. So, going back to the second half at Penn State, the Boilermakers have allowed just three touchdowns in their last six quarters. The continuing development of cornerback Cory Trice is encouraging for the secondary. He led the team in tackles with six and broke up a pass in addition to having two picks. End Derrick Barnes continues to have a quietly successful season.

Grade: B

Kicker J.D. Dellinger remains steady. He hit two 27-yard field goals and just missed a 52-yarder wide left. He had plenty of leg. Zac Collins did a fine job punting, averaging 39.2 yards and proving effective as a rugby-style punter. True freshman Brooks Cormier didn’t punt once. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The return game was a non-factor. The coverage teams were solid.

Grade: B+

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