Record loss for Purdue in Ross-Ade

IfPurdue's41-10losstoaconferenceopponentontheroadlastweekwasa"stepback,"what'sthis?

Committingfiveturnovers,includinghavingoneinterceptionreturnedforatouchdown?

Managingonly24pointsagainstadefenseallowingmorethanthatpergamethisseason?

Watchingaquarterback-aHeismancandidate,tobesurebutoneknownmoreforhisrushingthanpassing-connecton73percentofpasses?

AllowingaMid-AmericanConferenceschooltopost55points,themosteveragainstPurdueinRoss-AdeStadium?

ThiscouldbethebottomfortheBoilermakers.

NorthernIllinoisdominated-itpushedtoa20-pointleadasearlyasthesecondquarter-andcruisedtoa55-24victory.ThattiesforthelargestmargineverinaBigTen-MACmatchup.

"Thisisagreattimeforabyeweekforourfootballteam,"first-yearcoachDarrellHazellsaid."WeneedtotakealookfromAtoZateverythingwe'redoing.Allthepersonnelwe'reusingrightnowandweneedtomakesomeimprovements.Weneedtogethealthyandcomeback.Ithinkthebigthingforourfootballteamrightnow,aboveallelse,istostayclosebecausewe'regoingtohearitfrompeopleoutsideandrightfullyso,butit'sveryimportantforourfootballteamtostaygluedtogether."

Purdue(1-4)didn'tstartthatbadlyagainsttheHuskies,holdingNIU(4-0)toafieldgoalonitsfirstdriveandthenansweringwitha75-yardtouchdowndrivefora7-3lead.

Butthatquicklywaserased-andtherewasnocomingback.

NotwithaJordanLynch-ledoffense.

NIUneededonlytwominutestocompletefivepassesthatcovered63yards,endinginatouchdownonitsnextseriesafterPurduetookthelead.

ThenRobHenrylostafumble,allowingtheHuskiestogodownandtackanotherfieldgoalontomakeit13-7.

ThenextPurduedrivewentthree-and-out,andNIUneededonly2:06toputanotherTDontheboard.

Henrythrewaninterceptionafterthat,andtheHuskiesneededonlyfourplaystogetatouchdowntogoup27-7.

Hazelltriedtoprovideaspark,yankingfifth-yearseniorHenryforfreshmanDannyEtling,despitehavingonly35secondsleftinthehalfandonetimeout.

EtlingcompletedtwopassesandPaulGriggsdrilleda47-yardfieldgoalthatgavePurduesomehope.

A99-yardkickoffreturnforatouchdowntostartthesecondhalfwipedthatout.

"Thatwasabigplay,"Hazellsaid."Ithoughtourguysinthelockerroomfeltliketheyhadachancetobesuccessful.Ifyougetthemstoppedonthatfirstdrivethenyou'rebackintotheballgame,andIreallyfeltlikeourguysfeltliketheycouldcomeoutandhavesomesuccess.Tohavethatkickoffcomebackonyou,thathurtusalot."

Itwasn'ttheonlything.

Purdue'sdefenderssimplycouldnotslowNIU'soffense.

Ittriedtostayinitsbase4-3defenseandcoverreceiverswithlinebackers,andcatchesweremadeatahighrate.

Ittriedtobringinanextradefensiveback,andcatchesweremadeatahighrate.

IttriedtopacktheboxtobottleupLynchandtherunningbacks,andNIUaveraged4.9yardspercarry.

PurduefiguredLynchwouldbetheguytostoprunningtheball-he'dcarried22,23and23times,afterall,inthefirstthreegamesthisseason.

Instead,Lynchcameoutthrowing,anddissectedthedefensewithhisarm.Hecompleted14ofhisfirst15passes.

RicardoAllenandBruceGastondidn'tseemtohaveanyanswersafterward.Allentalkedabouthowthedefenseneedstoplayharder,andGastonmentioneditneededto"execute"better.

That'llneedtocomeoverthenextweek,allowingPurduetostewoveritsbreak.

"We'regoingtoevaluateourselves,"Allensaid."Rightnow,we'relookingintothemirrorandfindingoutwhatwecandobetterasplayers.Usasplayers,wehavetoplaybetter.We'regoingtoevaluateourselvesandseewhatwecandotomakeourselvesbetterandgetourselvestoachancetowin."

Theoffensecertainlywon'tbeexemptfromthatscrutiny.

ThoughHazellwouldn'tsayafterthegamewhethertheswitchtoEtlingwaspermanent,theoffensestillappearstohavemoreproblemsthanitsquarterbackplay.

NextweekwillbeabusyoneforPurdue.

"Yougiveupthatmanypointsandyouturnitoverthatmanytimes,youdon'tscoreenoughpoints,everythingisaconcernrightnow,"Hazellsaid.

ClickHeretoviewthisLink.

Copyright,Boilers,Inc.2013.AllRightsReserved.Reproducingorusingeditorialorgraphicalcontent,inwholeorinpart,withoutpermission,isstrictlyprohibited.E-mailGoldandBlack.com/Boilers,Inc.

GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your AndroidClick GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your iPhoneClick Here to view this Link. | Here to view this Link.

Click Click Here to view this Link. Here to view this Link.