Indiana coverage: Purdue basks in Bucket | Jones 'oustanding' | Video: Player reaction

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Garrett Hudson got hold of the Old Oaken Bucket shortly after Saturday’s game and wouldn’t let it go.

At one point, the senior linebacker was cradling it like a baby, protecting it from anyone else who might want to try to take it away.

Fitting, because Hudson was also the caretaker of Ja’Whaun Bentley’s position, too, with the star middle linebacker out Saturday because of an injury. And Hudson, as he has done at times as a fill-in starter at linebacker this season, came through, with an interception on Indiana’s first offensive snap that led to a touchdown and an early Purdue lead.

“Garrett is an experienced player. He’s been playing a lot of football, a fifth-year senior,” fellow senior Da’Wan Hunte said. “When he’s out there, we trust in him. Personally, I wanted to get Ja’Whaun another game because he wasn’t able to go. It’s just all about playing big-time football.”

Hudson’s only one example of many in a senior class that has helped Purdue back to the postseason following a 31-24 win over Indiana. Bentley, out after trying to go vs. IU but being unable to physically, is another. The list goes on: Wide receiver Anthony Mahoungou continued his late-season surge, with two catches for 88 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown reception. Hunte had two pass breakups. Tackle Gelen Robinson a sack among his seven tackles. Linebacker T.J. McCollum had seven tackles, and Danny Ezechukwu had 10, including a fourth-quarter sack and fourth-down tackle that turned the Hoosiers over two plays later.

Ezechukwu said he was inspired to give Bentley, a three-time Purdue captain, another game.

“I know that’s what I was playing for, along with the Bucket,” Ezechukwu said. “I saw it in his face when he came in there in the breakdown (before the game), and he knew he wasn’t going to go today. I was like, ‘OK, whatever I have to do so he can suit up again in this black and gold and play whoever we’ve got to play, I’m going to do it.’ I’m happiest for him. I’m happy about the Bucket. I’m happy for the fans. But I’m happiest for Ja’Whaun.”

Purdue’s senior hadn’t done much winning over the years, only nine of them in the last four seasons before this one. But that all felt well in the past on Saturday afternoon.

“Our seniors have gone through a lot and it hasn’t been easy,” first-year coach Jeff Brohm said. “They’ve done everything myself and coaches have asked from Day 1. They’ve had a great attitude and worked hard, they fought through adversity, hung with us and believed in what we were teaching. They practice well every week. Every time we brought in weakness, what they needed to improve, they put in the time. We’ve had guys out there plenty enough before practice, guys working hard during special teams when they’re not doing something, we have guys staying after until it’s dark an hour past practice. It see it come to fruition on the field in this matter, it makes me proud.”

Gutting it out

Jackson Anthrop was a game-time decision on Saturday, with the wide receiver deciding he was good enough to go for the Boilermakers.

And despite being limited by what may be an injured ankle, the wide receiver came up big in a variety of ways. He scored twice on end-arounds, rushing Purdue’s first two scores in from four- and five-yards out. He had five receptions for 20 yards and a punt return for seven.

Quarterback Elijah Sindelar finished 15-of-29 passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns, being sacked only once, and doing so on a bad left knee.

“We’ve got some tough football players and that’s what makes the game of football so great,” Brohm said. “You’ve got to be tough, you’ve got to be a team guy. It’s not about one individual. You don’t know when you’re time is going to come. We have numerous guys who are out, numerous guys who are playing injured but they’ve given us everything we ask.”

Wide receiver/backup QB Jared Sparks was in uniform, but didn’t play on offense, although he was in on the hands team twice late. Among those who couldn’t go Saturday were tight end Brycen Hopkins, who was a game-time decision, and Bentley, who hadn’t practiced much during the week but thought he’d be available.

“Really the sign of a great team is when your backups can come in and get it done,” Brohm said. “That’s what we’ve tried to build here, some depth at every position, so that when injuries happen, the next guy can step in and be ready. We’re not going to hesitate to put other guys in.”

Four for Four

Joe Schopper executed yet another fake punt on Saturday, extending a drive that ended in a go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter.

It’s the punter’s fourth conversion of the season, his second on a completion, with a run and a drawn pass interference.

“Joe is one of those sleeper athletes,” Bailey said. “Everyone thinks, ‘Ah, he’s a punter. He can’t do that.’ I think he ran a 4.6 one of the spring, maybe 4.65 or something. He’s a pretty good athlete and a quarterback out there too, making throws like that.”

On a fourth-and-three at the Indiana 43 midway through the second, Schopper pulled the punt down, glanced to his right, where Cole Herdman had split off his shield in the flat, considered running, then found Little, a reserve cornerback, wide open in the middle of the field. The 22-yard gain gave Purdue a first down at the 21.

Brohm felt the play, designed by special teams coordinator Tony Levine, took advantage of a weakness Purdue had found in IU’s safe punt return package.

“It was great execution, great design and really it spear-headed us to get this game going,” Brohm said. “We’ve had a couple of games where the special teams has really gotten our mojo going and led us to some points. It was a huge play.”

Slowing Cobbs and Co.

Purdue knew it wasn’t going to stop Simmie Cobbs and IU’s passing game completely.

But it wanted to slow the Hoosiers down.

And although IU finished with 373 yards, with Cobbs getting 105 on seven receptions, the Boilermakers can consider it a success. Aside from a 52-yard Cobbs’ reception, Purdue wasn’t beaten deep repeatedly.

“We knew they liked to stretch the football field,” Hunte said. “They’re going to try to pass the football. We had been telling the defense all week, just eliminate the big plays. We had been doing a good job of that all season, but in this game we had to lock in even more and just trust what we’ve been coached.”

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