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Published Nov 30, 2019
The 3-2-1: Purdue's loss vs. Indiana
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Tom Dienhart  •  BoilerUpload
GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor
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Three observations

1. Purdue (4-8 overall; 3-6 Big Ten) honored 15 seniors Saturday. But Lorenzo Neal wasn’t among them. It’s looking like the massive defensive tackle may be back in 2020. He didn’t play a snap this season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. No doubt, a healthy Neal would be a boon to the defense.

2. Back on Sept. 28, Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan hit 21-of-22 passes for 396 yards with four TD passes, and he flawlessly executed the run-pass option. The Gophers took a 38-31 win. Today, IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey operated with efficiency in moving with relative ease all game vs the Purdue defense. He kept IU in this game. Still, Purdue's defense made some key stops at key times in the second half.

3. Brycen Hopkins is gonna be a heck of a tight end. Some early 2020 NFL draft projections have Hopkins as a first-round pick. He showed his stuff on a 72-yard TD grab in the second quarter, when he outraced the Indiana defense to pay dirt.

Two questions

1. Who will be Purdue’s quarterback in 2020? It’s an interesting question, one that will be debated all winter long … and through spring drills, too. Sophomore walk-on Aidan O’Connell has done more than enough to earn a long look, rallying Purdue in a thrilling Bucket game. He hit 28-of-49 passes for 408 yards and three TDs. And redshirt freshman Jack Plummer will be back after undergoing right ankle surgery, along with true freshman Paul Piferi. Plus, the Boilermakers could bring in a veteran in the form of.a grad transfer … or JC transfer. One last X-factor: Will Elijah Sindelar be back to use the sixth season he was awarded last spring?

2. Have you ever seen a better catch than the one by David Bell late in the first half? I think it was the best I have seen in Ross-Ade Stadium. Wow! Long-time Purdue radio analyst Pete Quinn said it was the best catch he had ever seen. And Bell made another great catch on a 20-yard TD in the fourth quarter. He went over 1,000 yards receiving on the season today, making nine grabs for 136 yards and a TD. It will be fascinating to see how Bell develops in concert with Rondale Moore next season.

One prediction

1. Win or lose today, the future is bright for a Purdue program that was dominated by youth this season. Because of myriad injuries, Jeff Brohm and Co., had to play many young players. Some weren’t ready for extended duty. Nonetheless, there is no better teacher than experience. And guys like DE George Karlaftis, S Jalen Graham, DB Cam Allen, RB King Doere and WR David Bell--among others--got a lot of it. Yes, he's a sophomore, but RB Zander Horvath showed he could be a factor in the future with the first 100-yard rushing game for any Boilermaker this season. He ran 23 times for 164 yards.

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