The 3-2-1: Purdue's win over Nebraska
Purdue ran its winning streak to four games on Saturday night, improving to 2-0 in the Big Ten West with a 43-37 shootout win over visiting Nebraska.
Devin Mockobee ran for 178 yards and a touchdown and Charles Jones caught 12 passes for 132 yards and two scores. Aidan O'Connell threw for four scores and just under 400 yards.
Three things from the game ...
• Devin Mockobee has been an absolute revelation for Purdue, and never was that more true than tonight, when the walk-on running back ran for 100-plus yards and a touchdown in the first half alone, before finishing with 178 on a whopping XX carries.
His tenacity and will as a runner have really added a new element to an offense that suddenly has some real balance and has reaped the benefits.
Where would Purdue be without him? Perish the thought.
• Kudos again to Purdue's defense, which again gave up some big plays and finished the first half in face-palm manner, but was otherwise close to dominant before halftime.
Clyde Washington's late first-half interception — leading to a Purdue touchdown — was an enormous step toward this outcome, and the Boilermakers were all over the ball, and Nebraska QB Casey Thompson, all night. Purdue sacked Thompson four times before halftime.
But the second half was problematic.
Purdue just can't keep giving up so many big plays that these shootouts unfold and Purdue can never be comfortable or play with a meaningful lead.
• Big credit to Purdue's offense for converting two enormous fourth-and-short snaps In the fourth quarter. This is not a great short-yardage offense, but it ground out the tough yards today and won Big Ten-style in that regard.
Wouldn't have mattered as much had Purdue not missed a makeable field goal and PAT to keep this game closer than it should have been.
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