Three and out: Purdue's epic win vs. Tennessee in Music City Bowl
NASHVILLE -- We're calling it Three And Out this year, because it's three things and then we're out.
1. An instant classic!
You can tell your children you witnessed this heart-stopping 48-45 OT Purdue win that will be talked about for generations ... no matter what side of the win-loss ledger you finished on.
The epic victory gives Purdue nine wins for the first time since 2003 in the signature victory of the Jeff Brohm era.
Aidan O'Connell wasn't at his best on this day, but he was playing under trying circumstances. He didn't have his top two wideouts and No. 1 left tackle. Still, the fifth-year senior had Purdue in control for most of this game. O'Connell threw for 534 yards and five TDs.
His first INTs since Oct. 23 were costly as he worked with a rag-tag wideout unit. Still, this was a nice setup for the 2022 season for O'Connell, who should be on most every quarterback award list.
The fact Purdue played as well as it did without key personnel like George Karlaftis and David Bell speaks volumes of the work of Jeff Brohm's staff.
Kudos to a gutty effort by wideout Broc Thompson, who excelled despite playing hurt. He had seven catches for 217 yards and two TDs.
2. Purdue's worst defensive fears were realized in the opening quarter, with Tennessee racing to a 21-7 lead.
But the Boilermaker defense adapted, allowing just 70 yards and no points in the second quarter, as Purdue took a 23-21 halftime lead.
The D played well for most of the game, adapting to the UT speedy pace. Hat's off to co-DC Brad Lambert and his staff for doing enough to win this game. The D got the key stop on fourth down in OT to set up Purdue for a game-winning 39-yard field goal.
3. This was more of a preview of 2022 than a final game of 2021.
Purdue's roster will be bolstered in 2022 by some portal additions, but this unit we saw today offers a good glimpse of how the squad should look next season.
Myriad players who rarely saw action in 2021 played in an all-hands-on-deck situation. Players like Mahamane Moussa, Deion Burks, Sanoussi Kane, Prince Boyd, Marcus Mbow ... on and on it went on this wild night in Nashville.
This sets up what should be a much-anticipated 2022 season in West Lafayette.
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