Purdue Football Keeps Big Ten West Hopes Alive, Takes Down Illinois 31-24 on the Road
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Against one of the top statistical defenses in the nation, the Purdue offense generated 379 total yards and had three straight touchdown drives to put the pressure on Illinois and star running back Chase Brown.
A tight contest produced the physicality one would expect of two Big Ten teams, and the Boilermakers took advantage of 12 penalties called on the Fighting Illini for 121 yards while holding Brown to just 98 yards rushing on 23 carries to escape with a 31-24 victory on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
With the win, Purdue improved to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play, continuing its surge toward a potential Big Ten Championship appearance. The team also captured bowl eligibility for the fourth time in the last six seasons under coach Jeff Brohm.
"Our team knows. They read and understand where we're at," said Brohm. "Obviously, some things are going to have to happen, but nothing is going to happen if we don't win football games.
"We won't get ahead of ourselves. We've been through enough games this year where we look OK, and then other games we don't look very good. There's not anybody on our schedule that can't beat us, and that's just a fact."
Sixth-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell completed 25 of his 40 passes for 237 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the victory. Redshirt senior tight end Payne Durham also reached the end zone twice on seven catches for 70 yards receiving.
Purdue found success moving the football on its opening possession, putting together a 10-play, 49-yard drive that stalled in opposing territory. Faced with a fourth down from the Illinois 26-yard line, Brohm looked to move the chains rather than kick into the face of swirling winds.
The decision didn’t pay off, as O’Connell’s pass fell incomplete intended for Durham. The Fighting Illini took over on downs and sliced through the Boilermakers’ defense, going 74 yards down the field in just six plays. Brown capped the drive with a touchdown plunge from the 2-yard line to take an early 7-0 lead with 8:07 left in the first quarter.
The Purdue offense followed with more sustained offense, reaching the Illinois 27-yard line before being forced to kick a field goal. Fifth-year senior kicker Mitchell Fineran’s 44-yard attempt into the wind was no good.
The Boilermakers broke out of its own half of the field four times in the first half, gaining 229 yards of total offense while picking up 15 first downs. It finally found the end zone to tie things up with 8:46 to play before halftime.
Redshirt freshman Devin Mockobee carried the ball four straight times on a five-play, 55-yard drive and scored from six yards out. He posted 76 yards rushing in the first half on 13 attempts. O’Connell was 14-of-23 through the air for 140 yards, one touchdown and an interception while completing passes to eight different receivers before the break.
"Over the course of a game, you've gotta get your playmakers the ball," Brohm said of Mockobee, who finished the game with 108 yards rushing. "When somebody's hot, you need to ride them, and that's just how it works. Nothing against anyone else, but Devin's done a really good job."
The Purdue defense let Illinois off the hook on the subsequent drive, one that featured a wide-open drop and a fumble overturned to a completed pass.
Senior quarterback Tommy DeVito scrambled for a pickup of 12 yards on third-and-8 inside the red zone, and Brown crossed the goal line from eight yards out on the very next play. He ran for just 62 yards on 12 carries in the opening half.
It was the second long scoring drive the Boilermakers had given up. The defensive unit was otherwise stout, forcing four three-and-outs in the first two periods and giving the offense one last try at a score before the end of the first half.
"I think it was just having confidence that we're a good group," Purdue redshirt senior defensive lineman Branson Deen said. "Our coaches getting us this outline and getting us settled down.
"We've been through this before, we're well prepared for that. We're well tested, and we did a good job of locking in a playing good through the rest of the game."
The Fighting Illini appeared to have their second interception of the game, but while sixth-year senior wide receiver Charlie Jones wrestled for the ball on the turf, officials hurled a penalty flag on the right sideline.
Instead of a turnover, Purdue moved down the field after a pass interference call, which was met by a downpour of boos from the crowd. One play later, O’Connell hit Jones for a 32-yard touchdown strike. The two teams went into the locker room tied 14-14.
It was the first of three straight scoring drives for the Boilermakers, which opened the second half with a touchdown after going 90 yards in 12 plays. Durham put his stamp on the possession by coming down with a 5-yard jump ball in the end zone, giving the team a seven-point advantage.
"It seemed like we just kind of made eye contact, and I think I looked up telling [O'Connell] to throw it up," Durham said. "He trusted me, he threw a beautiful ball and I just went up there and grabbed it for him."
Illinois would punch back with a long scoring drive to tie the game, but that was before Durham made his second trip across the goal line in the fourth quarter, dragging a defender for a 12-yard score.
The Boilermakers helped seal the game on defense, as redshirt senior defensive tackle Lawrence Johnson tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that fell into the waiting arms of sixth-year senior linebacker Kieren Douglas.
O’Connell got the offense in field goal range by completing a pass to TJ Sheffield for a 15-yard gain on fourth down with nine yards to go. The redshirt junior wide receiver was targeted 12 times and paced the team with 72 yards on six catches.
"I don't always find him when I need to," O'Connell said of his chemistry with Sheffield. "After I threw him a drag route and he kind of tripped and fell, I think he was mad at himself. I just told him to stay in there, I'm going to come back to you and you're going to have to make a play for us.
"It's cool to see that when I say those things. When we encourage our teammates, we don't know if it's going to be for sure, but I meant what I said and TJ obviously stayed up."
Fineran booted a 25-yard field goal to put Purdue ahead by two scores. Illinois managed a field goal with 17 seconds left in the game but failed to recover the ensuing onside kick.
The team will have its final home game of the season next Saturday, Nov. 19, against Northwestern at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers are still right in the thick of the race for the Big Ten West with just two games left to play.
"The mentality of the team is one game at a time," Purdue redshirt freshman defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor said. "That's the end goal, but one week at a time we keep going."
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