Report Card: Purdue's grades are all across the board after loss to Minnesota
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Saturday was a Purdue fans' worst nightmare — and in more ways then one. After injuries to key players Elijah Sindelar and Rondale Moore, the Boilermakers went on to lose 38-31 to Minnesota in a game that was much more lopsided than the final score indicated.
With the loss, Purdue falls to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in the Big Ten. They return to action next Saturday, hitting the road to take on the undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions.
Here’s how the Boilermakers graded out against Minnesota in Week 5:
Rushing Offense: B-plus
Jeff Brohm made a point during the off week that he wanted his team to become more physical on the offensive line. That improved physicality, along with the return of Matt McCann, paid dividends in the running game. A team that was near or at the bottom nationally in every rushing category showed signs of life on Saturday. Behind an improved offensive line, freshman King Doerue ran for 94 yards and two scores.
Doerue and the offensive line were one of the bright spots for Purdue on Saturday. In a game in which the team as a whole looked out of sorts, the running game showed major improvement and seems to have found their running back in Doerue.
Passing Offense: B-minus
Heading into the game, the Purdue passing attack seemed primed for a big day. Starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar was returning from a concussion and freshman wide receiver David Bell was cleared to play as well. All that changed near the end of the first quarter when Sindelar and Rondale Moore were injured on the same play.
Following the injury, redshirt freshman Jack Plummer took control of the offense. Plummer finished the day with 245 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Bell had a breakout game with Moore out, catching eight passes for 114 yards.
Rush Defense: C-minus
Although the final stats don’t show it — 34 attempts for 92 yards as a team — the Minnsota rushing attack had a good day. Gophers starter Rodney Smith ran for 115 yards and one touchdown while averaging 5.2 yards per carry, a major uptick from their season average of 2.6 yards per carry.
Pass defense: F
Purdue's pass defense was so terrible that Minnesota passed the ball at will, and had yards of separation on nearly every play. From the first drive, the Purdue secondary looked sluggish and outmatched by the Golden Gophers' wide receivers. Minnesota’s quarterback Tanner Morgan finished the day 21-for-22 passing for 396 yards and four touchdowns. Rashod Bateman led the way for the wideouts, catching six passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Special Teams: A
The Boilermakers' special teams did what they were supposed to. The highlight of the day was Purdue recovering an onside kick near the end of the game, leading to score that cut the Minnesota lead to seven.
A 69-yard punt by Brooks Cormier that Purdue downed at the 2-yard line was another exciting moment for the special teams. J.D Dellinger connected on his lone field goal attempt as well.
Coaching: D-minus
Coming off of a bye week, the Boilermakers looked unprepared for Minnesota. That blame falls on the coaching staff. They had no answer for Minnesota’s passing attack and looked lost all day long. The players may be the ones out there playing, but the game plan was underwhelming.
Intangibles: B-minus
Outside of the lackluster performance on defense, the Boilermakers showed some heart on Saturday. After losing their top two players to injuries, the team continued to fight, coming up just short on what was an exciting comeback.
Most teams would fold after two crushing injuries of that caliber, but Purdue didn’t and that’s promising to see from a young team. There's still plenty of football left to be played.
