Heisman duo leads No. 1 Ohio State past Purdue football: Glimpse of future shows in likes, dislikes
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football must continue to measure progress by its losing performances against the Big Ten’s best.
No. 1 Ohio State thumped the Boilermakers 34-10 at Ross-Ade Stadium. That represented a solid day for the defense against arguably the most talented passing attack in the country and a rough day for the offense against arguably the nation’s best defense.
Here’s what I liked, disliked and what it means.
What I liked in Purdue football’s loss vs Ohio State
Purdue’s offense needs to start seeing evidence of future upside. A couple of players provided glimpses Saturday.
Ohio native Tra’Mar Harris came into the game without a reception in two appearances. Then the redshirt freshman drew pass interference flags from Ohio State veteran Davison Igbinosun and former five-star cornerback prospect Devin Sanchez.
Purdue has not been able to generate dynamic tight end receiving contributions with George Burhenn sidelined by injury. Quarterback Ryan Browne connected with Auburn transfer Rico Walker for a 30-yard gain down the seam in the first quarter.
∙ CJ Nunnally IV shows what Purdue is capable of via the transfer portal. The former Akron edge rusher might be Purdue’s best defensive player — which puts him on the short list to be considered the team’s best player, period. His end zone interception of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin helped keep this game closer than many expected.
∙ Purdue’s only chance at disrupting the Sayin-Jeremiah Smith connection was a disruptive performance from the defensive front. For most of the rest of the day, the Boilers could not generate a pass rush to rattle that potential Heisman finalist combo.
However, Mani Powell got home on an early blitz for only the fourth sack of the OSU quarterback all season. He totaled 12 tackles. Breeon Ishmail continued his solid play with a sack of Sayin on third down which forced a 45-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.
∙ I wondered if Malachi Singleton would be allowed to run the full playbook at some point. He did, in the fourth quarter, and it resulted in the Boilers’ only touchdown. A couple of big OSU penalties put Purdue in scoring position, and Singelton found a wide-open Jesse Watson for the touchdown.
What I disliked in Purdue football’s loss vs Ohio State
Ohio State’s receiving corps is on another planet even if Carnell Tate is held out for precautionary reasons. Sayin came in completing 81% of his passes — and performed right at that mark Saturday. That puts a lot of pressure on opposing receiving corps to play perfect.
Nitro Tuggle dropped the second pass attempt of the game, then dropped another at the end of the first half which might have prevented that last Buckeye field goal. He’s not the lone culprit, especially when looking back over a full season. This offense cannot take a step forward until the receiving corps does.
∙ This is the second straight week where Malachi Singleton’s short-yardage package went nowhere. But while the backfield personnel and alignment sometimes change, the offense’s lack of rushing success in short-yardage situations goes deeper than that.
What Purdue football’s loss vs Ohio State means
Purdue wants to get back to a place where it makes Ohio State fans scared to come to Ross-Ade Stadium. Even with a 3-0 lead it did not accomplish that Saturday. Signs of progress still crept through, though, especially on defense.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue football score today vs Ohio State, game stats, likes, dislikes
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos