**WEST LAFAYETTE** — Purdue football stumbled in a 35-0 loss to No. 2 Oregon on Friday night, struggling to keep pace and reviving concerns about the team’s direction. Initially, it seemed the Boilermakers were in danger of being blown out early, echoing a troubling pattern. Instead, they hung on, forcing Oregon to work for their first home shutout against Purdue since 2013.
Purdue failed to carry over enough momentum
from last week’s improvements to seriously challenge the Ducks, but it also
avoided a complete relapse into early-season woes. Although the team never
truly threatened, they managed to slow the game down, bolstered by a brief
resurgence from the defense.
Now, Purdue has two weeks to prepare for a
pivotal matchup against Northwestern on Nov. 3. Head coach Ryan Walters and his
staff need to build on the team’s recent highlights and focus on establishing
consistency.
**Grading the Boilermakers in Their Loss to
Oregon:**
**Purdue Offense: F**
Ryan Browne had an opportunity to quell
concerns about the quarterback position heading into the bye week, but he
struggled to make an impact. After a confident performance against Illinois, he
showed signs of hesitation, committing too many negative plays and pre-snap
penalties. Although shortening the game was a sensible strategy, it only served
to keep the score respectable, as Purdue once again failed to reach the end
zone. The team entered the game averaging a nation-low 3.1 points in the first
half and failed to even hit that mark.
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**Purdue Defense: C-**
Facing Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and his array
of offensive weapons was always going to be a challenge, especially with Nyland
Green unavailable. Gabriel began the game completing 12 of his first 13 passes
for 208 yards. The Boilermakers' defense showed some life late in the first
half, but Oregon's offense, averaging 7.03 yards per play this season, finished
with 7.2 yards per play on Friday. While the defense showed some chaotic bursts
of energy, it needs more support from the offense. If they can find that
balance, games like this might be competitive for all four quarters.
**Purdue Special Teams: C-**
Special teams continued to deliver sporadic
bright moments. The highlight of the night was a 64-yard punt by Keelan
Crimmins, downed at Oregon’s 1-yard line (though the Ducks quickly covered the
99 yards in just six plays). Unfortunately, Spencer Porath missed a 36-yard
field goal in the first half, ending his streak of five consecutive makes. While
not ideal, Purdue’s larger issue remains its overreliance on special teams for
first-half points, reflecting broader offensive struggles.
**Purdue Coaching: D-**
There are questions about the game plan and
playbook adjustments, particularly as Oregon appeared well-prepared for
Browne's zone-read offense, which had succeeded against Illinois. Opting to
kick a field goal on fourth-and-4 while trailing 21-0 was one of several tough
calls Walters faced. For the second consecutive week, the coaching staff avoided
a power running play in a critical short-yardage situation, raising questions
about whether it's time to try Devin Mockobee or even Browne himself in those
scenarios.
Finally, the decision to keep starters on the field down 35-0 late in the game was questionable, especially when Corey Stewart was seen writhing on the ground with less than two minutes left.