Nebraska handed Purdue their fourth straight loss 37-27. Don’t let the scoreboard fool you, this game was not as close as it may suggest.
A blocked punt on the first possession of the game led to an early 7-0 Nebraska lead. The Cornhuskers never let off the gas and held the lead the rest of the way in.
Nebraska dominated in all three phases and Purdue didn’t really have a chance from the start. If it wasn’t for a David Bell 89-yard touchdown reception and a Nebraska receiver tripping over himself, the score would’ve been 21-44.
Games like these seem to have obvious takeaways but despite what feels like the obvious, here are the top five takeaways from the loss to Nebraska.
Special teams…or lack thereof
Special teams have been a consistent issue for Purdue all season. Missed field goals against Minnesota, a kick returned for a touchdown against Rutgers, and punting problems throughout the entire season. Those issues didn’t end today. Four plays into the game, Nebraska blocked a Zac Collins punt that set up an easy one-yard score for the Huskers.
Jeff Brohm has had a new special teams coach every season he’s been at Purdue and there’s no reason to believe this won’t be the case again going into next year. You don’t realize how important special teams are until you can’t execute on any part of the special team’s gameplan. Missed kicks have cost them the game, the kick return was a massive momentum shift against Rutgers, and then the blocked punt set the tone for today. They’re just horrible mistakes that shouldn’t happen;.
Despite all the bad, there were some bright spots on special teams. Jackson Anthrop blocked a punt for Purdue right before halftime to put three more points on the board. TJ Sheffield was a spark in the return game that the Boilers have been missing to this point and JD Dellinger went 2/2 on field goals.
Poor Coaching?
Bob Diaco is known for a “bend don’t break” scheme. He ran it, poorly, when he was with Nebraska and he’s run it everywhere else he’s been. Unfortunately for him, his defense has more bend than an Olympic gymnast and more break than an old Ford truck.
The three-man rush does not work, especially against a mobile quarterback like Adrian Martinez. Martinez, much like any other quarterback Purdue has played, looks like a Heisman finalist when he can stand in the pocket all day. Even when the pressure gets there, Martinez was able to break tackles and roll out of the pocket. No matter what the problem is, it comes down to Diaco. The poor scheme, poor coaching, and poor execution.
11 penalties for 126 yards
It’s hard to win games when you continue to give the other team extra possessions. Multiple times on the same drive late in the second half Purdue was able to make a third-down stop just to have it nullified on a penalty.
You can call it playing hard if you want but they just look undisciplined. Multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are inexcusable. Those are the penalties that kill morale and make it hard to win the game.
On offense, every play for positive yardage seems to get called for holding. Are the guys up front just that much slower than everyone else?
Fans like to complain about the refs having it out to get Purdue, and to some extent, they might have a case. At some point, it comes down to skill and discipline and those are two things that seem to be missing.
David Bell
David Bell might be the best receiver in Purdue history. He’s only a sophomore and already has 10, 100-yard receiving games in his career. Today he had an 89-yard reception that brought the score back to within seven and was able to keep Purdue hanging around longer than they should have been.
He’s only going to get better and outside of Northwestern, no one is really able to shut him down.
Rondale Moore
Moore is a redshirt sophomore but took part in Purdue’s pregame senior day celebration. It’s safe to say he has probably played his last game in Ross-Ade Stadium. Moore is the best athlete to ever step foot on Purdue’s campus and arguably the best athlete in the country. He’s provided a lot of highlights on the field for fans in his two seasons and he will be missed. The presence of David Bell will help soften the blow of Moore’s departure.
What’s Next?
Purdue heads to Bloomington next Saturday for the annual Old Oaken Bucket game against Indiana. The Hoosiers are in the middle of their best season ever and to spoil that for them would be a nice way to end a disappointing season.
For Nebraska, they have a showdown with PJ Fleck and Minnesota.