Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from Homecoming blowout of Purdue

1. Penn State defense obliterated overmatched Purdue offense

Yes, Purdue found itself incredibly thin at offense. Elijah Sindelar’s broken clavicle seriously impeded any chance that the Boilermakers had of exacting an upset similar to what they pulled off against Ohio State last season. Even had Sindelar been healthy for the trip to State College, though, he would have been throwing to a gutted group of receivers that lacked any depth whatsoever.

That said, Purdue was flustered from the outset by a Penn State team that absolutely teed off on the Boilermakers down after punishing down. No matter who the opponent, it is always impressive when a college defense holds any opponent under 100 total yards of offense over the course of a game.

Jack Plummer was unable to do anything at quarterback for the Boilermakers, finishing with only 123 yards and a touchdown through the air on 14-of-28 passing. King Doerue led the way with 26 rushing yards on 11 carries, and the Purdue ground game finished with negative-30 yards overall. No matter what they called, Nittany Lions defenders were almost always there to snuff it out.

Yes, it was just Purdue. But those kinds of numbers cannot be brushed off lightly in any conference game, and the confidence that comes from such a comprehensive show of dominance will serve Penn State well as they head into a tough stretch of October contests.