Purdue football: 3 takeaways from slim win at Northwestern in Week 11

It was a back and forth affair in Evanston as Purdue football defeated the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. What’d we learn from this one?

A few weeks ago, Purdue looked dead in the water. The Boilermakers were on the verge of being knocked out of bowl eligibility, but they have since bounced back and picked up a clutch road win over Northwestern on Saturday afternoon, 24-22.

What’d we learn from the Boilermakers’ slim win?

3. Culture’s everything

Northwestern is 1-7 this season, and it has been decimated by personal tragedies and injuries. Purdue is 3-6, and its injury issues have been well-documented.

If there were ever a game where you would go through the motions and play out “the string”, this is one of them.

The Wildcats came into this season with expectations after winning the 2018 Big Ten East division title. Northwestern picked up Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson last offseason and this was his year to start. He was to be the man this season after Clayton Thorson graduated and went to the NFL. That hasn’t been the case, however. He struggled on the field and for good reason. He learned this year that his mother is battling cancer.

The Wildcats have been hit by injuries on offense as well. However, they played today like they were battling for a spot in the Big Ten title game.

The Purdue Boilermakers are the definition of the short-handed. Their injuries have been much publicized, yet you still saw a big time effort. Why? Culture. Both Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Purdue’s Jeff Brohm have established team-first cultures at both programs. They have a next man up mentality, and when you do that you get games like you got on Saturday.