Purdue Football: 3 takeaways from failed comeback vs. Northwestern

1. Quick takeaways for Northwestern

The lack of a running game and a one score victory against a short-handed team would bother most coaches, but Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald knows the Wildcats do not have firepower to blow past anyone. Today was as Northwestern as Northwestern gets. The turnovers were even and the defense made Purdue one-dimensional.

Coach Fitzgerald was just fine with Zander Horvath having a big game as a receiver instead of a runner. The Wildcats went up two scores and hung on for the win. That is how Northwestern wants to play; they did it well today.

Quick takeaways for Purdue

At some point, the Boilermakers have to be healthy. This is the second season they are not at full strength. Rondale Moore has yet to make his debut and the offensive line is not healthy. Speaking of the offensive line, they need to get better. The Wildcats sacked Aidan O’Connell three times in this game. It takes a while to build an offensive line, so Boilermaker fans need to be patient.

The defense played well, though it was against one of the least explosive offenses in college football. Northwestern quarterback Peyton Ramsey had 212 yards passing, but averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt. The running game averaged just two yards per carry. The defense gave Purdue a chance to tie late in the game, but the offense could not finish the deal.