Penn State 49, Purdue 10: Players of note, key moments and what's next
The Nittany Lions were sharp from the start and cruised to an easy victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
At least the Boilermakers found the end zone against a top-five team.
Blanked by Oregon and Ohio State in its other matchups, Purdue crossed the goal line when it scored a fourth-quarter touchdown against No. 4 Penn State on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Day wasn’t memorable for the Boilermakers, who take a nine-game losing streak into Friday’s matchup at Michigan State. Any chance the Big Ten/Fox could flex that game to a different day or season?
On with the countdown
5 PLAYERS OF NOTE
Tyler Warren: Say hello to your Cheez It Player of the Week. Not sure if that’s an actual award, but whatever the name, Warren will win. He should be the leader for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s best tight end. Let’s put him in the Heisman Trophy race. He had a season’s worth of production during one afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium. He caught a TD pass. He ran for a TD. He helped block to free one of his Penn State teammates for a TD. He converted a fourth-and-short from the Wildcat formation. He did it all. Warren was on pace to top his career-high of 17 catches for 221 yards against USC in October. He caught seven passes for 119 yards in the first two quarters, but James Franklin knows he needs Warren for the rest of the season. Warren had three carries for 63 yards, including a 48-yard TD run, and had eight receptions for 127 yards.
Drew Allar: The junior quarterback made his second appearance in Ross-Ade Stadium - the first in 2022 as a backup during the season opener. Allar showcased his skillset two years ago and returned even better. He completed 17 of 19 passes for 247 yards and TD passes to Warren, Kaytron Allen, and Harrison Wallace III. He was sharp, completing his first 10 passes, and was on target while on the field. His first incompletion was a drop. Allar and the Nittany Lions are operating at a high level heading into the final two weeks.
Devin Mockobee: He continues to run hard and give great effort. It’s too bad that Mockobee can’t stay in the game longer. He’s the No. 1 running back and should be treated as such. Keeping Mockobee fresh has been a priority this season, but it shouldn’t diminish his opportunities. Mockobee plays the first series and comes to the sideline. He shares snaps with Reggie Love, but the offense hasn’t functioned well all season with one or two running backs. Purdue has also trailed early and often, negating the running game.
Max Klare: Throughout most of the first half, Klare was the only Boilermaker to catch a pass. Hudson Card found Klare for five passes in the first half, including one that set up Ben Freehill’s 22-yard field goal. Klare has been the team’s most dependable and productive receiver this season, and his patience paid off with a 20-yard TD catch by Ryan Browne in the fourth quarter. Klare finished with seven catches for 91 yards. Whatever happens in the future, Klare is a player the program needs to keep.
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Abdul Carter: The junior defensive end is considered one of the best at his position, not only in the Big Ten but nationally. The numbers from Saturday - five tackles, two for loss - don’t jump off the page. Just Carter’s presence forces offensive coordinators to game plan around the 6-foot-3 superstar. He’s quick off the line, disrupts an offense single-handily with his power and strength, and prevents teams from gaining any traction. He’ll be playing on Sundays soon.
4 KEY MOMENTS
• First quarter, first-and-10, Penn State 25-yard line (15:00). First play of the game. Allar hit Warren for 15 yards, and the Lions were off and running. It would be the PSU theme of the day. Warren caught three passes on the drive, which ended with a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
• Second quarter, first-and-10, Penn Stae 36-yard line (10:41). Card found Klare in the flat and the tight end did the rest. He maneuvered his way to the PSU 7, putting the Boilermakers - who trailed 14-0 - in position to score.
• Second quarter, second-and-5, Penn State 7-yard line. One play after the 29-yard gain by Klare, Card’s pass floated to the back corner of the end zone. However, De’Lyon Morrissette thought he was standing in the end zone, but he wasn’t. He was standing on the strip of grass, which is painted black, behind the end zone. The pass was ruled incomplete, and the Boilermakers settled for a field goal.
• Third quarter, third-and-1, Purdue 48-yard line. Another big play by Warren, who lined up in the shotgun. He took the direct snap and ran to the end zone untouched, giving the Lions another TD.
3 NUMBERS
3: First-quarter points scored by the Boilermakers against Big Ten teams.
4: Games allowing 500 or more total yards. Purdue has been outscored 217-72 in those games.
57.1%: Opponents’ third-down conversion percentage in the last six games.
2 QUESTIONS
• Can the Boilermakers avoid a 1-11 season?
• How many current players on the roster will enter the portal?
1 FINAL THOUGHT
The script hasn’t changed how Purdue is losing games this season. Slow starts. The defense’s inability to minimize big plays. Lack of big plays by the offense. Sloppy tackling or no tackling. Fundamental breakdowns. Blown coverages. Giving up on plays. The list goes on. It’s been the same virtually every week. The Boilermakers didn’t take advantage of opportunities early in the season to find some wins. When the challenging part of the schedule arrived, they were firmly cemented in a gaping hole with no avenue to escape. And whether the program can dig itself out and put its head above ground remains to be seen. Decisions followed by changes - whatever they may be - should be underway to determine the future. The chatter of allowing Ryan Walters to continue into next season but revamping his staff would shake things up. But what would it accomplish? If Walters is forced to concentrate on head coaching duties might work if he was trending in that direction. The situation won’t correct itself by stepping out of the current role into a different one. Throwing a bunch of Band-Aids at the problem won’t completely stop the bleeding. Of course, Purdue wants to give Walters every opportunity to succeed - as it should - but insisting on hiring a particular type of person, a mentor and/or advisor, only makes the situation more murky. The evaluation comes down to one basic question: Either Walters can do the job, or he can’t?