WEST LAFAYETTE − It took Purdue football a half to warm up, but the Boilermakers handled Indiana State with a 44-19 victory.
It was far from the flawless performance Boilermaker fans hoped against a FCS program, but it was a win nonetheless.
Advertisement
Some groups performed better than others in the Boilermaker victory.
Others left room for needed improvement heading into a Sept. 12 game against Wake Forest.
Here’s our postgame report card on the Boilermakers.
MORE: ‘Uncle’ Boaz Stanley balances Purdue football, fatherhood
More: Mastery comes with maturity: Why Purdue football is confident QB Ryan Browne can elevate offense
Purdue put up great offensive numbers in the first half, the Boilermakers came away with just 16 points after having to settle for three field goals. The second half was more of the blitzkrieg expected.
Advertisement
Ryan Browne made a minor mistake or two, but played turnover-free football and recorded his fourth career 300-yard game, finishing with a career-high 317 on 79.3% passing and 3 touchdowns.
Fame Ijeboi looks like he’ll bolster a running game that desperately needed it. An unnecessary holding penalty did wipe away his most impressive run of the night, though, and kept Ijeboi from a multi-TD night. Asaad Waseem and Xavier Townsend were as advertised throughout fall camp, at least through one game. It appears Travis Terrell Jr. is not a between the tackles running back, but Purdue went to the well several times on its second drive.
The Don Saunders pick six should bolster this grade, but it came late against Indiana State backup quarterback Brady Allen. Indiana State’s touchdown came against the No. 1 defense, but just before that, an undisciplined unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the Boilermakers gave ISU a free 15 yards.
Advertisement
On Indiana State’s two first half scoring drives, the Sycamores converted a 24-yard play on third-and-11 and a 41-yard completion on third-and-9.
Three sacks and a forced turnover is already a step ahead of where Purdue’s defense started out last season, even with a season-opening shutout.
Special teams coordinator James Shibest said he was hopeful freshman Jacobo Echeverria Lozano’s first college kick came on an extra point, a perceived low-pressure boot.
Instead, it was a 39-yard field goal. It didn’t matter. Echeverria Lozano split the uprights with ease to conclude Purdue’s opening drive. He’d make two more field goals during a perfect night and fellow specialist Dylan Drennan booted a 54-yard punt and Bisi Owens got his paw out to block a punt.
Advertisement
The lone critiques? A holding call that negated a 72-yard kickoff return and a penalty on a punt for having too many players in the backfield.
Nineteen points is a lot to allow to an FCS program that hasn’t experienced recent success. But the offense and defensive looked re-energized out of the halftime locker room talk. Allen did hit a pair of bombs in the fourth quarter, but prior to that, it was needed improvement from one half to the next.
The nine penalties is concerning. This grade should probably be extrapolated. Wake Forest provides a real test with comparative (or better) talent. But Indiana State provided some tape to work with and learn from. The next game will indicate whether Purdue did.
Advertisement
Browne’s numbers look great and Waseem finished with 107 yards on six receptions, including an 18-yard touchdown.
Nod here goes to Ijeboi.
He had 117 yards on 10 touches, one of those being a 1-yard touchdown. And that’s not counting the 63-yard run that was called back. In total, Ijeboi had 87 yards on 11 carries and 2 receptions for 30 yards.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Report card grades for Purdue football’s win over Indiana State
