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Rapid Reaction: Despite four turnovers, Purdue finds a way to beat Minnesota
Published:
Final Score: Purdue 31 Minnesota 17
Quick recap
This game was ugly in a lot of ways. Purdue struggled to run, Minnesota struggled to pass, there were six total turnovers and the weather delayed the game by 90 minutes. But this one had that classic B1G feel.
Saturday’s game went back-and-forth, ultimately decided in the final moments as Markell Jones — who has been injured since Purdue’s season opener — sprinted into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Ja’Whaun Bentley sealed the deal with a pick-six with just a few seconds left.
Minnesota and Purdue were about as evenly matched as you can get, but the Gophers couldn’t take advantage of the Boilermakers’ mistakes. Jeff Brohm and Co. made just enough plays to notch their first conference win of the season.
For P.J. Fleck and Minnesota, it was another gut-wrenching loss.
Key play: Markell Jones’ touchdown run with 1:17 left.
What a big play for the running back who has missed so much time due to injury. It wasn’t anything special, but Purdue struggled to run the football most of the day, and Jones glided into the end zone with relative ease.
Appropriately, Jones celebrated by high-stepping past the goal line. It didn’t seal the deal, but it gave the Boilermakers a touchdown advantage with less that 80 seconds left.
Stat of the game: Conor Rhoda was 11-of-25 for 101 yards
Minnesota had to be able to mix up the run and the pass against Purdue on Saturday but came up short. Rhoda was never able to get into a rhythm and the Boilermakers disrupted the Gophers passing game enough to come away with a win.
The Gophers needed more balance and just didn’t get it. Credit Purdue’s defense for taking that aspect of the game away.
What it means
A tremendous win for Purdue. Another devastating loss for Minnesota.
Despite four turnovers, the Boilermakers found a way to win and on a day when it honored the memory of the program’s winningest coach, Joe Tiller. This is a huge confidence booster for the Boilermakers, especially winning in dramatic fashion over a quality opponent.
This is the second straight week Minnesota has fallen due to a late touchdown run. The Gophers are just a few plays from being 5-0 on the year. But they’ve got to be more effective through the air and come through in clutch situations.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB