Ad Disclosure
Purdue turns to familiar name to help it solve offensive woes in big road win
Published:
For most of the season, Purdue has searched for an answer to help solve its offensive woes.
Turns out, the solution has been standing nearby for, oh, about 6 years.
Veteran Jackson Anthrop, who arrived at Purdue way back in 2016, came up huge for the Boilermakers in their 28-23 win at Nebraska on Saturday. Playing a bit of a utility role — the former local star at nearby Central Catholic High School lined up as a running back, in the slot, as an outside receiver and as a return specialist — the diminutive 5-11, 190-pounder finished with 68 offensive yards on 11 touches, with a touchdown. It might not sound like much statistically, but much like Anthrop’s size, his impact was much bigger. For a Purdue team that had been struggling to run the football (second-to-last in the country), and was laboring once it got into the red zone, Anthrop provided the bump to get the Boilermakers over the hump.
It was big.
For weeks, Anthrop has been considered Purdue’s emergency No. 3 running back, a position he had been thrust into because the Boilermakers were down to only 1 scholarship back. Ironically, though, Anthrop’s biggest impact there came when Purdue’s No. 1 running back, Zander Horvath, returned after being sidelined 5 games with a broken leg. But Anthrop’s early touches from out of the backfield helped to loosen up the Nebraska defense; he finished with 5 carries for 25 yards. With Anthrop (25 yards), King Doerue (74) and Horvath (24, and a TD), the Boilermakers’ running game was better than it had been all season, totaling 116 yards and the score. Last week, the Boilermakers finished with negative-13.
Anthrop, though, was outstanding in his usual role, too. Typically Purdue’s slot receiver, where he splits time with TJ Sheffield, Anthrop had 6 receptions for 43 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown, which proved to be the winning margin.
Over the years, there’s probably not been a Purdue player as consistent, reliable and steady — all the characteristics you’d want out of a player who has to maximize his athletic ability to have success — than Anthrop. After being recruited out of Central Catholic, with Purdue being his only major Division I offer, Anthrop decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers and his dad, who had all been athletes for the Boilermakers.
Jackson was born to play at Purdue.
But that didn’t make the journey easy. Anthrop redshirted his freshman year in 2016, but then found himself in a big role the next season — Jeff Brohm’s first in West Lafayette — when he caught a team-high 47 receptions for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns. But Rondale Moore showed up on campus the next fall, quickly took over as the starter in the slot and turned into one of the country’s most dynamic play-makers.
Anthrop didn’t complain, didn’t pout, didn’t stalk the sideline looking to steal Moore’s helmet and sneak back onto the field. Instead, he kept working and accepted the role of understudy the next 3 years, totaling 48 receptions and a touchdown, making most of those times when Moore was sidelined in 2019. But in the pandemic-shorted 2020 campaign, Anthrop had only 3 receptions for 33 yards after missing the first 2 games with an injury. It left an unfinished taste in his mouth, so he decided to use his COVID year to come back for a super senior season, and boy is Purdue grateful.
Saturday was Anthrop’s game.
He wants nothing more than to help the Boilermakers win, and Saturday’s victory at Nebraska was a big one, moving Purdue a game closer to bowl eligibility. It’s the goal this season, after the program finished under .500 in each of the last 2 years. Now, though, thanks at least in part to Anthrop, Purdue has 5 wins and the postseason is within sight.
Kyle Charters, a familiar face at Gold & Black, covers Purdue, Indiana and college basketball for Saturday Tradition.