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Rapid Reaction: David Bell’s monster day carries Purdue to dramatic comeback win over Iowa
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Final Score: Iowa 20, Purdue 24
Brief Recap: In just the first week of the 2020 season, Iowa and Purdue combined for an old school, hard-fought B1G clash on Saturday afternoon. Even missing star receiver Rondale Moore and head coach Jeff Brohm, the Boilermakers stayed in the game all afternoon long. A lot of thanks goes to the playcalling of Brian Brohm and the incredible exploits of wide receiver David Bell. For Iowa, quarterback Spencer Petras looked good in his first career start, but the offense had a couple of key turnovers that kept the Boilermakers hanging around. In the end, it was Purdue that scored the go-ahead touchdown with two minutes left in the fourth quarter and hung on for the big win.
Key Player: None other than Purdue WR David Bell. Everyone knew the offense would be impacted without Rondale Moore available, but everyone also forgot to inform Bell. Iowa never had an answer for Bell, who racked up 13 catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Bell’s hat trick made up all three touchdowns scored by Purdue.
Key Moment: Iowa led most of the way and had a chance to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Clinging to a three-point lead, the Hawkeyes were driving into Purdue territory when Mekhi Sargent broke off another solid run that would have been a first down. Unfortunately, Sargent fumbled on the play with the Boilermakers recovering. It was that turnover that Purdue turned into the game-winning touchdown.
Key Stat: 10, number of penalties for Iowa, which added up to 100 penalty yards. By contrast, Purdue was flagged just three times for just 21 yards. It was one fateful facemask penalty on a sack of Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell that pushed the Boilermakers even deeper into Iowa territory for the game-winning score.
What it means for Iowa: For the Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz’s squad will be left to wonder what could have been in Week 1. Too many stalled drives and missed opportunities left the door open for the Boilermakers to sweep in and steal the game with two minutes left in the game. Iowa will now regroup before playing Northwestern in Week 2.
What it means for Purdue: For the Boilermakers, Jeff Brohm’s squad has to be ecstatic after pulling off the comeback in Week 1. Acting head coach Brian Brohm deserves plenty of credit for the game he called, along with keeping the players together and unified. Purdue will now regroup, hopefully with Jeff Brohm available, before moving on to face Illinois next weekend.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.