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Rapid Reaction: Purdue falls in a back-and-forth battle against Syracuse

Ethan Stone

By Ethan Stone

Published:

It was a rock fight that turned into a shootout Saturday at the Carrier Dome (or, the JMA Wireless Dome as it’s now called). Amid all the chaos, even when it seemed nobody wanted to win, Purdue fell, 32-29. They are now 1-2 on the season.

It’s hard to pinpoint when the madness started, but all of a sudden both teams were scoring with ease in the second half after a 9-3 score heading into halftime. Let’s start at the beginning.

It was freshman back Devin Mockobee who put the Boilermakers on the board early with a 15-yard score.

Unfortunately for Purdue, there was a catch. Mitchell Fineran’s extra point attempt was blocked and nearly taken the distance by the Orange defense. Still, it was Fineran who gave the Boilermakers some slight breathing room in the second quarter with a 41-yard field goal.

Even with the score, it was the Boilermakers’ defensive effort kept the Orange from the end zone early. Syracuse couldn’t move the ball at all against the Boilermakers’ strong front 7. Eventually though, exhaustion started to set in.

The Orange, after being held to just 3 points early in the game, pounded out an extended, backbreaking 16-play, 84 yard drive that took over 6 minutes off the clock in the third quarter. Quarterback Garrett Shrader ended the drive with one of his best throws of the season, finding Isaiah Jones in the left corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Purdue’s response must have seemed just as backbreaking for the Orange. Syracuse had more than a few opportunities to force a fourth down play but saw Aidan O’Connell continue to march the Boilermakers down the field. He found Payne Durham down the middle of the field for six.

That lead didn’t last long, though. It was just getting started.

Shrader punched right back the following possession, leading the Orange to a much less calculated effort, instead blitzing for a 6-play, 75 yard scoring drive to retake the lead. Back and forth we go.

And that’s when O’Connell and the Boilermakers started to fall apart. Purdue’s defensive momentum seemed to shift over to the opposing sideline, seeing a pick-six to increase Syracuse’s lead to 10 with just over 7 minutes remaining.

It seemed pretty much over at that point. It would have been easy for the Boilermakers to just sit back and watch the train wreck ensue. That’s when O’Connell and Charlie Jones attempted to weave their potential comeback.

Purdue’s defense returned to early-game form, forcing a punt. O’Connell wasted no time finding Jones for a 55-yard scoring scamper down the right sideline.

A few drives later, O’Connell was dealing again. He led one final effort, a 7-play, 56-yard drive for a go-ahead score, connecting with Durham once again for a 12-yard touchdown.

But the game ended in the only way it ever could have – with yet another scoring drive in the final minutes. Truly, it seemed destined that the team that received the ball last would win, and that’s just what happened. Shrader led the Orange down the field finding Oronde Gadsden for a 25-yard score.

 Durham, even in a losing effort, was fantastic. He totaled 9 receptions for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Charlie Jones was fantastic as well. He notched 10 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown.

But O’Connell, to his credit, did everything he could to put his team in position to win Saturday. He totaled 38 of his 54 attempts for 415 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Purdue is back in action next week against FAU looking to improve to 2-2 on the year.

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.