Final score: Purdue 44 Ohio 21

Quick analysis

Purdue actually looked like a B1G squad and the more dominant team on Friday, clobbering Ohio in every phase of the game.

The Boilermakers were able to run the ball effectively thanks to a big day from Tario Fuller. Quarterback David Blough had a flawless outing, completing 11-of-13 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue didn’t have a single turnover.

Ohio couldn’t get anything going against Purdue’s defense, either. The Bobcats did rack up nearly 400 yards of offense, but struggled to get into scoring position throughout the game.

For the first time in years, Purdue set the tone and dominated from start to finish. It was exactly the type of effort fans wanted to see in the first home game of the Jeff Brohm era.

Key play: Flea flicker results in a 62-yard TD pass to give Purdue a 24-7 lead

You couldn’t draw up a trick play any better.

Purdue ran a double-reverse flea flicker that worked to absolute perfection midway through the second quarter. After Blough received the pitch, he fired the ball to a wide-open Herdmann who was sprinting down the sideline and leaped into the end zone. It felt like Purdue had sealed the deal before halftime.

It was an aggressive call that showed just a glimpse of Jeff Brohm’s offensive ingenuity.

Stat of the game: Purdue’s 263 rushing yards

Purdue had trouble running the football against Louisville, but was able to plow through Ohio’s defense on Friday night.

Tario Fuller led the charge with 142 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He was a nightmare for the Bobcats all night long and showed off great speed throughout the contest. He was a great weapon for the Boilermakers in the home opener.

The ability to run the football really opened up the passing attack and allowed Purdue to have a more balanced offensive approach. As the final score indicates, the Boilermakers are really hard to stop when they can run the ball.

What it means

Purdue hasn’t been consistent on a week-to-week basis in a long time. And it’s been awhile since the Boilermakers have been clearly superior in a game, regardless of opponent.

The offense had its hiccups last week against Louisville, but there weren’t many issues against Ohio. Aside from a few dropped passes early in the game, it was a pretty impressive offensive performance from start to finish.

We caught just a glimmer of how dangerous Purdue’s offense can be under Brohm. It’s only going to get better as the season progresses, too.

It wasn’t just a win for Purdue on Friday night. It was a win the program could feel good about moving forward.