Ledman:

I actually had no expectations when I started this game. My expectations were blown away. The QB switch due to Hudson Card’s injury resulted in Ryan Browne getting his first real minutes of the year and despite only having 9 passing yards in the first half, he showed up in the second half to not only change the game presentable, but to give Purdue the lead again with less than a minute to go. Losing in OT is killing, but I do think it was the right decision to go for two to try to win the game.

It should be noted that Ryan Walters was in charge of both attack and defense during this match and that should give him some leeway with a number of fans. It wasn’t a sure thing, but maybe Purdue has unlocked something in this. This is something to build on. I’ve said the last few games that I wanted to see this team fight. Tonight I saw that and more. This is what we need.

Jed:

Well, considering the last four weeks and how the fire half started, that second half was a surprise. I’m not sure I can quite put the words into context of how different the Purdue team looked, especially when they were down 24 points early in the second half.

A few things stand out:

Ryan Browne should be the starter moving forward and it really shouldn’t be a competition. Card has struggled to do much of anything offensively all year outside of Indiana State and Browne threw a 33 in the second half alone.

The defense looks so much better when Jenkins is allowed to rush the QB. If that means Purdue has to go smaller at ILB and get more speed with smaller guys at OLB, then so be it.

I’m not sure if this will save Ryan Walters, but it will keep the dogs at bay for at least a week. This could definitely be a ‘fight for your life’ type half and if it is an appearance then the entire season so far will have to be used to make a decision….

Ryan:

First and foremost, the decision to go with 2 was the right choice.
Second, Ryan Browne is the Purdue QB next week no matter what.
Third, it really looks like Ryan Walters put his career in his hands by running the offense. For now, this kind of play keeps him going. He needs to show fight and progress each week, but with three of the next four games being Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State, progress may be difficult to measure. Either way, that second-half explosion exceeded all our collective expectations. I like that feeling.

Drew:

What a strange game.

At halftime I said, “Purdue played well, but they keep putting themselves on the attack.”

This is how it has looked all season. A holding call, a missed pass or a missed block, interspersed with a solid run game that keeps getting short-circuited by negative plays.

You saw that in the first half.

In the second half, I’m not sure what clicked, but they finally stopped making drive-kill errors. Ryan Browne’s legs allowed him to get out of the trash and actually play. He wasn’t perfect, Illinois left a few picks on the field, but he was lively and looked like he enjoyed playing football. That’s a big step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the defense struggled. They couldn’t get the stops they needed when the offense was red hot. I will say that when Purdue submits tape to the Big 10, they will highlight the Illinois receivers clinging to the Purdue defensive backs, initiating contact and still drawing a flag.

Still, the defense was not good enough.

Ultimately, this was a sign of life from Walters’ coaching staff. If nothing else, they stopped digging. I’m not sure if they can see the top of the hole. They dug with such force in the first five weeks that it may be too late, but at least that game didn’t make me want to clean out the garage.

Garrett:

It’s almost one of those things that makes you feel romantic about college football, but in the movie “Rocky Actually Lost the Battle, Remember?” way.

The team showed a lot of promise and a lot of fight.

Stater is out, new quarterback. Rumor has it that Ryan Walters took over the attacking duties against his former employers, at one point going down 24 points. Purdue’s previously absent offense scores 40 points in 25 minutes of game clock.

As idyllic as a scene, the defense still looked lost. I know it happens a few times a year, but scoring 49 points and losing a football game shouldn’t happen.

I have no immediate response as to whether this effort will buy Walters more time, but if it does, it will likely only be a few clicks on the wristwatch. That said, the team showed perseverance and effort when I expected them to lay down and go belly up, and Walters certainly deserves some of the credit for that.

The choice to go for two extensions is understandable, but the execution was terrible. That was especially frustrating considering that the end-around play call that made the game 49-50… is the perfect play call if you’re going for two. You could have gone a little more vanilla (running up the middle) on first and goal from the two yard line and saved a sweep for later, but I’m a college coach for a reason.

I’m going to dive into my everyday language: That was just a punch, my boys. But it points to a better future and the team has shown that they have the necessary resources. I was looking for that. Geez.

Boiler up. That was fun and hectic and the result was bad when we needed a win like we needed that win, but games like this are why I love college football.