Purdue football loses to Illinois and has reason to believe in a comeback

Purdue football went for the win. Don't you love that? How can you not love that? The Boilermakers rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit to take the lead against No. 23 Illinois, then allowed the Illini to score a last-second field goal to force overtime and allowed the Illini then scored first – a touchdown – in overtime.

Now Purdue has the ball, and now Purdue is in the end zone because this is one of the craziest games of the 2024 college football season. Illinois leads 50-49, but Purdue just needs to kick the extra point to force a second overtime, and then we'll see what happens next…

Wait, what?

What's happening right now?

Purdue wants two? For the win? After more than three and a half chaotic hours, have the Boilers decided to end it all here and now, one way or another?

You have to love that.

No need to love the results: Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was fighting for his life, trying to find someone in the end zone, only finding Illinois defenders and an ill-placed game official in the way, then pounding the turf in frustration. The conversion failed. Illinois wins 50-49 and the Illini celebrate as if their postseason lives had just flashed before their eyes – because it did. The Illini, like every Power Four team in the country, have plans to topple the College Football Playoff and become one of 12 teams in the expanded new format, but that wouldn't happen if the Illini lost to Purdue.

Illinois didn't lose to Purdue.

Purdue football news: Purdue football coach Ryan Walters “wouldn’t change” the 2-point decision in the overtime loss.

But I have a hard time saying Purdue lost to Illinois. Maybe the Boilers did it. OK, technically and otherwise, yes – Purdue lost that game.

But by rallying from a 27-3 deficit in the second half, by getting it done behind their backup quarterback, by scoring and recovering an onsides kick with 95 seconds left and then scoring again with 46 seconds left, to take a 43-40 lead – by After trailing 50-43 in overtime, scoring a touchdown of their own and deciding this game would end on their terms – the Boilermakers won some things you don't can quantify.

They gained their right to believe, to respect themselves, and in return to be respected by the rest of us.

Insider: Purdue football's epic comeback falls to Illinois 50-49 in overtime

The reaction: Did Purdue Football make the right decision in OT against Illinois? Fans and media get involved

New Purdue quarterback: Ryan Browne

Not to screw up this weird-looking parade – Purdue lost, right? – but the boilers were terrible last week, and the week before that, and the week before that, and you can get the idea. They had lost four straight games, losing to Notre Dame 66-7 and Wisconsin 52-6, and the end seemed near. The end of the season, the hope, the end of Ryan Walters' coaching tenure in West Lafayette…everything.

It looked like this above.

Doyel last week: The clock must be ticking for Purdue's Ryan Walters after the recent blowout loss

Then comes that trip to Champaign, and the Boilers are about to be destroyed again – the score was 27-3 at the start of the third quarter – and something strange happened.

Purdue happened.

Ryan Browne happened.

Browne, a redshirt freshman from New York by way of Florida and Michigan — a mobile quarterback whose passing skills were unknown at best — got hot and stayed hot until he did something truly crazy: He got hotter.

After a first half stat line straight out of the CYO League – 4-for-7 for nine Yards – Browne began to find his receivers, tight ends and running backs. He also kept the ball in his hands when he saw room to run, finishing with 118 yards on 17 carries. He also finished the game with 297 yards passing and going 18-for-26 with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

That means Browne threw for 288 yards in the second half.

Purdue has found a quarterback. That's not good for Hudson Card, whose season numbers aren't exactly bad – 71 of 112 for 738 yards, with seven touchdowns and four interceptions – but Card had a 1-4 record as a starter, winning only against lower-ranked Indiana State These four defeats in a row were all bankruptcies. Ryan Browne started a game, did it on the road against a ranked opponent with one of the top-rated defenses in the country, and led Purdue to more than 40 points and 500 yards.

Purdue scored more points Saturday than in its previous four games — 44 total — with Card under center.

I'm not trying to start a quarterback controversy here, because there is no controversy. The Boilermakers have found their quarterback and his name is Ryan Browne.

What else did Purdue find?

Insider has grades: The Boilermakers almost manage a historic comeback as the offense sets the tone

Purdue football coach Ryan Walters shows fight

At this point, it would be foolish, downright foolish, to understand this Purdue program or make any predictions about the future. The Boilermakers welcome No. 3 Oregon to Ross-Ade Stadium on Friday night. It's safe to predict a loss there, but who knows?

Well, you and I both know: Purdue doesn't beat Oregon.

But then Northwestern comes to town, and that now looks like a winnable game, as does the trip to Michigan State – maybe – on November 22nd. The other games on the schedule are against ranked opponents: vs. No. 2 Ohio State, at home vs. No. 4 Penn State, No. 18 IU. I don't think Purdue will win any of these three titles.

On the other hand, who saw Purdue beat Illinois?

Purdue appears to be headed for a 3-9 or 2-10 season, and if that's the case, we'll probably get over the glare of what happened early Saturday night in Champaign when Purdue refused to fold and recovered and then tried again in overtime to win. At the moment it feels like hope. Check back in two months. I suspect it's possible Purdue doesn't win again. Northwestern just beat Maryland on the road 37-10. Michigan State has lost three in a row, but in East Lansing, Michigan, the Spartans will fight.

At least in that moment, we saw Purdue line up its Dukes too. The Boilers didn't offer much of a fight against Notre Dame or Wisconsin, and after those four straight losses – 184-44 overall – the Boilers could have been eliminated at Illinois on Saturday. After one half it looked like the Boilers had checked out. Seriously, lost 27-3? It's over. Around Indiana, fans changed the channel. In Champaign, fans left Memorial Stadium to enjoy an evening in the college town. The stadium was empty as Browne threw two touchdown passes around the onsides kick.

We still haven't seen the 2024 Purdue football team win a game against a Big Ten team or even a Division I team, but now we've seen something worthy of respect. It appeared embattled coach Ryan Walters had gained even more control of the offense by working with analyst Jason Simmons – the former coach at Ben Davis and Noblesville – and racked up 536 yards and 49 points against an Illinois team that was in the Averaged 310.2 yards and 14.2 points allowed per game.

It seemed like Browne figured out that this team actually has receivers, notably Cathedral's Jaron Tibbs (four catches, 51 yards and a TD) and FAU transfer Jahmal Edrine (two catches, 51 yards, a TD and a one-handed two-pointer). -Conversion Catch). ).

It looked like running back Devin Mockobee, still “Crazyhorse” after all these years, ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and caught three passes for 31 yards and a TD – and gave NFL teams another reason The former walk-on from Boonville High in southwest Indiana gave up a draft pick.

Doyel in 2022: Devin Mockobee's bizarre running style may be new to you, but not to the folks in southwest Indiana

It looked like cornerback Nyland Green would break up three passes and record a sack, forcing a fumble on the play that Carmel's Will Heldt – the next defensive end from Defensive End U. – returned 16 yards for a touchdown to add his 1½ sack day to be extended.

It looked like Purdue football had a pulse, and if you saw just one more loss for the Boilermakers, take a closer look.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar.

More: Join the text conversation with sports columnist Gregg Doyel for insights, reader questions and Doyel's behind-the-scenes scoop.

Purdue football loses to Illinois and has reason to believe in a comeback

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New Purdue quarterback: Ryan Browne

Purdue football coach Ryan Walters shows fight

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