Purdue’s opener against Indiana State didn’t start with the kind of clean statement fans were hoping for, but the Boilermakers eventually found enough rhythm to pull away for a 44-19 win.
The first half was a mixed bag at best. Purdue went into the locker room with a 16-6 lead after failing to finish three drives in the end zone, including two trips inside the red zone and another drive that stalled at the 21-yard line.
That left plenty to clean up, especially on offense. Fame Ijeboi was the one real bright spot, rushing 8 times for 54 yards and catching one pass for 11 yards, while Ryan Browne’s final line of 16-for-22 with 1 touchdown looked better on paper than it felt in real time.
He missed on several throws, including one sequence where two receivers were wide open down the middle of the field, and he also left touchdowns on the field on two drives that ended in field goals.
Penalties kept piling up, too. Purdue was flagged 6 times for 45 yards in the first half, and the timing hurt.
One hold wiped out an Ijeboi run that looked like it was going to go for a 63-yard touchdown, complete with a couple of strong downfield blocks and some sharp cuts. Instead of six, Purdue settled for three.
It was the kind of drive that summed up a frustrating first 30 minutes.
Defensively, Purdue leaned into the bend-don’t-break approach. Indiana State got into the red zone several times but managed only six points before halftime. The Boilermakers also gave up two long third-down conversions, though they still held the Sycamores to 2-for-6 on third down in the opening half.
The game changed quickly after the break. Fame Ijeboi opened the second-half scoring with a direct snap touchdown, pushing Purdue ahead 23-6, and he finished with 2 catches for 30 yards and 11 rushes for 87 yards and a touchdown. For a Purdue debut, it was exactly the kind of spark the offense needed.
Whatever Barry Odoom and the staff said at halftime clearly landed. Purdue came out with back-to-back three-and-outs forced on defense, then turned both stops into touchdowns to stretch a 16-6 halftime lead into a 30-6 cushion.
Soon after, Indiana State turned to a familiar name: Brady Allen entered at quarterback, giving Purdue fans a chance to see what Jeff Brohm had once seen in him. The answer came quickly when Don Saunders jumped a pass and took it back for a pick six, putting Purdue up 37-6.
Allen did connect on a deep ball to Jayden Reed for 45 yards, and Indiana State finally got on the board with its first touchdown. The Sycamores missed the extra point, making it 44-12. That also lined up with the number in the market, since the spread had been 36.5 coming in.
Late in the fourth quarter, Purdue replaced Ryan Browne with Evans Chuba at quarterback. The Boilermakers leaned on the run on that drive, then turned the ball over on downs after reaching the 40-yard line and choosing to go for it instead of trying a 57-yard field goal or punting. Allen then hit a 55-yard bomb, and Indiana State finished the scoring with another quick touchdown to make it 44-19.
There was good and bad for Purdue to sort through afterward. No obvious injuries is the good news.
The first-half offense was not sharp, the defense allowed too many big plays even while limiting the scoring, and the penalties were a real problem again. Purdue had flags wipe out a touchdown run, a big kick return, and a punt return opportunity.
Those are the kinds of mistakes that have to get cleaned up fast, because Wake Forest is next.
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