Ryan Browne has been a revelation thus far. Barry Odom put his trust in the returning signal caller, and he continues to play like one of the better quarterbacks in the Big 10 early in the season. The late-night kick and gleam from the lights reflecting off the empty Rose Bowl bleachers didn’t stop him from putting up his third consecutive 300-yard game. UCLA quarterback Nico Iameleava is a former 5* recruit who has collected exorbitant NIL checks from both Tennessee and UCLA, and Browne was his equal,
if not his better, on the night, especially considering Nico had the support of a run game.
Speaking of which, whoever was responsible for packing Purdue’s run game for the trip to Los Angeles has some explaining to do. Fame Ijeboi couldn’t get anything going against the stout Bruins defensive front. The offense was good enough to win the game, but any semblance of a running game would have made a big difference. Fame managed to force the ball into the end zone twice but was held to under 100 yards for the first time this season.
This offense is hardly recognizable compared to the undermanned unit Barry Odom led out of the tunnel last season. It’s a shame they haven’t been able to turn offensive success into wins, but on a positive note, the games haven’t been boring.
Frustrating? Absolutley
Boring: Nope
It doesn’t mean anything, but I’d rather be frustrated than bored.
Quarterback
*Starters in Bold
Ryan Browne: Snaps – 63 – Comp -19/30 (63.3) – Yds – 378 – Td – 3 – Int – 1 – Rushes – 4 – Yds – -1
Grade: B+
Browne played an A game until the last two possessions of the 4th quarter. A one-yard touchdown run from Fame Ijeboi pulled Purdue within 7 points with 12:38 remaining. Then the unthinkable happened: Purdue’s defense limited UCLA to a 4-play drive and got the ball back into the hands of the red-hot offense. The 12 Purdue fans still awake scooted to the edge of the couch, and then…nothing…two deep heaves and a 4-yard pass on 3rd down followed by a punt. Three plays later, UCLA sealed the game with Wayne Knight’s 47-yard run.
The Boilermakers were making a push to score and give the defense one more chance to get the ball back, but Browne’s pass to Xavier Townsend was picked off to all but end the game. Browne played well enough to win this game but couldn’t bring it home on the road in the 4th quarter. Despite the loss, he has clearly beaten the preseason “worst quarterback in the Big 10” accusations.
Running Back
- Fame Ijeboi: Snaps – 37 – Rushes – 17 – Yds – 47 (2.8 YPC) – Tds – 2
- Travis Terrell Jr.: Snaps – 9 – Rushes – 3 – Yds – 9 (3 YPC) – Tds – 0 – Rec – 1 – Yds – 6
- Jerrick Gibson: Snaps – 10 – Rushes – 3 – Yds – 9 (3 YPC) – Tds – 0
Grade: C
It was clear early on that UCLA decided that Fame wasn’t going to beat them on the ground. The Bruins kept their linebackers inside and did a good job of rallying to the ball and getting the hard-running Ijeboi on the ground, limiting him to an average of 2 yards after contact. On the positive side, Fame did manage to punch the ball into the end zone twice, which shouldn’t be overlooked considering Purdue’s issues with scoring touchdowns into the 10-yard line.
Travis Terrell had the ball stripped on Purdue’s second drive of the game, causing Purdue’s offense to fall behind UCLA in the race to 50, and Gibson took his 3 runs forward 3 yards.
One thing to keep in mind: Fame’s success against Wake Forest clearly informed UCLA’s defensive game plan and helped contribute to Ryan Browne’s big day throwing against man coverage.
Wide Receiver
- Chauncey Magwood: Snaps – 53 – Targets – 4 – Rec – 2 – Yds – 27
- De’Nylon Morrissette: Snaps – 38 – Targets – 1 – Rec – 1 – Yds – 4
- Xavier Townsend: Snaps – 38 – Targets – 6 – Rec – 6 – Yds – 163 – Tds – 2
- Assad Waseem: Snaps – 34 – Targets – 14 – Rec – 8 – Yds – 149
- Jaylan Hornsby: Snaps – 22 – Targets – 1
- Tra’Mar Harris: Snaps – 7 – Targets – 1
- Jesse Watson: Snaps – 1 – Targets – 0
Grade: A
Xavier Townsend and Assad Waseem refused to allow the Bruins to cover them man-to-man. Townsend took a couple of short passes and turned them into long touchdowns, while Assad pulled down 5 first-down receptions and helped keep Purdue’s offense on the field (and their defense off of it).
Veteran Chauncey Magwood continues to get WR1-level snaps, and De’Nylon Morrissette is a main cog in the rotation. Both have been fine, but Townsend and Waseem are clearly the focus of the passing attack.
Tight End
- George Burhenn: Snaps – 31 – Targets – 1- Rec – 1 – Yds – 30 – Tds – 1
- Jackson Berryman: Snaps – 11 – Targets – 0
- Ar’Mari Towns: Snaps – 7 – Targets – 0
- Luca Puccinelli: Snaps – 4 – Targets – 0
Grade: B –
After being on a “pitch count” last week, Burhenn appeared to be healthy enough Saturday night. He only brought in a single pass, but he made it count, taking it 30 yards for a touchdown. I still wonder if Burhenn could have changed the outcome of the Wake Forest game, but sadly, we can only experience time in a linear fashion. It looks like he’s good for one highlight-a-game.
Waseem being targeted 14 times explains the tight ends’ lack of receptions. There are only so many passes to go around, but I’m going with a B- because of Burhenn’s impressive efficiency.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle
Nuku Mafi: Snaps – 63
Left Guard
Marques Easley: Snaps – 63
Center
Boaz Stanley: Snaps – 63
Right Guard
Micah Banuelos: Snaps – 63
Right Tackle
Jude McCoskey: Snaps – 63
Grade: C+
One quick depth chart note: Marques Easley took over as the starter for freshman Brock Brownfield. Brownfield went down with an injury against both Indiana State and Wake.
The run game was largely ineffective, with UCLA consistently getting a hand on Fame in the backfield and never letting him reach the second level with a full head of steam. The Boilers mainly went with a gap-running scheme but couldn’t find a way to blow holes in the defensive line with pulling linemen. This was their worst run-blocking performance of the season.
Pass blocking was somewhat better. Ryan Browne was sacked twice by linebacker Sammy Omosigho but held up well enough to give the offense a chance to function. Mafi and McCoskey have both played well at tackle, while the interior offensive line occasionally struggles to pick up twists and stunts. Considering Mafi was slated to play guard this season, his ability to hold up on the edge has been a godsend for the offense. It’s not his best position, but he’s the best Purdue has at left tackle until (if?) Joey Tananoa returns from his fall camp ankle injury. Even then, Mafi may be difficult to dislodge from the starting lineup. I assume we’ll know more after the off week
Going into the season, I wasn’t certain what Purdue was going to get out of this group. They’ve outperformed my low expectations, and while they haven’t dominated, they’ve functioned. I’d like to see a little more from the interior line in the run game, but at this point, I can’t complain too much about functionality considering what we’ve seen over the last couple of seasons.
