Purdue football still has 'a ways to go' as rugged Big Ten schedule awaits

WEST LAFAYETTE – Jeff Brohm knows his team isn’t ready to jump back into Big Ten play.

He’s watched it unfold during the three games against Penn State, Syracuse and Florida Atlantic. You know it. Everyone knows it.

Nothing that happened Saturday night during the 28-26 closer-than-it-should’ve been-victory over the Owls leads anyone to believe Purdue is a serious threat in the Big Ten West.

It would help if quarterback Aidan O’Connell returned next week when the Boilermakers face surging Minnesota on the road. It would help if defensive star Jalen Graham made his way back in the lineup after missing the last three games with a tibia injury. The pair's absence played a role in what happened Saturday.

It would help if Purdue didn’t continue to commit back-breaking penalties, helping to keep drives alive, which in his case led to an FAU fourth-quarter touchdown. It would help if the Boilermakers avoided crucial turnovers. It would help if the offense could close out a game by picking up the first down to drain the clock instead of punting.

Brohm’s team was the sexy pick to claim the West this season before the games started. Based on the first four results, in particular the three matchups against FBS programs, the evidence suggests Purdue isn’t close to the top of the division.

If the Boilermakers are going to struggle against a program from Conference USA, how will things play out against the Golden Gophers, Maryland, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa? The return of O'Connell and Graham gives Purdue an improved chance but it doesn't guarantee anything, not with the mistakes that keep popping up.

“I don’t feel ready right now,” Brohm said. “We have a ways to go. I didn’t think overall that was what we wanted to get done. We’ve got to be way more efficient, we have to play better in a lot of segments of the game if we’re going to beat some of these teams coming up. I think we understand that.”

While the Boilermakers continue to stumble over themselves, they’ve featured a handful of qualities that gives them an outside chance. They’ve demonstrated they’ll fight and won’t go away. They’ve come back after experiencing plenty of dark moments in this short season.

And what didn’t happen against Penn State and Syracuse finally did transpire Saturday on two different occasions.

The Boilermakers ended the first half with a touchdown after the offense stalled following a perfect opening drive directed by No. 2 quarterback Austin Burton. The defense also made a play at the end, stopping FAU quarterback N’Kosi Perry on fourth-and-short, forcing the ball out of his hands.

Safety Sanoussi Kane scooped up the loose ball and secured the win.

“It was a quarterback sneak, and he was trying to find a way to get the first down and the ball fell out of his hands, so I needed to pick it up and the game was over,” Kane said.

Plays that weren’t made in the first two losses were finally made Saturday. Could it be a starting point to handle late-game situations better?

“It’s a confidence builder,” said Chris Jefferson, whose 55-yard interception return prevented the Owls from taking a fourth-quarter lead and set up the Boilermakers for a touchdown, which extend the advantage to 28-20 with 8:01 to play.

“We’ve been working on two minute in practice every day and start taking better control of it. We’ve been so close. We could be 4-0 right now. We take that seriously.”

Yes, Purdue could be 4-0. Or, it could be 1-3 and in a lot of trouble if the familiar storyline played out Saturday night. Give the Boilermakers credit for changing the narrative on this one night but understand bigger challenges await during the next two months.

Does Brohm’s team need to be perfect? Not all the time.

But even when O’Connell returns – which “could be next week or in a couple of weeks. We’ll play it by ear,” Brohm said – Purdue will need some of the elements from this victory to carry over.

A balanced attack, which is easier to accomplish with Burton since he’s a dual-threat. With O’Connell, the Boilermakers are more pass-happy and forget about run but that’s what happens when you have one of the most accurate passers in the country and receiver Charlie Jones shows up at your doorstep in the offseason.

Regardless, Brohm needs to find a way to sprinkle in more runs and see if Dylan Downing and the running back room can carry some of the load. Downing’s 113 rushing yards on 15 carries behind an unheralded offensive line needs to provide a lift, starting against the Golden Gophers.

The deep end of the Big Ten schedule is coming in October and no one outside the program cares if the Boilermakers are ready. They need to figure out a way to be ready before they arrive in Minneapolis.

Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier and USA Today Network. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc

Purdue (2-2, 0-1) at Minnesota (4-0, 1-0)

Saturday

Time: Noon

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WAZY (96.5)

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Boilermakers still have 'a ways to go' as Big Ten play resumes