Purdue football: Top players, key moments, what's next after Purdue vs Wisconsin loss
WEST LAFAYETTE – While Purdue’s goals remain intact, despite Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin, the bigger concern is the state of the secondary.
In particular the cornerback position.
Cory Trice and Jamari Brown left the 35-24 loss to the Badgers with injuries and now the Boilermakers are searching for options heading into their off-week. We don’t know the extent of the injuries, other than Trice and Brown didn’t return and that’s never a good sign. Same for defensive end Kydran Jenkins, the team's most effective pass rusher, who left with a right leg injury.
The secondary – and not just the cornerbacks – has come under scrutiny the last two weeks, giving up numerous big plays through the air and the ongoing problem of missed tackles continues. Maybe the return of Chris Jefferson helps fill a void and allows the coaching staff to move some pieces around.
On with the countdown:
5 PLAYERS WHO MATTERED
John Torchio: The fifth-year senior safety made an impact, not only once, but twice with a pair of interceptions. The first one was a pick-six, giving the Badgers a 14-0 lead and the second set up Wisconsin for a short third-quarter touchdown drive and a 28-3 advantage. Torchio also led the defense with 10 tackles and added a pass breakup. Solid day for the former walk-on.
Devin Mockobee: It’s nice to have options in the backfield, but Mockobee is clearly Purdue’s No. 1 running back. “Crazy legs” delivered big runs early as the Boilermakers tried to answer the Badgers’ quick start, including a 30-yarder. It appeared it would lead to points, but Mitchell Fineran missed a 24-yard field goal attempt. Mockobee posted his third 100-yard game with 108 on 23 carries, one week after rolling up 178 on 30 carries and earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. He’s in a groove right now and seems to become effective with more carriers.
Braelon Allen: Another Wisconsin running back enjoys a big day against the Boilermakers? We’ve seen this movie before, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Allen finished with 113 yards, including a 41-yard run that set up a first-quarter score. Although Allen averaged 7.1 yards per carry, it wasn’t the dominating performance that we’ve seen from a Badger running back. It was good but other backs have pummeled Purdue from the get-go. It was part of a 178-yard rushing day for Wisconsin, which continues to chew up yardage on the ground against the Boilermakers for the 16th straight time.
Graham Mertz: The much-maligned quarterback avoided mistakes and found open receivers down the field. Based on Purdue’s secondary situation, Mertz needed to take advantage of the breakdowns and busts. He wasn’t perfect but effective enough to keep the offense going. He’s thrown enough interceptions this season to cause angst among the fan base and the coaching staff but didn’t overdo it Saturday. He was 13 of 21 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 15.3 yards per completion and delivered big plays.
Charlie Jones: How much the Iowa transfer would play was the major question heading into the game and didn’t look hampered at all, despite an injury. He also returned punts. If Purdue was trying to protect Jones, keeping him away from the return game was an option but he was healthy enough to be out there. Jones finished with 10 catches – his fourth double-digit reception game – for 105 yards. Made a spectacular catch in the fourth quarter when the ball bounced off his foot and fell into his hands while laying on the ground.
4 KEY PLAYS
Pick-six: Torchio's interception was the play of the game and set the tone.
Allen’s 41-yard run: The Badgers took over after a missed field goal by Fineran and had moved to the Purdue 47-yard line. Allen broke through the first line of defense and got into the open field. He was brought down at the 6 and Wisconsin scored three plays later to push the lead to 21-0.
Fourth-and-1: Down by three touchdowns, the Boilermakers needed a spark and going for it fourth down early in the second quarter was designed to provide a lift. However, O’Connell’s short pass to Mockobee was incomplete but Purdue was called for an illegal shift.
Torchio's second pick: Any hope the Boilermakers had of climbing back into the game was only possible if they avoided mistakes. On third-and-9 to start the second half, Trochio intercepted O’Connell again. His 18-yard return set up another score for Wisconsin, which stretched the lead to 28-3.
3 NUMBERS
12: Turnovers in the last five games by the Boilermakers.
72: Total points allowed by Purdue’s defense in the last two games.
4,178: Rushing yards generated by Wisconsin’s running game during the 16-game winning streak against the Boilermakers.
2 QUESTIONS
▶ What are the options in the secondary if Trice and Brown are out for an extended period?
▶ Will Jefferson return this week for practice and be ready when Iowa visits Ross-Ade Stadium?
1 FINAL THOUGHT
Either late Saturday night or Sunday morning, watching BTN’s Final Drive is a must. It recaps the day in the Big Ten and helps formulate what happened and how the league looks going forward. However, watching Saturday night’s show was perplexing at best. The crew called Purdue inconsistent. Not sure I agree. The Boilermakers were coming off a four-game winning streak, which isn’t considered inconsistent. Purdue wasn’t perfect during the winning streak and had plenty of ups and downs in each game but pieced together four victories in a row and finished the tough month of October at 3-1, including a pair of wins at Minnesota and Maryland. Wisconsin has been inconsistent, and the coaching change adds to it. Pounded Northwestern. Lost to Michigan State. Defeated Purdue. Illinois has been the most consistent team in the Big Ten West, earning itself the role of favorite down the stretch. But the Boilermakers don’t fit the inconsistent label. At least not yet. They have major issues in the secondary depending on the health of Trice and Brown. And even if those two return at 100%, the problems of busted coverages and blown assignments remain based on what we’ve seen. But better play from the safeties is needed, especially veteran Cam Allen. Purdue continues to turn the ball over – a consistent theme this season – but had overcome those mistakes during the winning streak. It couldn’t overcome the giveaways Saturday and encountered a team that pounced. Mockobee remains a consistent threat in the running game and Jones is back to his early season form, despite not practicing this week. O’Connell has shown stretches of inconsistency and these two games fit the category. He was pretty good against Nebraska. He was mediocre against Wisconsin, but the Badgers’ defense played a role. He can – and will – play better. The Big Ten West is still there for Purdue’s taking. Win out and the division title resides in West Lafayette. Illinois is in the same position but faces a more difficult schedule with Michigan coming up in November. The Nov. 12 battle in Champaign is shaping up as the defacto West title game. The Boilermakers have shown they’re capable of putting together a winning streak and matching what they did earlier this season is all that is necessary. The off-week is a chance to figure these things out, but does Purdue have enough frontline talent and depth remaining to restart another stretch of wins?
Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier and USA Today Sports Network. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue football vs Wisconsin: Mockobee, Torchio, Allen contribute
