MINNEAPOLIS – The Purdue football team lost a heartbreaker on Friday night at Minnesota, 34-31.
The Boilermakers trailed by 11 twice and by 10 less than a minute into the fourth quarter and nearly came back to take the lead in the final minute, but an offensive pass interference call negated a go-ahead touchdown.
Purdue had a season-high 492 yards of total offense and held Minnesota to 394, while the teams totaled just three punts, one by the Boilermakers and two by UM. The two teams combined for five consecutive touchdowns to begin the second half. Purdue scored on seven of its nine drives, with a season-high four touchdowns.
Sophomore wide receiver Rondale Moore and sophomore quarterback Jack Plummer made their season debuts in the loss. Purdue falls to 2-2 on the year.
Moore had 15 catches for 116 yards and added 20 rushing yards with a touchdown on three carries. Sophomore wide receiver David Bell scored two touchdowns and made eight catches for 104 yards. He eclipsed the 100-yard threshold for the ninth time in 16 career games and the sixth time in the last seven contests.
Plummer was 35-for-42 for 367 yards and three touchdowns. He had one interception, on his final throw of the night. His 35 completions is a career best while the three touchdowns ties a career-high.
Trailing by three with 2:01 left in the game, Purdue got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out on a second consecutive drive. Minnesota's second punt of the game gave the Boilermakers the ball on their own 39. Plummer and the offense marched down the field to the UM 19, where he connected with sophomore tight end Payne Durham in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. That would have given Purdue a 37-34 lead, but a pass interference call negated the touchdown with less than a minute left.
An interception on the next play turned the ball over with 44 seconds left to end the Boilermakers' comeback attempt.
Minnesota scored on the opening drive of the game, and the Boilermakers answered right back with a touchdown drive of their own to make it a 7-7 game. The 10-play, 91-yard drive included two catches by Moore, one for 33 yards, while Plummer was a perfect 4-for-4 passing on his first drive of the season. The scoring drive was punctuated by an eight-yard touchdown run by Moore.
The Golden Gophers responded with a touchdown on their next drive as they regained a 14-7 lead. That score was followed by back-to-back punts, the only two of the game prior to Minnesota's punt late in the fourth quarter.
Purdue made it a four-point game with 8:05 left in the first half on a field goal by senior kicker J.D. Dellinger. The Gophers responded with a touchdown on their next drive to extend their advantage to 21-10, a lead they would take into halftime. Dellinger missed a 27-yard field goal, his first miss of the season, with seconds left in the half.
The two teams traded touchdowns, five consecutive, to begin the second half. Purdue received the ball to open the half and started the touchdown streak as Plummer connected with Bell for a 47-yard score to cap a five-play, 84-yard drive. Minnesota followed to make it 28-17, but the Boilermakers came right back to again make it a four-point contest, 28-24. The nine-play, 75-yard drive featured six completions on six attempts from Plummer, including a nine-yard pass to Bell, who made a great catch in the far corner of the end zone.
The fourth quarter began with a Minnesota touchdown, but the extra-point attempt was no good, and Purdue's deficit was 10, 34-24. The Boilermakers scored the fifth and final touchdown of the second-half-opening touchdown streak to come within three, at 34-31. The 12-play, 75-yard drive concluded with a six-yard pass from Plummer to sophomore tight end Payne Durham for the score.
With 8:31 remaining, Purdue's defense held Minnesota to a one-yard run on 3rd-and-2. The Golden Gophers went for it on fourth down, and redshirt-freshman safety Marvin Grant tackled Seth Green for a loss of three on fourth down to turn the ball over on the UM 34-yard line.
Dellinger missed a 33-yard field goal with 4:08 left, but again the Boilermaker defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out on a second consecutive drive. Minnesota's second punt of the game gave Purdue the ball back on its own 39 with 2:01 left, trailing by three, 34-31.
A pass interference call against the Golden Gophers opened the drive, and Plummer and the offense converted twice on third down before the offensive pass-interference call overturned the go-ahead touchdown. The interception followed with 44 seconds left.
Up next, Purdue returns home to host Rutgers on Saturday, November 28. Kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium is set for 4 p.m. ET in a contest that will be broadcast on FS1 and the Purdue Radio Network.
For more on the Purdue football team, visit PurdueSports.com and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Boilermakers trailed by 11 twice and by 10 less than a minute into the fourth quarter and nearly came back to take the lead in the final minute, but an offensive pass interference call negated a go-ahead touchdown.
Purdue had a season-high 492 yards of total offense and held Minnesota to 394, while the teams totaled just three punts, one by the Boilermakers and two by UM. The two teams combined for five consecutive touchdowns to begin the second half. Purdue scored on seven of its nine drives, with a season-high four touchdowns.
Sophomore wide receiver Rondale Moore and sophomore quarterback Jack Plummer made their season debuts in the loss. Purdue falls to 2-2 on the year.
Moore had 15 catches for 116 yards and added 20 rushing yards with a touchdown on three carries. Sophomore wide receiver David Bell scored two touchdowns and made eight catches for 104 yards. He eclipsed the 100-yard threshold for the ninth time in 16 career games and the sixth time in the last seven contests.
Plummer was 35-for-42 for 367 yards and three touchdowns. He had one interception, on his final throw of the night. His 35 completions is a career best while the three touchdowns ties a career-high.
Trailing by three with 2:01 left in the game, Purdue got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out on a second consecutive drive. Minnesota's second punt of the game gave the Boilermakers the ball on their own 39. Plummer and the offense marched down the field to the UM 19, where he connected with sophomore tight end Payne Durham in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. That would have given Purdue a 37-34 lead, but a pass interference call negated the touchdown with less than a minute left.
An interception on the next play turned the ball over with 44 seconds left to end the Boilermakers' comeback attempt.
Minnesota scored on the opening drive of the game, and the Boilermakers answered right back with a touchdown drive of their own to make it a 7-7 game. The 10-play, 91-yard drive included two catches by Moore, one for 33 yards, while Plummer was a perfect 4-for-4 passing on his first drive of the season. The scoring drive was punctuated by an eight-yard touchdown run by Moore.
The Golden Gophers responded with a touchdown on their next drive as they regained a 14-7 lead. That score was followed by back-to-back punts, the only two of the game prior to Minnesota's punt late in the fourth quarter.
Purdue made it a four-point game with 8:05 left in the first half on a field goal by senior kicker J.D. Dellinger. The Gophers responded with a touchdown on their next drive to extend their advantage to 21-10, a lead they would take into halftime. Dellinger missed a 27-yard field goal, his first miss of the season, with seconds left in the half.
The two teams traded touchdowns, five consecutive, to begin the second half. Purdue received the ball to open the half and started the touchdown streak as Plummer connected with Bell for a 47-yard score to cap a five-play, 84-yard drive. Minnesota followed to make it 28-17, but the Boilermakers came right back to again make it a four-point contest, 28-24. The nine-play, 75-yard drive featured six completions on six attempts from Plummer, including a nine-yard pass to Bell, who made a great catch in the far corner of the end zone.
The fourth quarter began with a Minnesota touchdown, but the extra-point attempt was no good, and Purdue's deficit was 10, 34-24. The Boilermakers scored the fifth and final touchdown of the second-half-opening touchdown streak to come within three, at 34-31. The 12-play, 75-yard drive concluded with a six-yard pass from Plummer to sophomore tight end Payne Durham for the score.
With 8:31 remaining, Purdue's defense held Minnesota to a one-yard run on 3rd-and-2. The Golden Gophers went for it on fourth down, and redshirt-freshman safety Marvin Grant tackled Seth Green for a loss of three on fourth down to turn the ball over on the UM 34-yard line.
Dellinger missed a 33-yard field goal with 4:08 left, but again the Boilermaker defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out on a second consecutive drive. Minnesota's second punt of the game gave Purdue the ball back on its own 39 with 2:01 left, trailing by three, 34-31.
A pass interference call against the Golden Gophers opened the drive, and Plummer and the offense converted twice on third down before the offensive pass-interference call overturned the go-ahead touchdown. The interception followed with 44 seconds left.
Up next, Purdue returns home to host Rutgers on Saturday, November 28. Kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium is set for 4 p.m. ET in a contest that will be broadcast on FS1 and the Purdue Radio Network.
For more on the Purdue football team, visit PurdueSports.com and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.