WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for four touchdowns, running back Devin Mockobee rushed for 178 yards and the defense intercepted a pair of passes as Purdue outlasted Nebraska for a 43-37 win. The Boilermakers pulled within one win of bowl eligibility and improved to 5-2 on the year and 3-1 in Big Ten play.
The Boilermakers are now 3-2 in one-possession games this season.
Purdue jumped out to an early 10-0 lead early in the first after a two-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Aidan O'Connell to TJ Sheffield and a 37-yard field goal by Mitchell Fineran. The Cornhuskers (3-4, 2-2) responded with 10 straight points to even the score midway through the second.
O'Connell started a 17-point run before the half by the Boilermakers with a 31-yard pitch-and-catch to Charlie Jones. Fineran nailed another 37-yard kick before running back Mockobee found pay dirt from one yard out.
After Nebraska rolled off 13 unanswered points to cut the gap to four late in the third quarter, Sheffield danced around the Cornhusker defense for a 28-yard touchdown. Fineran, who went 3-for-4 on the night, tacked on a 34-yard kick in the fourth, before Jones added his second touchdown catch from two yards out with 6:55 to play to open a 43-30 lead.
Nebraska trimmed Purdue's lead down to six with 5:55 left, O'Connell and the offense ran the clock with a 12-play, 53-yard drive.
O'Connell notched the fifth four-touchdown game of his career. The sixth-year thrower connected on 35 of his 54 passes for 391 yards. It was also his 12th career 300-yard passing game, tying him with Curtis Painter for third in program history. Receivers Jones and Sheffield both snagged a pair of touchdown passes and finished with 132 and 70 yards receiving, respectively.
A redshirt freshman, Mockobee led the ground attack to record 178 yards on 30 carries with one score. The Booneville, Ind., native finished with five rushes of 10 yards or more and finished with 5.9 yards per carry.
Purdue weathered a 16-for-29 for 354 yards and two touchdown performance by Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson. Receiver Trey Palmer set the Nebraska school record with 237 yards on seven catches.
Despite Nebraska's passing attack, Purdue's defense found a way to stand tall when it needed to most. Linebacker Clyde Washington intercepted the first pass off his career in the second, and cornerback Reese Taylor snagged his first as a Boilermaker in the fourth to set up the offense. Purdue scored nine points off its two turnovers, while the defense held Nebraska off the board following an interception on the Boilermakers' first drive of the game.
The defense matched its season high with four sacks by Jalen Graham, Jack Sullivan, Kydran Jenkins and Branson Deen. Graham led the Boilermakers in tackles for the second straight week with six solo stops, two for loss and a sack.
STING LIKE A MOCKOBEE
Devin Mockobee recorded his second game over 100 yards rushing this season Saturday night. Setting career highs in carries and yards, the redshirt freshman added a pair of catches for 28 yards to finish with 206 all-purpose yards.
Mockobee accounted for all 39 yards of Purdue's touchdown drive before the half, capped by a one-yard scamper. He is the first Boilermaker since Zander Horvath in 2019 to rush for over 150 yards in a game and the first since Markell Jones in 2017 to have 30 or more carries.
CHARLIE STILL SIZZLIN'
Jones snapped a two-game scoreless streak with a 12-catch, 132-yard outing. Jones moved into a tie with Dave Young (1980) for 11th in Purdue single-season high with nine receiving touchdowns. He is the eighth Boilermaker since 2000 to have 10 or more catches three times in a single season. Jones is the sixth Boilermaker since 2000 to have three or more multi-touchdown games.
• Fourth game with 100 or more yards receiving
• Third game with 10 or more catches
• Fifth game with 100 or more all-purpose yards
• Third multi-touchdown game
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series against 6-5.
• The Boilermakers matched the school record for first downs with 38.
• Purdue ran 101 plays, six off the school record, compared to 52 by Nebraska
• The Boilermakers rushed for 217 yards, their most in a conference game since Oct. 13, 2018 (227 at Illinois).
• With five catches for 30 yards, tight end Payne Durham crossed the 1,000-yard mark for his career. He is the the eighth tight end at Purdue to cross the 1,000-yard plateau.
• Purdue is outscoring opponents 60-10 in the first quarter of games this season.
• The Boilermakers have scored 44 points off 12 turnovers.
• The defense has held opponents to just 28 points off 12 turnovers, including six straight scoreless drives.
• Purdue's defense has held six of its seven opponents off the scoreboard on its opening drive this season.
• The offensive line did not allow a sack for the second time this season.
UP NEXT
Purdue will make the trek to Camp Randall to face Wisconsin next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.