WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue football team closed out its home slate at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a 17-9 win over Northwestern. The Boilermakers improved to 7-4 on the year and 5-3 in Big Ten play and kept their West Division title hopes alive.
The two clubs battled through 29-degree weather and a steady 20 mph wind as the wind chill crept into single digits.
The Boilermaker defense stood firm in the blustery conditions, allowing Northwestern to score just twice on 11 drives, forcing four three-and-outs. Jalen Graham, Kieren Douglas and Kylan Jenkins led the way with seven stops. Jenkins tallied two of Purdue's four tackles-for-loss, while Nic Caraway and Jack Sullivan recorded Purdue's two sacks.
Purdue turned Northwestern (1-10, 1-7) over three times with a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception. The Wildcats recorded 240 total yards and just 78 through the air, while going 6-of-16 on third down and converting 1-of-2 fourth down attempts.
Purdue held a Big Ten opponent to nine or fewer points for the fourth time in the last two seasons.
Quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 159 yards and two scores on 16-of-25 passing. Charlie Jones snagged six passes for 46 yards and touchdown, while PayneDurham scored once on two receptions for 30 yards.
Purdue totaled 299 yards of offense in a balanced attack of 140 yards on the ground and 159 through the air. Running back Dylan Downing carried the bulk of the load with 17 rushes for 49 yards, and Kobe Lewis added 42 yards on 11 carries.The pair stepped up after starting running back Devin Mockobee left the game early in the first quarter due to injury.
The O'Connell-to-Jones connection produced early results in the first quarter with a 15-yard catch-and-run for the game's opening touchdown. O'Connell later gave Purdue a 14-3 lead with 4:12 to play in the second when he hit Durham for a 3-yard touchdown.
After Northwestern made a field goal on its second drive, the defense kept the Wildcats off the board on their next six possessions, three of which ended with three-and-outs. The Boilermakers forced a pair of turnovers during the stretch with a Graham interception and a Cam Allen fumble recovery forced by Lawrence Johnson.
Northwestern made it a five-point game on a two-yard touchdown run with 12:49 to play in the fourth, but Purdue's defense forced an incomplete pass on the ensuing two-point conversion.
Mitchell Fineran split the uprights on a 26-yard kick with 7:08 left to give Purdue its final eight-point cushion.
Down just eight with less than two minutes to play, Northwestern had the ball inside Purdue territory with a 4th-and-4. Freeman stepped up in the pocket and right into the waiting grasp of Sullivan, who sealed the win with his career-high fifth sack of the year.
MR. JONES MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Charlie Jones continued his climb up several of Purdue's season charts. Jones moved into a tie with David Bell (2021) for fourth in single-season receptions with 93. He is now 13th in single-season receiving yards with 1,056. His scoring grab was his 11th of the year, tying him with Ashley Bell (1969) and Steve Bryant (1981) for sixth on the single-year list.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Northwestern 53-33-1 with wins in threee of the last four meetings.
• Payne Durham hauled in his 20th career touchdown reception, moving into a tie with DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) for eighth on the career charts.
• Kobe Lewis had his most productive day as a Boilermaker, leading the team with 97 all-purpose yards with 42 on the ground, 26 receiving and 29 kickoff return yards.
• Michell Fineran moved into a tie with Jonathan Briggs (1985-87) for fifth in program history with his 36th make as a Boilermaker.
• Jack Sullivan, Lawrence Johnson and Nic Caraway all recorded their first career forced fumbles.
• Aidan O'Connell joined Kyle Orton for fifth in career touchdowns with 63. He also moved into fifth in career completions with 776, passing Mark Herrmann (1977-80).
• With a temperature of 29 degrees at kickoff, the game was the fifth coldest ever played at Ross-Ade Stadium, unofficially.
• The Boilermakers secured a winning conference record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-98
• Purdue reached at least seven wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006-07
• Purdue ended its home slate with a a 4-2 record for the second straight year.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers play for the Big Ten West Division title and the Old Oaken Bucket next Saturday at Indiana. Kick time and television assignment will be announced later.