BLACKSBURG, Va. – Stormy conditions and a lengthy weather delay marked a memorable afternoon for the Purdue football team, as the Boilermakers entered the win column for the first time in the Ryan Walters era by defeating Virginia Tech on the road Saturday, 24-17.
In a game that lasted eight hours and 35 minutes from kickoff to final whistle, Purdue's resilience was on display with a dominant defensive performance. The Boilermakers (1-1) set the program record for fewest rush yards allowed on the road with 11.
The Purdue defense racked up nine tackles-for-loss for 54 yards with a trio of sacks. The Boilermakers held Virginia Tech (1-1) to just 2-of-12 on third downs, stopping their final four attempts. For the second straight week, Dillon Thieneman led the way with a team-high seven tackles, six solos, and an interception.
Nic Scourton made a living in the backfield with 3.5 tackles-for-loss. Graduate transfer Isaiah Nichols tallied a pair of stops behind the line. Scourton, Nichols and Kydran Jenkins picked up the Boilermakers' three sacks.
Quarterback Hudson Card played another clean game going a career-best 23-of-34 through the air for 248 yards, while rushing for 16 yards on 12 carries. Card provided the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard sprint to the pylon with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, the only score by either team in the second half.
Redshirt freshman Max Klare hauled in a career-high eight passes for 64 yards. Eight different receivers caught a pass. On the ground, Purdue ran for 179 yards as Devin Mockobee led the way with 95 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.
The Boilermakers found paydirt on their first drive for the second straight week. Card was 4-of-6 for 54 yards to lead Purdue down the field before Mockobee capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a Virginia Tech punt four plays later, Purdue was in the middle of an eight-play drive when play was halted with 5:50 remaining in the first.
Then, the wait began. Five hours and 27 minutes and an endless torrent of thunderstorms elapsed before the two clubs retook the field around 6:15 p.m. Even after the long layoff, Purdue's defense came out firing.
The Hokies' first three drives out of the delay totaled just 28 yards and lasted nine plays. Cam Allen recorded his 11th career interception on Virginia Tech's first possession of the second quarter, moving him into a tie for third on Purdue's all-time list.
The Boilermakers used the early defensive dominance to open a 17-0 lead. Kicker Ben Freehill connected on a 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter for his first career make. Purdue turned the Allen interception into points on a 21-yard rushing score by Tyrone Tracy Jr. with 12:39 to play in the first half.
Virginia Tech shifted the momentum by scoring 17 unanswered points on its next three drives to even the score going into the break.
Thieneman quickly got the defense back into rhythm with an interception on the Hokies' second play of the second half. Purdue pitched a shutout in the second half, holding the Hokies to just 106 yards of total offense in the final 30 minutes. Five of Virginia Tech's six second half drives were six plays or fewer.
The offense put Purdue ahead for good with a 13-play, 74-yard drive early in the fourth quarter sealed by the Card touchdown run.
STOPPING THE RUN
Purdue stymied any rushing attempts by Virginia Tech. As mentioned before, the 11 yards gained on the ground by the Hokies were the fewest Purdue has ever allowed on the road in program history. The mark ranks seventh in all games by the Boilermakers. It was the fewest yards given up since the program record of -31 against Louisville in 1987.
Virginia Tech ran 22 times for 0.5 yards per carry. The Boilermakers stopped 10 runs for loss or no gain, for 22% of the Hokies' total plays. The defense did not allow a rushing first down until midway through the second, one of three on the night.
DOMINANT DEFENSE
• Purdue's defense got off the field in a hurry, stopping 10 of the 13 drives in six plays or fewer. The Hokies averaged just five plays per possession. Purdue stopped Virginia Tech on its first five third-down attempts. The Hokies' first conversion came with 1:19 to play in the second.
• Outside of Virginia Tech's three scoring drives in the second quarter, the Hokies tallied 139 total yards on 42 plays (3.3 YPP)
• The average third-down distance for Virginia Tech was 10.6 yards, and the hosts averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt and -1.7 yards when trying to run.
• The Boilermakers' nine tackles-for-loss were the most since the team racked up 10 against Indiana in 2021.
NOTES
• The series between Purdue and Virginia Tech is now tied at 1-1.
• The Boilermakers finished the game going 7-of-17 on third downs.
• Max Klare totaled the most receiving yards by a Purdue freshman tight end since Brycen Hopkins had 80 against Iowa in 2016.
• Devin Mockobee has scored a touchdown in each of the first two games this season and in four of his last five games, dating back to Nov. 26, 2022 at Indiana.
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. finished with a career-high 51 rushing yards on four carries, scoring his second career rushing touchdown
• The Boilermakers won the time of possession battle, 38:01 to 21:59.
• Purdue most recently played in a weather-delayed game in 2017 against Minnesota, when the Boilermakers prevailed 31-17 after an 88-minute break from the action at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Ryan Walters became the 10th Boilermaker head coach to win his first road game and the third to pick up his first Purdue victory away from home.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers return to Ross-Ade Stadium for a primetime battle next Saturday against Syracuse on NBC. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.