WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Down by 10 at the end of the third quarter, the Purdue football team stormed back with 17 fourth quarter points to down rival Indiana in a 35-31 thriller in the Old Oaken Bucket Game, keeping the in-state trophy in West Lafayette for the third straight season.
After going down 28-18 with 1:43 to play in the third, Purdue opened the fourth quarter with a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Hudson Card to running back Devin Mockobee on fourth down. With just over five minutes to play and trailing by three, Card authored a five-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in the game-winning touchdown, keeping it himself for a 10-yard rushing score up the middle.
The defense tightened up down the stretch, allowing just three points on 77 total yards in the fourth. After Card's rushing touchdown, Purdue turned to the defense to shut down the Hoosiers' late effort on their final drive. On fourth-and-one at the Purdue 35-yard line, Nic Scourton made the game-winning sack on Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby to seal the victory.
Card finished 21-of-34 passing for 275 yards and three touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 158.8. The redshirt junior led the team in rushing on the afternoon, running for a career-high 85 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (7.1 average).
Dillon Thieneman capped a historic freshman campaign by etching his name atop the Purdue record book twice in the first half. The true freshman stopped Indiana's opening drive with an interception, before picking off his second pass of the game late in the second quarter. The two interceptions moved him past Stuart Schweigert for the most by a freshman in Purdue history.
Thieneman also passed College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rod Woodson for most solo tackles by a Purdue freshman, finishing the year with 74 solo stops.
Purdue jumped on the scoreboard in the first half with two tight ends making their first career touchdown grabs in response to a pair of scoring drives by the Hoosiers. Card hit George Burhenn across the middle early in the second for a 33-yard catch-and-run to the end zone. Then, Drew Biber found some space in the middle of the Indiana defense of a 16-yard touchdown grab with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
Purdue trailed 14-12 at the break following two failed point after conversions. In the second half, kicker Ben Freehill shook off an early miss to drill a trio of kicks from 33, a career-long 43 and 35 yards. The senior's final boot with 8:41 to play in the fourth leveled the game at 28-28.
In an offensive showdown, the Boilermaker defense made the big stops in the biggest moments, allowing just one third down conversion on 11 tries.
Scourton tallied both of Purdue's sacks on the afternoon, including his game-clincher in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with 10 total to lead the Big Ten, the most by a Purdue player since Ryan Kerrigan had 12.5 in 2010.
In the final game of Ross-Ade Stadium's 100th season, the Boilermakers notched their 300th victory in the storied venue. The first win also came against Indiana on Nov. 22, 1924.
After going down 28-18 with 1:43 to play in the third, Purdue opened the fourth quarter with a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Hudson Card to running back Devin Mockobee on fourth down. With just over five minutes to play and trailing by three, Card authored a five-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in the game-winning touchdown, keeping it himself for a 10-yard rushing score up the middle.
The defense tightened up down the stretch, allowing just three points on 77 total yards in the fourth. After Card's rushing touchdown, Purdue turned to the defense to shut down the Hoosiers' late effort on their final drive. On fourth-and-one at the Purdue 35-yard line, Nic Scourton made the game-winning sack on Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby to seal the victory.
Card finished 21-of-34 passing for 275 yards and three touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 158.8. The redshirt junior led the team in rushing on the afternoon, running for a career-high 85 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (7.1 average).
Dillon Thieneman capped a historic freshman campaign by etching his name atop the Purdue record book twice in the first half. The true freshman stopped Indiana's opening drive with an interception, before picking off his second pass of the game late in the second quarter. The two interceptions moved him past Stuart Schweigert for the most by a freshman in Purdue history.
Thieneman also passed College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rod Woodson for most solo tackles by a Purdue freshman, finishing the year with 74 solo stops.
Purdue jumped on the scoreboard in the first half with two tight ends making their first career touchdown grabs in response to a pair of scoring drives by the Hoosiers. Card hit George Burhenn across the middle early in the second for a 33-yard catch-and-run to the end zone. Then, Drew Biber found some space in the middle of the Indiana defense of a 16-yard touchdown grab with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
Purdue trailed 14-12 at the break following two failed point after conversions. In the second half, kicker Ben Freehill shook off an early miss to drill a trio of kicks from 33, a career-long 43 and 35 yards. The senior's final boot with 8:41 to play in the fourth leveled the game at 28-28.
In an offensive showdown, the Boilermaker defense made the big stops in the biggest moments, allowing just one third down conversion on 11 tries.
Scourton tallied both of Purdue's sacks on the afternoon, including his game-clincher in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with 10 total to lead the Big Ten, the most by a Purdue player since Ryan Kerrigan had 12.5 in 2010.
In the final game of Ross-Ade Stadium's 100th season, the Boilermakers notched their 300th victory in the storied venue. The first win also came against Indiana on Nov. 22, 1924.