WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue coach Jeff Brohm promised to make changes heading into this offseason. On Saturday, it paid dividends.
Jack Plummer threw for 313 yards and two late touchdowns while the revamped defense made sure it was enough to give the Boilermakers a 30-21 win over Oregon State, capping off the 500th game played at Ross-Ade Stadium since 1924.
Purdue has won 291 games in their home venue, this one coming in prime time and in front of its biggest home crowd in 644 days. And it was largely because the Boilermakers converted two fourth-down stops in the second half into 10 points.
The first led to Mitchell Fineran’s third field goal, which gave Purdue a 16-7 lead late in the third quarter. The second resulted in Plummer’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Payne Durham for a 23-14 edge with 4:56 to go. Plummer sealed it with a 50-yard TD pass to Durham with 2:09 to play.
Plummer was 29 of 41, hooking up with David Bell caught eight times for 134 yards and Durham seven times for 120 yards. Zander Horvath ran for 81 yards and one TD.
Sam Noyer was under heavy pressure in his Oregon State debut and was pulled late in the third quarter. Chance Nolan led the Beavers (0-1) to two fourth-quarter scores to get the Beavers within two twice. The Beavers lost their fourth in a row despite getting two TD runs from B.J. Baylor.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon State: Noyer’s spotty start and Nolan’s strong finish will likely create a debate over who should start for the Beavers in Week 2. But the real problem Saturday was the offensive line. The Beavers ran 25 times for 78 yards and struggled to protect Noyer, the first Oregonian to start at quarterback for the Beavers since Ryan Gunderson in 2005. If coach Jonathan Smith can’t fix the offensive line, it could be a long season.
Purdue: George Karlaftis’ return and Brohm’s aggressive defensive philosophy proved to be the perfect combination Saturday. The offense, meanwhile, made just enough impact plays. But Purdue will have a much better sense of how much its improved in two weeks when they visit No. 9 Notre Dame.
UP NEXT
Oregon State: Opens its home schedule next Saturday against Hawaii.
Purdue: Visits UConn next Saturday.
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