The train ran out of steam. Purdue entered Friday night's game with a lot of confidence after posting wins over Illinois and Minnesota in back-to-back weeks, but it was a different story against Washington on a cold October night.
Purdue forced five turnovers, but it wasn't enough to win Friday night's Week 7 clash against Washington. The Huskies were dominant in the trenches, especially on the defensive side, and picked up their first Big Ten win by beating the Boilermakers 38-26.
Here are a few quick thoughts from Friday night's game at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Offensive line lost the battle
Last week, Purdue's offensive line dominated a solid Minnesota defensive front. That wasn't the case on Friday night against Washington. The Boilers were no match for Ryan Walters' defense in the trenches.
Purdue totaled just 98 rushing yards on 27 carries. That's not a great number. But Antonio Harris had one rush for 59 yards in the first half. If you take that away, the Boilers mustered just 29 yards on 26 carries. That's a far cry from the 305 yards they totaled last weekend against the Golden Gophers.
Failing to take advantage of turnovers
In many ways, Purdue's defense did enough to win Friday night's game. The Boilers had three interceptions, forced a fumble, and also got lucky on a special teams gaffe. In total, Washington ended its night with five turnovers. The Boilermakers still failed to take advantage.
When the game started, it looked like Purdue was going to put itself in position to win early. Hudauri Hines intercepted Elijah Brown's pass on the first play of the game. The Boilermakers had two interceptions on the first three possessions. But the offense failed to cash in on multiple opportunities.
Not Ryan Browne's night
Sometimes, you have an off night as a quarterback. That was the situation for Browne, who had one of his poorest performances of the year. Washington's defensive pressure had a lot to do with that, but he struggled to get into any sort of rhythm throughout the game.
Browne completed 21-of-41 passes for 273 yards with one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. He did have a few nice passes and scrambled for a touchdown in the second half to keep Purdue in the game, but the Boilermakers needed more from him in this outing.
Special teams remains a strength
The one unit that has remained consistent throughout the season for Purdue has been its special teams. That was a strength again this weekend. Freshman kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano was 2-of-2 on his field goal attempts, which included a 48-yarder.
Punter Dylan Drennan had another solid night, averaging 43.3 yards per punt on three kicks Friday night. Purdue's coverage also turned a kicked ball into a fumble recovery deep in Washington territory. Special teams continue to play at a high level.
Washington's offense ripped apart Purdue's defense
If the defense forces four turnovers, the offense should be able to do enough to win the game. So, there's plenty of blame on the offense in this loss. But the defense was far from perfect, too.
Washington racked up 488 yards of total offense and Brown threw for 302ards and three touchdowns. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of the game came with the Huskies' rushing attack. They piled up 186 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. Entering Friday's game, Washington averaged 90.3 yards per game on the ground, the worst average in the Big Ten.
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