Purdue once again bowl-eligible
David Blough threw three touchdown passes, while Rondale Moore scored twice and tied a school record with his seventh 100-yard game of the season, leading the Boilermakers past rival Indiana 28-2.
BLOOMINGTON — David Blough and Rondale Moore executed Jeff Brohm’s game plan perfectly Saturday.
Now after ex t e n d i n g Purdue’s season by another month, the dynamic duo must wait to see if they’ll get another chance to work with their innovative head coach.
Blough threw three touchdown passes, while Moore scored twice and tied a school record with his seventh 100yard game of the season, leading the Boilermakers past rival Indiana 28-21 for a second straight Old Oaken Bucket victory and a second straight bowl bid.
“I’ve been completely focused on this,” Brohm said when again asked about the job opening at his alma mater, Louisville. “The last two weeks has been a little tough.”
Speculation about Brohm’s future has raged wildly since the Cardinals fired Bobby Petrino.
Brohm’s resume appears to have everything Louisville could want.
In five seasons as a head coach, he has led every one of his teams to the postseason. This year, he helped Purdue (6-6, 5-4) upset three ranked opponents for the first time in 15 years and become bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12.
And he did it behind Blough, a fifth-year senior at quarterback, and Moore, last year’s Mr. Football Award winner in Kentucky at receiver.
“Rondale is a special player,” Brohm said. “The more guys you get like that, the more special you can be. When we get a guy like that we’re going to make sure he gets his touches.”
Brohm delivered on his promise repeatedly Saturday.
Moore matched a season-best with 12 receptions for 141 yards
“Just left a really hurting and disappointed locker room. A lot of tears.”
— Tom Allen, Indiana coach
and became the second player in program history with 100 receptions in a single season. He has 103, trailing only Chris Daniels (121) and he’s tied with Steve Griffin and John Standeford for most 100yard games in a season.
Blough completed 27 of 35 passes for 310 yards and one interception and has matched his career-best with 25 TD passes this season. He also threw 25 in 2016 and both marks are tied with Drew Brees for fifth in Purdue history.
Moore's 56-yard TD catch in the second quarter broke a 7-7 tie and he made it 21-7 late in the third quarter by turning Blough’s perfectly thrown ball into a
33-yard TD reception.
Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey cut the deficit to 21-14 with 7:33 left to play on a 23-yard TD run.
But Purdue sealed the win with three big plays — Markell Jones’ 32-yard run with 3:48 left, Navon Mosley’s interception on the Hoosiers’ ensuing possession and an onside kick recovery with 76 seconds left after Ramsey hooked up with Nick Westbrook on a 40-yard TD pass with 1:17 left.
Indiana (5-7, 2-7) lost six of its final seven games, again falling one win short of the postseason.
Stevie Scott led the Hoosiers by rushing 20 times for 104 yards and one TD, giving him a schoolrecord six 100-yard games by a true freshman. Ramsey completed 36 of 51 passes for 345 yards and one interception, but struggled to consistently put the Hoosiers in scoring position.
But the defense couldn't stop Moore or Blough when it mattered most.
“Just left a really hurting and disappointed locker room,” coach Tom Allen said. “A lot of tears.”