5 Ugliest Numbers From Purdue's 31-17 Loss to Penn State

Purdue turned in another disappointing performance against Penn State. Here are the five ugliest numbers from the Boilermakers' loss.

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue didn’t play good football coming out of the bye week, resulting in a 31-17 loss to Penn State. Although the Boilermakers lost by just two scores, the final statistics tell a much more lopsided story.

Here are the five ugliest numbers from Purdue’s loss to Penn State.

0 red zone opportunities

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yvan Kemajou (19) sacks Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) during the fourth quarter of the game at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first stat from Saturday almost seems made up. The Boilermakers didn’t get into the red zone a single time. Somehow, Purdue managed to put 17 points on the board, but none of those points came from a red zone opportunity.

The blocked punt touchdown made its way all over social media, while Ryan Browne’s connection with Xavier Townsend came from 33 yards out. One of Purdue’s biggest issues this season has been its inability to turn red zone trips into touchdowns, but you have to get there first. Saturday felt like three steps backward for the Boilermakers.

2 interceptions

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yvan Kemajou (19) reacts after sacking Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the game at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Browne received plenty of credit for the way he started the season, and rightfully so, but he hasn't done a good job of sustaining that level of play. After throwing just one interception through Purdue’s first six games, he has now had back-to-back games with multiple turnovers.

It really felt like Browne went back in time to last season during this game. He was forcing throws into nonexistent windows and showing indecisiveness with his reads, things he simply wasn't doing to start the year. His 10-of-29 performance with two interceptions tells you everything you need to know about his outing on Saturday, and it's becoming a concerning trend.

16:33 time of possession

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Asaad Waseem (19) attempts to make a catch during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This stat is so bad that it almost doesn't seem real. I struggled to find another game where Purdue held the ball for just over 16 minutes. For all the criticism the Boilermaker defense has received throughout the season, it's hard not to give up points when you're constantly on the field like that unit was Saturday.

Purdue faced a second-and-2 in Penn State territory on its opening drive and couldn't find a way to convert. That was pretty much the story of the game for the Boilermakers. This team has to find a way to control the line of scrimmage and sustain drives moving forward. That amount of time of possession is unacceptable.

175 total yards

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass while being pressured by Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Alexander McPherson (33) during the first quarter of the game at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The explosive offense that opened the season hasn't been nearly as prevalent over the last two weeks. The Boilermakers managed just 175 total yards compared to Penn State's 457. You're rarely going to win a game with that kind of production, but the way things played out made it all the more disappointing.

On top of his two interceptions, Browne had one of his worst games throwing the football, completing just over a third of his passes for 142 yards. The ground game wasn't much better, as the Boilermakers managed just 33 combined rushing yards. If it weren't for a blocked punt touchdown, the final deficit would have been even more severe.

2-of-11 on third down

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Xavier Townsend (3) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue ranks last in the Big Ten in third-down conversions, and the numbers certainly didn't improve against Penn State. The Boilermakers went just 2-of-11 on third down, making it nearly impossible to keep the offense on the field.

One of the biggest issues Purdue continues to run into is the sheer number of third downs it puts itself in. Although it wasn't the 14 third downs the Boilermakers faced against Washington, there's still an immense amount of pressure when you have to convert multiple times throughout a drive. Purdue clearly couldn't do that against Penn State, and the third-down numbers are yet another reason the Boilermakers came up short.

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