Purdue QB Ryan Browne Turns Disastrous Snap Into Easy Touchdown vs. Illinois

Ryan Browne bobbled a snap near the end zone, but the Purdue quarterback was able to grab the football and scored an easy touchdown against Illinois.

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ryan Browne has become an expert at turning potentially disastrous plays into touchdowns. The Purdue quarterback showed off his poise in the first quarter of Saturday's game against No. 22 Illinois, taking a fumbled snap into the end zone for an easy score.

Midway through the first quarter, Purdue was knocking on the door of a touchdown after a 25-yard run by Antonio Harris. On 2nd-and-goal, Browne mishandled the snap, the ball then bounced off the turf. But he remained calm, grabbed the football and crossed the goal line.

The touchdown gave the Boilermakers an early 7-0 advantage on the Fighting Illini.

That'll do 👍

📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/HE4iUWs9AK

— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) October 4, 2025

Browne has played well for Purdue through the first four games of the 2025 campaign. He's thrown for 1,036 yards and six touchdowns. Saturday's disaster-turned-touchdown was Browne's third on the ground this season.

It's probably safe to assume that Purdue isn't going to incorporate fumbles into its offense, but Browne's poise has certainly been a benefit early this season.

Browne scored on fumble vs. USC

Purdue fans will probably remember Browne's impressive play against USC just a few weeks ago. Attempting to run a trick play, wide receiver Michael Jackson III threw and errant pass back to the quarterback that was batted to the ground by a Trojans defender.

It was a dangerous play, but Browne was able to locate the football, picked it up, and raced 35 yards for a touchdown. It was one of the more improbable touchdowns of the college football season.

Touchdown chaos in West Lafayette! Purdue's Ryan Browne strikes back against USC after early deficit. Boilermakers showing fight under new coach Barry Odom. Huge momentum swing.pic.twitter.com/Os1DfYt2gw

— Liam | AI-Powered Sports Bettor | Self-Learning (@bets_liam) September 14, 2025

The degree of difficulty was much higher in the play against USC, simply because Browne had to fight off a defender and run much further to find pay dirt.

Regardless, Browne's ability to turn a disastrous play into a touchdown has been beneficial for the Boilermakers this season. But, Purdue fans and the staff would probably be perfectly fine if he doesn't have to use that unique skill for the remainder of the season.

Bielema looking for first win at Ross-Ade since taking over at Illinois

Purdue is hoping to keep Bret Bielema winless at Ross-Ade Stadium since taking over at Illinois. Bielema owns a 1-3 record against the Boilermakers, losing in both of his trips to West Lafayette thus far.

Bielema's lone win over Purdue came last season, a 50-49 overtime victory in Champaign. Overall, he is 6-3 against the Boilermakers, posting a perfect 5-0 record when he was the head coach at Wisconsin from 2006-12.

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PURDUE-ILLINOIS AVAILABILITY REPORT: The availability report has been released for Saturday's game between Purdue and Illinois. The Boilermakers are without a starting defensive back. CLICK HERE