The Ugly Numbers From Purdue's 34-10 Loss to No. 1 Ohio State
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue was hoping to pull off one of its "Spoilermaker" specials on Saturday afternoon when it welcomed No. 1 Ohio State to Ross-Ade Stadium. But the Buckeyes flexed their muscles and left West Lafayette with a convincing 34-10 victory.
The Boilermakers got off to a solid start, ending the first quarter with a 3-0 lead. Ultimately, though, Ohio State proved why it's the best team in the country. It was recognizable on the field, in the box score, and on the scoreboard.
Here are some of Purdue's ugly numbers from Saturday's loss to Ohio State.
No offensive production
Purdue's offense actually got off to a strong start on Saturday. On the Boilermakers' second possession, they put together a 12-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 40-yard field goal from Spencer Porath to take an early 3-0 lead on the top-ranked Buckeyes.
But that was the extent of Purdue's offensive success for the day. The Boilermakers finished the afternoon with just 186 total yards, and 75 of those came on their final possession of the contest — a 10-play drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Malachi Singleton to Jesse Watson.
On their two scoring drives, the Boilers amassed 145 yards. On their other six drives, they totaled just 41 yards.
The Julian Saying-Jeremiah Smith connection
When Ohio State's passing attack got rolling, Purdue's defense had no answer. Julian Sayin carved up the secondary, throwing for 303 yards while completing 27-of-33 attempts. He had one touchdown pass and one interception in the game.
It's no surprise that Jeremiah Smith was the target on several of those throws, hauling in 10 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown. At one point in the first half, Smith was responsible for 101 of Sayin's 145 passing yards.
Ohio State's red zone success
The Buckeyes had no trouble getting points when they marched into the red zone. They made five trips and put points on the board four times. The team's only empty trip was an interception thrown by Sayin when Ohio State was at the 7-yard line. CJ Nunnally IV picked off the pass in the end zone late in the third quarter, ending the Buckeyes' drive.
Ohio State was able to wear down Purdue's defense with long, meticulous drives. The Buckeyes were also able to finish those off, a big reason why they're the No. 1 team in the country.
Lopsided time of possession battle
It's probably not surprising that the time of possession was so lopsided, considering Purdue's lack of offensive production. Still, Ohio State's offense was on the field for 41 minutes, compared to 19 for the Boilermakers.
Again, nearly 10 of those minutes came on Purdue's two scoring drives early in the first quarter and at the end of the game. The Boilermakers just couldn't get off the field, as the Buckeyes converted 9-of-13 third-down attempts.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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