Purdue Football: Boilers Come Up Just Short Against No. 2 Spartans

Heartbreaking Loss in Overtime

The Purdue Boilermakers football team came up just short in a heartbreaking 31-28 overtime loss to the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilers led 21-17 at the half, but the Spartans rallied in the second half to force overtime.

Controversial Call in Overtime

In overtime, the Boilermakers scored first on a three-yard touchdown run by Zander Horvath. However, the Spartans responded with a touchdown of their own, and then made a controversial two-point conversion to win the game.

The two-point conversion came on a pass from Connor Cook to Josiah Price. The play was originally ruled incomplete, but was overturned on review. The officials ruled that Price had possession of the ball long enough to make a football move before it was knocked loose.

Analysis: What Went Wrong for Purdue?

There were a number of factors that contributed to Purdue's loss on Saturday.

• Penalties: The Boilermakers committed a season-high 12 penalties for 112 yards. Many of these penalties came at critical moments in the game.
• Missed Opportunities: Purdue had several opportunities to put the game away in the second half, but they failed to capitalize. The Boilers missed a field goal in the third quarter, and they turned the ball over on downs in the fourth quarter.
• Lack of a Pass Rush: Purdue's pass rush was unable to generate any pressure on Connor Cook. Cook was able to sit back in the pocket and pick apart the Boilermakers' secondary.

What's Next for Purdue?

The Boilermakers will now have a bye week before they travel to Nebraska on October 15th. Purdue will need to regroup and correct its mistakes if they want to have a successful season.

Conclusion

The Boilermakers' loss to the Spartans was a disappointing end to a promising start to the season. However, Purdue still has a lot of potential, and they can still achieve their goals this season. The Boilermakers will need to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in their next game.