Tailback Jason Wright ran for more than 100 yards for the fifth time this season despite leaving the game with more than 10 minutes remaining.

Wright was injured after picking up two yards and taking what Walker called a “helmet to the back.” He said Wright is fine and could have returned.

The junior netted 101 yards on 15 carries and ran for one touchdown.

As expected, quarterback Brett Basanez and safety Dominique Price did not enter the fray on Saturday.

Basanez continues to be sidelined with a fractured fibula. He suited up and warmed up both before the game and at halftime, but Walker said he never was tempted to put Basanez in the game.

“Watching him before the game, I didn’t think it was in his best interest,” Walker said.

Price, who was injured early in the Penn State game, sat out with a badly sprained ankle.

Seniority Rules: After the game, Walker said he was disappointed that his team has “backslid” since it played Ohio State on Oct. 5. But he said the one positive has been steady play from his senior class.

Walker said the younger players have good role models — his veterans have tried to lead by example.

“We don’t have a lot of older guys, but those guys battle their tails off,” Walker said. “I can’t say enough good things about Raheem Covington on defense, and how hard he works and plays and what he tries to do with our young defense.”

Walker also singled out the play of seniors Austin King, Jeff Roehl and Jon Schweighardt.

Walker has not, however, been impressed with the maturing process of his younger players.

“We have a lot of young players we have to raise up the right way,” Walker said. “I’m disappointed with some of the young guys, that they haven’t made the strides they need to make.”

unwelcome home: It wasn’t much of a Homecoming for Northwestern on Saturday, as the Wildcats lost their fourth straight Big Ten home game dating back to last season.

Purdue, on the other hand, celebrated its first win on the road in more than a year.

And all the thunder sticks in the stadium couldn’t silence a crowd that was mostly Boilermakers fans by the end of the game.

Attendance at the game was 30,158 at its peak — attendance at last year’s Homecoming game against Minnesota, the last time the Cats defeated a Big Ten opponent at home, was 31,097 — and the stands started emptying as early as halftime, when the Boilermakers led 21-7.

By the time the Cats ran into the locker room at the end of the game, the NU student section was virtually nonexistent.

Inches to go: Joe Tiller improved his record against Northwestern to 6-0 on Saturday. … For the first time in the Tiller era at Purdue, two running backs ran for more than 100 yards in the same game. … True freshman wide receiver Brandon Horn caught his first collegiate touchdown pass in the loss.