WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – There were the five weeks of question marks. There was the one week of “decoy” play. But Saturday, junior running back Tyrell Sutton’s role in Northwestern’s offense was clear.

During the game he displayed his skills on the field, rushing 12 times for 72 yards. He also had a 19-yard screen pass that set up NU’s magical hook-and-ladder play, bringing the Wildcats back from the depths of four first-half turnovers.

“It’s great to have him back,” NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “He’s an ultra-competitive young man who loves to play the game of football.”

But after the game was where Sutton’s ultra-competitive side rang strongest, as a team leader taking responsibility for the Cats’ late-game collapse.

In past weeks, Sutton’s teammates had often given credit to the opponent for NU’s mishaps. The word “credit” never came out of Sutton’s mouth Saturday.

A week ago, Fitzgerald said the strength of his team was that it does not flinch in the fourth quarter. It was the play of the Cats in the fourth quarter that Sutton focused on most after Saturday’s loss.

“It’s very frustrating to go out and preach the fourth quarter and not do anything in it,” Sutton said. “It kind of makes you think twice about what we’re doing.”

Sutton’s frustration was likely a tangent of the Cats’ rushing offense disappearing late in their 35-17 loss to Purdue. Before the Boilermakers’ late flurry of 21 fourth-quarter points, Sutton was an integral part of the Cats’ longest drive of the game. Sutton accounted for 35 of NU’s 79 yards on the drive, which lead to a go-ahead field goal late in the third quarter.

But from that point on, the running back’s day was done.

With 11:17 remaining in the game, NU trailed the Boilermakers 21-17, with the ball on its own 39-yard-line. The Cats closed the game out with a trio of three-and-out drives – eight passes, zero rushes.

As for Sutton’s comfort out on the field, there were no issues.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” he said. “I’m still in there and I’ve been playing for two years, so it’s nothing new.

“It’s just about getting readjusted.”

SPECIAL TEAMS CHANGES

After disappointment with his special teams unit on kickoffs last week, Fitzgerald made a change.

For the first eight games of the season, punter/kicker Stefan Demos had handled the kickoff duties. The result? The worst kickoff coverage in the Big Ten, with opponents starting at their own 33 on average.

Kicker Amado Villarreal filled in for Demos on Saturday. The change kept the ball out of dynamic kickoff and punt returner Dorien Bryant’s hands for most of the day, as Purdue finished with 43 return yards.

“It was a switch for today, ” Fitzgerald said. “I thought it was a good switch. I really did not want (Bryant) to hurt us.”

INCHES TO GO

The Cats have now lost 45 of their last 55 games when the opposing team outgains them on the ground. … Sutton’s 72 yards rushing moved him into 3rd place all time on NU’s career rushing yardage list (2,668), passing Jason Wright (2000-2003) and Bob Christian (1987-1990). … The Cats’ remain winless in Fitzgerald’s tenure (0-8) when their opponent forces more turnovers.

Reach Chris Gentilviso at [email protected].