WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Northwestern coach David Braun was surprised when Purdue quarterback Hudson Card and his offense didn’t leave the field ahead of fourth down in overtime.
He expected to see a kicker trot onto the field from the opposing sideline. Instead, Card dropped back and attempted to find wide receiver CJ Smith over the middle of the field, but redshirt freshman defensive back Damon Walters broke up the pass.
Two plays later, the Wildcats’ (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) walk-off touchdown handed the Boilermakers (1-7, 0-5 Big Ten) their seventh consecutive loss. Throughout the 60 minutes of action, critical defensive stops willed NU to victory.
“We found out a lot today,” Braun said. “We found out that we got a gritty group that will continue to battle for one another.”
On Purdue’s second drive of the game, the hosts found themselves in striking distance. Stationed on the opposing 24-yard line, Card found tight end Max Klare for a 13-yard gain.
On second and nine, running back Reggie Love III gained just two yards, tackled by graduate student linebacker Greyson Metz, and on third and seven, redshirt junior cornerback Theran Johnson recorded his tenth pass breakup of the season.
The stop forced the Boilermakers’ kicker Spencer Porath to the field, where he nailed a 26-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.
“For (the defense) to come up with some huge stops is everything for us.” redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch said. “That’s why you play complementary football, and that was an awesome job.”
Lausch and the offense notched the first touchdown of the day on the next drive.
Early in the second quarter, Purdue found itself at second and four on its own four. Running back Devin Mockobee was averaging 6.3 yards per carry entering the contest, but the ’Cats front seven held him short of the chains on two consecutive plays, including a tackle for loss by graduate student defensive lineman Jaylen Pate.
NU’s defense allowed just 47 yards on the ground after giving up more than 200 rushing yards per game in the previous two games.
“I think it’s just really (being) consistent with every single play,” said Pate, who recorded a career-high three tackles for loss. “The defense can play great the entire game, but you just give up one big play, one guy misses, that just blows up the entire game.”
Purdue’s offense remained on the field for fourth and four, but a pivotal tackle by Johnson allowed only a two yard gain. The ’Cats’ offense took the field in opponent territory and subsequently scored its second touchdown of the afternoon.
Toward the end of the third quarter, NU’s lead had been cut to just a touchdown, and a 28-yard jump play put the Boilermakers on the four-yard line with a chance to tie the game.
On first down, Card was sacked by redshirt junior defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard and graduate student defensive lineman RJ Pearson. Johnson recorded another crucial tackle on second down, and a third down incompletion took the Purdue offense off the field once again.
“We say it all time — threes won’t get us beat,” Braun said. “If people are able to move the ball down in the tight zone, but we force them to kick field goals, we’re gonna give ourselves a chance to win games in the fourth quarter.”
And although the ’Cats couldn’t win the game in the fourth quarter, their overtime excellence on Purdue’s first overtime drive led the team to its first win since Oct. 11.
After a Mockobee five-yard run and two Card incompletions, Boilermaker coach Ryan Walters elected to keep his offense on the field rather than attempt to take a 23-20 advantage. The fourth down attempt was not to be, as Damon Walters’ play on the ball set up the game’s conclusion.
Lausch recorded his first career overtime win on the ensuing drive — something that would have been difficult to accomplish without the help of his defense.
“We always say, ‘Field goals won’t get us beat,’ so I think that was just the main thing,” Pate said.
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