Northwestern Wildcats at Purdue Boilermakers
· NCAA - FootballJoseph Himon bookends touchdowns to send Northwestern past Purdue 26-20 in OT
When his gamble failed, the Northwestern Wildcats made sure the Boilermakers paid for it.
Two plays after the Boilermakers passed up the chance for a go-ahead field goal and then failed to convert on fourth-and-6 from the 21-yard line, Joseph Himon II scored on a 22-yard catch to give the Wildcats a 26-20 victory at Purdue.
“Joe just continues to work, to make big plays for us," Wildcats coach David Braun said. “Jack (Lausch) made a great play getting it (the ball) out, a little panicked and Joe makes a great play to end the game.”
Himon scored twice on just nine touches, breaking a 3-3 tie late in the first quarter with a nifty 51-yard TD run before capping the win when he got behind the coverage, stayed in bounds and raced across the goal line for the winner.
He had six carries for 78 yards and three catches for 34 yards while Lausch completed 23 of 35 passes for 250 yards and the one TD pass. Cam Porter caught eight passes for 85 yards.
But it was Walters’ decision that drew questions afterward.
“If we would have been a little bit closer,” Walters said rather than sending in freshman kicker Spencer Porath. “In that situation, we felt like getting a first down would have been a higher probability and would also allow us to get into the end zone. They had been moving the ball pretty well as well, so I was feeling like we had a better chance to win the game if we got that first down.”
Instead, Hudson Card’s pass to CJ Smith was broken up and the Boilermakers turned the ball over on downs.
It’s the second time in three games Purdue (1-7, 0-5) has lost in overtime after rolling the dice. Purdue also failed to convert a 2-point conversion in an overtime loss at then No. 23 Illinois on Oct. 12. The Boilermakers have lost seven straight, their longest skid since 2016.
Card was 21 of 37 with 267 yards and one TD pass while Max Klare had six catches for 78 yards.
Purdue finally evened the score at 20 Jahmal Edrine helped Devin Mockobee power his way across the goal line with 5:16 to play in regulation.
Himon broke a 3-3 tie late in the first quarter when he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, evaded a second would-be tackler and sprinted 51 yards to make it 10-3. HIs second score made sure the Wildcats never trailed Saturday.
“It's huge,” Braun said. “It's hard to win on the road in the Big Ten. It's a reminder for our guys that when you prepare the right way and you play hard, good things happen.”
Purdue: The Boilermakers squandered what may have been their best opportunity to end their skid, and Walters' overtime decision will be second-guessed all week.
Purdue: Visits the Buckeyes next Saturday..
How To Watch
How can I watch Northwestern Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers?
- TV Channel: Wildcats at Boilermakers 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on BTN.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
FG | 1st Period 7:21 | Luke Akers 39 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 1st Period 3:09 | Spencer Porath 26 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 1st Period 0:38 | Joseph Himon II 51 Yd Run (Luke Akers Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 2:23 | Cam Porter 1 Yd Run (Luke Akers Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 0:25 | Jahmal Edrine 6 Yd pass from Hudson Card (Spencer Porath Kick) | |
FG | 3rd Period 2:44 | Spencer Porath 24 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 4th Period 10:14 | Luke Akers 41 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 4th Period 5:16 | Devin Mockobee 1 Yd Run (Spencer Porath Kick) | |
TD | 5 0:00 | Joseph Himon II 22 Yd pass from Jack Lausch |
Statistics
NU | PUR | |
---|---|---|
19 | 1st Downs | 16 |
9-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 7-16 |
2-2 | 4th down efficiency | 1-3 |
424 | Total Yards | 337 |
302 | Passing | 290 |
25/39 | Comp/Att | 25/41 |
7.7 | Yards per pass | 7.1 |
122 | Rushing | 47 |
30 | Rushing Attempts | 23 |
4.1 | Yards per rush | 2.0 |
9-85 | Penalties | 2-20 |
1 | Turnovers | 0 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
1 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
35:01 | Possession | 24:59 |
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