Purdue Football vs Oregon

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - OCTOBER 18, 2024:

In a primetime showdown at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Purdue Boilermakers were dealt a harsh reality check, falling to the second-ranked Oregon Ducks 35-0. The Friday night contest, a stark departure from the traditional Saturday kickoff, served as a national stage for Purdue's ongoing rebuild, but it was the visiting Ducks who stole the spotlight with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball.

From the opening whistle, Oregon’s high-powered offense was on full display. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a seasoned veteran, surgically dissected the Purdue secondary, leading the Ducks on a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game, capped by an 8-yard scoring run from running back Jordan James. It was a sign of things to come as the Boilermakers’ defense struggled to contain the speed and precision of the Oregon attack. James would find the end zone again from one yard out before the first quarter concluded, staking the Ducks to a 14-0 lead.

The Boilermakers' offense, a unit that has shown flashes of promise throughout the season, was largely stymied by a suffocating Oregon defense. The offensive line, a point of concern for Purdue, was unable to consistently protect quarterback Hudson Card or create running lanes. While the Boilermakers managed to rush for a respectable 208 yards, they were unable to translate that into points. Reggie Love III was a bright spot in the ground game, churning out a hard-earned 93 yards on 11 carries.

Any hopes of a Purdue comeback were quickly extinguished in the second quarter. After a promising Purdue drive stalled, the Ducks embarked on an impressive 99-yard scoring march, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel to Tez Johnson, pushing the lead to 21-0 at the half.

Purdue’s best opportunity to get on the board came in the second quarter, but a 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide, a missed opportunity that encapsulated a frustrating night for the home team. The Boilermakers were also hampered by turnovers, including a fumble and an interception that thwarted potential scoring drives.

The second half saw Oregon continue to assert its dominance. After a scoreless third quarter, the Ducks put the game away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. An 8-yard touchdown pass to Noah Whittington and a 12-yard run by Jay Harris rounded out the scoring, securing Oregon’s first shutout victory in over a decade.

For Purdue, the lopsided loss serves as a sobering reminder of the climb ahead in the new-look Big Ten. The Boilermakers were outgained in total yards 421 to 301 and were unable to find an answer for an Oregon team firing on all cylinders.

"We knew coming in that we were facing one of the top teams in the country," a somber head coach Ryan Walters stated postgame. "I'm proud of the effort our guys gave, but we have to execute at a much higher level to compete in this conference. We'll learn from this and get back to work."

The Boilermakers will look to regroup as they continue to navigate a challenging schedule, with the hopes that the tough lessons learned against a national title contender will forge a more resilient squad for the future.

Individual Leaders

Purdue:

Rushing: Reggie Love III – 11 ATT, 93 YDS

Passing: Hudson Card – 10/22, 93 YDS, 1 INT

Defense: Kyndrich Breedlove – 8 TKL, 1 INT

Oregon:

Passing: Dillon Gabriel – 21/25, 290 YDS, 2 TD

Rushing: Jordan James – 10 ATT, 50 YDS, 2 TD

Receiving: Tez Johnson – 7 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD