Purdue coach Ryan Walters decided to go for the win in overtime on Saturday. When his risky move didn’t work out, the Northwestern Wildcats made them pay.
Just two plays after the Boilermakers chose not to kick a field goal and failed to convert on fourth-and-6 from the 21-yard line, Joseph Himon II caught a 22-yard pass for the winning touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 26-20 victory at Purdue.
“Joe just continues to work, to make big plays for us,” said Wildcats coach David Braun. “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 only nine touches. He broke a 3-3 tie late in the first quarter with a nice 51-yard touchdown run and then sealed the win by getting behind the defense, staying in bounds, and running into the end zone.
He had six carries for 78 yards and three catches for 34 yards, while Lausch completed 23 of 35 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown. Cam Porter caught eight passes for 85 yards.
However, Walters’ decision to go for it raised some questions afterward.
“If we would have been a little bit closer,” Walters said instead of 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.
This is the second time in three games that Purdue (1-7, 0-5) has lost in overtime after taking a risk. They also missed a chance to convert a 2-point conversion in an overtime loss to then No. 23 Illinois on October 12. The Boilermakers have now lost seven games in a row, their longest losing streak since 2016.
Hudson Card completed 21 of 37 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown, while Max Klare caught six passes for 78 yards.
Purdue finally tied the game at 20 when receiver Jahmal Edrine helped Devin Mockobee push his way into the end zone with 5:16 left in regulation.
Himon broke a 3-3 tie late in the first quarter when he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, avoided another defender, and sprinted 51 yards to score, making it 10-3. His second touchdown ensured that the Wildcats never fell behind on 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.”
