As, Bs, Cs? What grades did we hand out following Purdue\u2019s 35-20 loss vs. Syracuse on Saturday night in Ross-Ade Stadium?<\/p>\n
Pffffttttt. Just nothing there. Purdue finished with 80 yards on 32 carries (2.5 ypc). Devin Mockobee<\/a><\/strong> never got on track (31 yards). Tyrone Tracy<\/a><\/strong> tried (38). Hudson Card<\/a><\/strong> had some nice dashes. The line took a step back after showing progress at Virginia Tech. Short-yardage situations continue to confound. And\u2013good lord!\u2013the fumbles. Purdue had a mind-boggling seven of them, losing three. Big plays? They were rare, as the attack produced just three runs of 10 or more yards.<\/p>\n Grade: C-<\/strong><\/p>\n Card throws a pretty pass. And we saw that on occasion, as he dropped some dimes to TE Max Klare<\/a><\/strong> (future star) and WR Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen<\/a><\/strong>, who enjoyed a breakout by making 10 catches for 114 yards. He\u2019s a solid possession receiver who continues to evolve. And it was good to see Deion Burks<\/a><\/strong> be involved (4-51-1) after making just one catch last week. Card hit 32-of-45 passes (71 percent) for 323 yards with a TD. But his three fumbles and interception are difficult to overlook. And Card often was under duress, getting sacked two times and hurried often.<\/p>\n Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\n This game will be remembered for a persistent inability to gain a tough yard and the turnovers, with Purdue committing four after having none the first two games. Despite the flubs, the Boilermakers still trailed only 21-14 as the fourth quarter dawned and cut the Syracuse lead to 28-20 in the final stanza. A quick note on penalties: Purdue had a stupefying 11 for 127 yards; it had four for 35 the first two games. Couple that with the giveaways, and it was a disastrous prescription for the Boilermakers. And can\u2019t overlook the Boilers going 1-of-4 on fourth downs.<\/p>\n Grade: C<\/strong><\/p>\nPassing offense<\/h2>\n
Offense overall<\/h2>\n