Boilermakers Left in the Dust as Nebraska Dominates Homecoming Showdown

Well, Purdue's Homecoming was a bloodbath. What started as a penalty-riddled, sleep-inducing first half exploded into a complete f***ing disaster for the Boilermakers, as Nebraska walked away with a 28-10 beatdown on Purdue's home turf. The Boilers just couldn't keep up, and to make things worse, the Cornhuskers had some fun at their expense.

A Halftime Deadlock That Led to the Meltdown

The first half was a snooze fest. Both teams were stuck in a 0-0 stalemate, with enough penalties to make even the referees dizzy. The Boilers' defense and special teams showed some early grit, blocking two field goals like pros (shout out to Damarjhe Lewis and Joe Anderson for making Purdue’s special teams look alive). But with zero points on the board, things were looking sketchy.

Nebraska Finds Its Groove—Purdue Doesn't

The third quarter is where the wheels came off for Purdue. Hudson Card and the offense put together a long, drawn-out 13-play drive that led to a field goal, putting Purdue up 3-0. But Nebraska wasn’t sweating it. Dylan Raiola decided to light things up with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jahmal Banks, and that was the beginning of the end.

From there, Nebraska slapped Purdue with 28 unanswered points. A one-yard plunge from Dante Dowdell, a 25-yard sprint by Jacory Barney Jr., and a soul-crushing 29-yard pick-six from John Bullock all but sealed the deal. The Boilers' lone touchdown in the final two minutes? That was just putting lipstick on a pig.

The Stats Tell the Story: Nebraska Dominated

Hudson Card did his best, completing 18-of-25 passes for 174 yards, including a 15-yard TD to Leland Smith. Sure, he had a respectable 135.7 passer rating, but it’s hard to win a game when you’re constantly getting swatted by Nebraska’s defense. Jaron Tibbs put up career-high numbers with five catches for 46 yards, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.

Purdue's defense tried—Joseph Jefferson II and Dillon Thieneman both logged nine tackles, with Thieneman adding a pass breakup. And let's give a shoutout to Winston Berglund for sacking Raiola in the second quarter. But the Boiler defense just couldn't keep Nebraska out of the end zone when it counted.

What’s Next for Purdue?

With this loss, Purdue is now sitting at 1-3, and it doesn’t get any easier. Next up, they’re heading to Wisconsin, where they’ll try to shake off this beatdown. Will they be able to regroup and bounce back? Let's just say they’ll need more than blocked field goals and penalties if they want to stand a chance.

The Takeaway: Nebraska Was the Better Team—Period

Let’s call it what it is: Nebraska came to play, and Purdue just couldn't match their intensity. The Cornhuskers had their fair share of f***-ups too—blocked field goals, penalties, you name it—but they found a rhythm in the second half that Purdue never had. For the Boilermakers, it was a lesson in humility, and if they don’t tighten things up, Wisconsin is going to hand them another L.

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