Comeback attempt falls short as IU falls 33-25

Prior to Saturday’s 33-25 loss to Purdue, Co-Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said the memory of a final game against a rival might never fade.

“I think a lot of times, when you get a little bit older and you look back, you’re always going to remember how you played your last rival game,” Mallory said. “I think that’s what you’re going to remember: whether or not you won the Bucket.”

The 20 players not returning next season, along with the rest of the Hoosiers, didn’t win the Bucket on Saturday, allowing the Boilermakers (6-6, 4-4) 508 yards of total offense and a chance at a bowl game. It was the third time this season IU allowed more than 500 yards of offense.

A major contributing factor to the large amount of yardage was the success the Boilermakers had on third down. They converted 11 of 20 third downs, including a third-and-23. Senior linebacker Jeff Thomas, who led the team in tackles this season with 80, said it was disheartening to allow so many second chances.

“It’s crappy,” Thomas said. “We let them off the hook on a lot of third downs, a lot of third-down scrambles. It’s tough.”

The third downs made for a number of long drives for Purdue, keeping IU’s offense off the field for the majority of the game.

Even though players like sophomore running back Stephen Houston and true freshman running back D’Angelo Roberts had very few opportunities to touch the ball, they made them count. Houston averaged 18.4 yards per carry on his seven runs, one of which went for 52 yards and a touchdown. Roberts had four carries, scoring on two of them.

Senior left tackle Andrew McDonald said the contributions from young players, such as Houston and Roberts, bode well for IU’s future.

“Obviously, it does benefit the team moving forward because they get the experience this year and next year,” McDonald said. “They’re going to be in the game and just really have that experience to be able to do what they need to do.”

IU was outscored 16-3 in the second quarter, and the third quarter was scoreless for both teams. True freshmen quarterback Tre Roberson and the offense found a renewed sense of urgency in the final quarter, bringing it to within eight points with 8:22 to play.

On IU’s final drive, Roberson looked for true freshman wide receiver Nick Stoner deep in Purdue territory, but Purdue defensive back Josh Johnson wrestled the ball from Stoner as the players went to the ground. Fans expressed distaste for the call, but McDonald said the blame shouldn’t be on the referees.

“It’s just a call they make,” McDonald said. “We probably shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position where that would have changed the game so much, so you take what you get. I’m not really too worried about the call or anything.”

McDonald and Thomas hailed the younger players on the team, both saying improvement is imminent for the 1-11 (0-8) squad.

“The players we have now know how things will go and how Coach Wilson wants everything done,” Thomas said. “I feel like there’s only room to go up now.”

Mallory, who played defensive back for Michigan in the 1980s, is still haunted by a loss in his final game against Ohio State. Houston, fresh off a loss in his first game against Purdue, said he is already looking to next year’s matchup.

“You always want to win, no doubt,” Houston said. “Our year didn’t go the way that it was planned, but we had some good and we had some bad. Nothing’s perfect. Next season, when we return to West Lafayette, that bucket will come home, back to IU.”