WEST LAFAYETTE − The debut of Ryan Walters ended with a last-minute damper.
After Purdue football took the lead with 4:36 to go, Fresno State responded and Erik Brooks scored a 22-yard touchdown with 59 seconds to go, the final points in a 39-35 victory by the Bulldogs at Ross-Ade Stadium.
What we learned
As expected for any team in game one, especially one with a new coaching staff, there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Big plays by Purdue made the competitiveness on the scoreboard a bit misleading. Fresno State looked like the better team on Saturday, especially as the game wore on.
Fresno State scored 10 combined points in the final minute of the first and second halves. And won by four. The 52-yard field goal at the end of the first half seemed to deliver some positivity for the Bulldogs heading into the locker room trailing 21-17 after Purdue went three-and-out in 27 seconds after a missed Fresno field goal.
A frustrating game one for the Boilermakers, for sure, but there were positive takeaways.
Report Card:Grading Purdue football on its 39-35 loss to Fresno State
More from Ross-Ade:Purdue football loses to Fresno State in Ryan Walters’ head coaching debut
Key observations
∎ The return game appears to be a bright spot for the Boilermakers. TJ Sheffield’s 29-yard punt return set up a 17-yard touchdown drive. Tyrone Tracy’s 98-yard kickoff return touchdown to open the second half was a needed boost after a debacle at the end of the first half.
∎ Deion Burks is a game changer. He caught four passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the fastest player on Purdue’s roster and in game one, he showed it.
∎ The defense has ground to make up. Mainly the secondary. There were too many breakdowns that allowed Fresno State easy touchdowns. The Bulldogs had scores of 29, 18 and 22 yards through the air in addition to an 8-yard touchdown that was wide open.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
