March 19, 2024

Offensive issues continue for Iowa in loss to Boilermakers

IOWA CITY (AP) — First-year coach Jeff Brohm has Purdue’s rebuild ahead of schedule.

With a win next week against Indiana, with the Old Oaken Bucket at stake, the Boilermakers will be bowling for the first time since the 2012 season.

Sophomore Elijah Sindelar threw for 229 yards and a career-high three touchdown passes with a stiff wind at his back and Purdue beat Iowa 24-15 on Saturday to move within a game of bowl eligibility.

Anthony Mahoungou had 135 yards receiving for the Boilermakers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten). They won their first Big Ten road game of the year and snapped Iowa’s four-game win streak in the series.

Purdue took advantage of the gusty conditions by going 75 yards in only three plays to open the third quarter, a drive capped by Mahoungou’s 42-yard TD grab.

The Boilermakers then needed only three more plays to go up 21-9 on Mahoungou’s 16-yard score with 11:59 to go in the third.

Noah Fant caught a 6-yard TD for Iowa (6-5, 3-5) with 1:04 to go, but Nate Stanley’s two-point conversion toss was incomplete.

Ferentz opted to take the wind in the second and fourth quarters, the only ones the Hawkeyes scored in. But the weather was far from the only problem for Iowa, which has lost two straight after throttling Ohio State.

Stanley had 176 yards passing for the Hawkeyes. But Stanley was sacked six times, and Iowa will finish with a losing record in the Big Ten for the first time since 2012.

The Hawkeyes played arguably their worst game of the season on Senior Day, but senior linebacker Josey Jewell came to play. Jewell had 13 tackles, three for a loss, along with three pass breakups and two sacks.

Iowa plays Nebraska in Lincoln on Friday.