Coming into this game, I figured Purdue would win by a couple of touchdowns. It would be nice to expect a blowout, but this team hasn't showed the ability to do that. Well, I was wrong. This was an absolute beating. SE Missouri State didn't stand a chance. We finally got to see a Purdue team assert themselves on offense and use their superior talent to their advantage.
The running game was the key part to this game. 53 carries led to 393 yards. Nothing wrong with a 7.4 yard per carry average. The rushing was extremely balanced as no runner received more than 11 carries. Akeem Shavers, Akeem Hunt, and Ralph Bolden all had two touchdowns. Multiple runners ended up with more than 50 yards.
Overall, we don't know more about this team than we did last week. However, the swagger was back. Purdue was able to assert their will over an inferior opponent. It was also great to see Robert Marve return and play well. 7 for 8 for 91 yards is a good way to get back into the swing of things.
Next week is the bye week as the Boilers prepare for Notre Dame. Notre Dame has a very real chance to start the season 0-3 and I would expect South Bend to be in panic mode. We are going to play well to beat Notre Dame, but it is doable. The team needs to come out with this energy again. We can run the ball with the best of them. Our depth is incredible. We just need to use it.
The season will still be filled with pitfalls, but this game gives me a confidence boost. Let's carry this over in two weeks and put the dagger in Notre Dame's season.