Purdue at Minnesota: Sunday Stats Dump

Yesterday was another solid day for the Purdue running game, as both Raheem Mostert and Akeem Hunt combined over 200 yards on the ground. At one point in the game Mostert had 111 yards on just two carries and, had he not been tripped up at the one, it would have been two touchdowns. Hunt continues his assault on the all-purpose yardage list as well.

Here are some of the key numbers through eight games:

• With a big day on the ground and with a few kick returns Mostert is now over 1,000 all-purpose yards on the season. Yesterday he had 115 yards rushing, 19 receiving, and 136 on kick returns.
• Mostert now has 2,034 kickoff return yards in his career and trails Dorien Bryant by 91 yards for first place all-time at Purdue.
• Hunt is third all-time in kickoff return yards with 1,747
• Mostert became just the 10^th player ever, and first since Dorien Bryant in 2005, to have 100 yards in two different categories in the same game.
• If Hunt had rushed for two more yards Purdue would have had two 100 yard rushers in one game for the first time since 2002 against Indiana.
• Hunt is now 5^th all-time in school history for all-purpose yards with 4,176.
• Hunt needs 360 yards for just the 9^th 1,000 yard rushing season in school history, so about 90 per game in the remaining four games. He is currently 36^th nationally in rushing.
• With 1,726 career rushing yards Hunt is now 16^th in Purdue history. If he reaches 1,000 for the season he would finish just short of 10^th all-time.
• With the third straight game of over 30 points Purdue's scoring offense is now ninth in the Big Ten at 28.2 points per game.
• Purdue's rushing offense is now 7^th in the Big Ten at 180.9 yards per game, but the Boilers are the lone team in the conference that has played 8 games.
• Austin Appleby's improved efficiency has dragged Purdue's team pass efficiency out of last place, as Northwestern is now dead last there.
• Purdue has given up more first downs (188) than any other team in the league, but that is skewed since we're the only team that has played 8 games.
• Purdue continues to be horrid on 3^rd down defensively, giving up 49.2%.
• Since penalties (and some not called ones) were a sore spot on Saturday it is interesting to note that Purdue benefits the least from penalties of any team in the Big Ten, only getting 35.4 yards per game.
• The big day by Hunt has him sixth in the league in rushing individually. Unfortunately, Purdue faces the top three runners in the last four games.
• If the Purdue run defense looks bad at the end of the year it is because it has faced some really, really good backs. By the time the season is over Purdue will have faced the current top 6 rushers in the country in Tevin Coleman (Indiana, 1,192), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin, 1,046), Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska, 1,024), David Cobb (Minnesota, 1,013), Thomas Rawls (Central Michigan, 1,007), and Jarvion Franklin (Western Michigan, 992).
• Raheem Mostert is fifth in the conference in all-purpose yards with 1,025. Hunt is sixth with 876.
• Paul Griggs is third in the conference with 10 made field goals.
• Landon Feichter is second in the Big Ten in tackles with 69 after getting only three on Saturday.
• Ja'Whaun Bentley remains the Big Ten leader for tackle by a freshman with 47. He is also second in the Big Ten now with two fumble recoveries.
• Frankie Williams is second in the league with 10 passes defended (7 break-ups, three picks).