CHICAGO-The venue was different, but the story was the same for Northwestern.

The Wildcats put up a fight for three quarters on Saturday at Wrigley Field, but, as has been the case for most of this disappointing season, the offense couldn’t score enough points and the defense gave up too many big plays.

The result was NU’s fifth straight loss, a 32-14 setback to Purdue.

Northwestern played at the Chicago Cubs’ home field for the first time since 2010. This Wildcats Classic, as it was dubbed, served as a makeshift bowl game for the Wildcats, who were eliminated from actual bowl contention after last week’s loss to Wisconsin.

But not even Wrigley’s historic surroundings could change the outcome for reeling Northwestern. And nothing illustrated their fortunes better than the second-half kickoff.

Northwestern had scored a touchdown on the last play of the first half to cut Purdue’s lead to 13-7 at the break. The Wildcats would get the ball to start the second half and seemed ready to seize momentum until an apparent break turned against them.

Purdue’s Ben Freehill lost his footing and slipped on his approach to the tee and inadvertently hit a de-facto onside kick that the Boilers recovered at the NU 49. Purdue capitalized on the stroke of luck when Austin O’Connell threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Milton Wright for a touchdown to make it a two-score game.

“It sounds like our season,” said an exasperated head coach Pat Fitzgerald with a smirk.

The Wildcats answered the bell and scored another touchdown to cut Purdue’s edge to 19-14, but they didn’t get any closer as Purdue scored the last 13 points of the game to post the win.

Northwestern dropped to 3-8 on the season and 1-7 in Big Ten play.

“I thought it was a heck of a ballgame until we had some self-inflicted wounds late,” said Fitzgerald.

Andrew Marty started the game at quarterback for Northwestern, a curious choice given that he’s a fifth-year senior and the Wildcats’ postseason hopes were already dashed. Ryan Hilinski, a transfer with two years of eligibility remaining and the assumed starter next season, also played, but Marty got the lion’s share of snaps and led both of the Wildcats’ scoring drives.

Fitzgerald said that he rotated quarterbacks to "play to each guy’s strengths" and keep Purdue off-balance.

Marty finished 10-of-14 passing for 93 yards and a touchdown. Hilinski went 8-for-11 for 66 yards, with one interception late in the fourth quarter after the game had been decided.

O’Connell, a walkon from Lincolnshire (Ill.) Stevenson in Northwestern’s backyard, was the best QB on the field. He finished 29-of-39 for 423 yards passing, with three touchdowns, all of them to Wright.

While Purdue wide receiver David Bell got most of the attention before the game and finished with a game-high 12 catches, it was Wright who killed the Cats with eight catches for 213 yards, including three of 45 or more yards.

Northwestern's Evan Hull grinded out 96 yards and a touchdown rushing on 25 carries and also was the team’s leading receiver, with six catches.

Northwestern’s defense was at its bend-but-don’t-break best early in the game. Three of Purdue's first four drives went for 10 or more plays and reached the Northwestern red zone. But the Boilers had just two field goals to show for it as Mitchell Fineran missed a 37-yarder, and then made 32- and 25-yarders to give the Boilers a 6-0 lead.

Northwestern also blew its shot at a very makeable field in the first quarter as struggling kicker Charlie Kuhbander had his 38-yard field-goal attempt blocked.

Wright made his first big play when he got behind the defense and O’Connell hit him in stride for a 53-yard touchdown and a 13-0 lead.

That deficit seemed daunting for the scoring-deficient Cats, but Marty returned on the next drive and promptly hit Stephon Robinson Jr. for a 35-yard connection down the right sideline. The Cats battled the defense and the clock to get to the Purdue 4-yard line with five seconds left in the half.

Faced with going for a chip-shot field goal – which still wasn’t a sure thing – or the TD, Fitzgerald didn’t hesitate, opting for the touchdown. Marty stood in the pocket and surveyed the field before drilling a pass into Marshall Lang at the back of the end zone to cut Purdue’s lead to 13-7.

Suddenly, the Cats were back in the game -- until the second-half kickoff put Purdue back in the driver’s seat. O’Connell completed 5-of-7 passes on the Boiler’s scoring drive, including the scoring strike to Wright for a 19-7 lead.

Again, the Wildcat offense answered. Marty drove the Cats 65 yards in 14 plays, including a keeper to convert a fourth-and-1. Hull did the heavy lifting on the possession, with nine carries, the last one covering one yard for the touchdown. The game was back on again at 19-14.

But Rod Heard bit on a pump fake to let Wright get behind him on a double-move, and O’Connell again threw a perfect pass for a 45-yard TD to make it 26-14. That one took the wind out of the sails of the Wildcats, who wouldn’t score again.

Northwestern’s defense was plagued by big plays early in the season, but had largely avoided them over the last several weeks. They came back today with a vengeance as Purdue had four passes go for over 40 yards.

Fitzgerald’s explanation for all of the home runs was simple. “We lost one-on-one matchups,” he said.

Northwestern is not built for a back-and-forth shootout and the Wildcat offense flinched on the next drive, as Marty’s fourth-and-2 pass over the middle fell incomplete.

Purdue came right back with another long pass to – who else? – Wright, who beat AJ Hampton down the sideline for a 50-yard catch to set up a Fineran 22-yard field goal.

The Boilermakers added another field goal with 3:24 left to cap the scoring.

Northwestern will cap this dismal season next week at Illinois. The Wildcats have won six straight Land of Lincoln Trophies over its in-state rival, but they are two games behind the Illini in the Big Ten West standings.