Takeaways: Northwestern 23, Purdue 15
EVANSTON-The Wildcats closed out Ryan Field in classic Big Ten West fashion with a 23-15 win over Purdue.
Including turnovers on downs, the Boilermakers coughed the ball up six different times, five of them in Northwestern territory. Ben Bryant strung together a 230-yard performance with a touchdown and an interception on 13-for-24 passing to stamp Northwestern's ticket to go bowling.
"That's winning football on display," said head coach David Braun, who earned the permanent title just two days ago. "I can't tell you how overwhelmed with joy I am to know this team has an opportunity to extend its season and get an extra game.
"I told the team in the locker room, we accomplished something special today but the job is not done."
Here are our takeaways from the final game at Ryan Field:
Bend-but-don't-break is back in a big way: Purdue racked up 443 yards to Northwestern's 329, picked up 21 first downs to the Wildcats' 12, and ran 77 plays to 59. It all amounted to eight fewer points, though.
"They put up quite a bit of yards," Braun said. "They moved the ball effectively, but yards don't result in wins. Points do."
The Wildcat defense turned in a quintessential bend-don't-break performance. Purdue lit up the stat sheet but had drives end at the Northwestern 1, 15, 30, 34 and 40 thanks to three different turnovers on downs, a fumble and a game-sealing interception from Xander Mueller.
"It was awesome," Mueller said. "That was one of the main coaching points from [linebackers coach Tim] McGarigle this week. That formation, that pass concept, so it felt good to get that one... I dropped one against Iowa, so it felt good to get that one."
It was a performance to make even former defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz beam with pride. The Boilermakers got everywhere but the end zone throughout the game.
The Wildcats sent off Ryan Field the right way. In three of their last four Big Ten games -- by forcing an overtime field goal from Minnesota and intercepting passes to run out the clock against Maryland and Purdue -- the defense has sealed the game.
It's the kind of defense that has defined, and will define, this program. And it's the kind that has them back bowling for the first time since 2020.
Porter's best game since the 2021 Citrus Bowl: For the second straight week, Cam Porter turned in his best performance of the year. He bulled his way to 72 yards against Wisconsin and then exploded for 95 and two touchdowns today against Purdue.
With the rise of Tre Tyus against Iowa and the dual-threat capabilities of sophomore Joseph Himon II, Porter seemed to be fading back into a committee role. Instead, he burst back onto the scene with his best stretch since he closed out 2020 with three strong performances.
It's been a long journey with a 2021 torn ACL and the emergence of Evan Hull as the feature back, but it finally seems that Porter is back to where he wants to be.
"It felt really good," Porter said about his day. "The offensive line was blocking their butts off. They played a lot of man coverage, so creases were there and I knew I could hit them."
Northwestern's rushing attack paled in comparison to Purdue's, which put up 303 yards on the ground. But the Wildcats still did a great job in the second half of moving the pile. Adjusting for sacks, Porter & Co. were able to average 4.4 yards per carry.
When Bryant missed four games earlier this season, one of their most difficult traits was the inability to establish the ground game. Now that Bryant is back and airing it out, defenses haven't been able to key in on Porter, and he has returned to his prophesied status as a true bell-cow back.
Bryant yields yet another win: The typically sure-handed Bryant threw his first interception since Duke in Week 3 against Purdue, and he assessed his decision-making in typical fashion.
"That was just really dumb by me," he said. "I didn't look off the safety, he made a good play. Taking care of the ball has been super important, and we have to continue that."
Even with his caustic self-assessment, Bryant moved to 4-3 as Northwestern's starting quarterback and secured a bowl game. He has evoked the legacy of fellow successful transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who piloted the Wildcats to a 7-2 Citrus Bowl-winning season in 2020.
Bryant doesn't have the defense that Ramsey did, but he's dependably worked around slow halves, running-game struggles and an onslaught of pressure to deliver complementary, winning football. Today, he was sacked five times in the first half and six in the game, limping and wincing at various points in the aftermath of another Boilermaker pass rush.
Postgame, he dismissed any concerns of re-injury offhand.
"I feel good, I feel great, I'm ready to go for Illinois," he said. "Super excited to get back out there this week and play our best game."
It's been a six-year, three-transfer career for Bryant, but he's found his way to Northwestern and has delivered some of his best work for the highest-stakes. Doing it all in his backyard -- he went to LaGrange (Ill.) Lyons Township -- is special to Bryant.
"It was kind of poetic," Bryant said on the final Senior Day of his college career. "I grew up like 45 minutes from here. I grew up watching Northwestern.
"I had a bunch of family here, friends, coaches, teachers, at the game today. It was really fun."
Wildcats ready to recapture the Hat: Don't expect Northwestern to rest on their laurels after clinching a bowl game. They know exactly who is up next on their schedule.
"I don't want to take anything for granted, but I hope it's easy," Braun said on keeping his team's focus this week. "The Land of Lincoln trophy on the line, rivalry game, going back out on the road... I think there are plenty of opportunities to stay laser-focused on next opportunity.
"When I mentioned something about that in our locker room after the game, there was an energetic group that fully understands that we have one opportunity left in the regular season, and it's a big one."
Porter, who burst onto the scene with 24 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman against Illinois, talked about the game's importance.
"At the end of the day, we didn't come out on top last year," Porter said about the WIldcats' 41-3 loss to Illinois last season. "It left a bitter taste in [our mouths]."
Bryant said he is looking forward to facing his home-state state school for the first time in his career.
"Illinois never really recruited me out of high school," he said. "I'm excited to get out there and show them what they missed out on."
Ryan Field went out with flying colors: With the American flag emblazoned at mid-field and students almost packing their section to the top, Ryan Field mustered one last win before its looming demolition and reconstruction.
Fans, players and the Northwestern band lingered long after the clock hit zeroes to relish the win and bask in memories new and old.
Security guards fended off the goalposts, much to Mueller's postgame dismay, but the students still rallied to chant Braun's name during his interview with Big Ten Network on the field.
"It's so cool," Braun said. "We've talked about the student-athlete experience...that's it embodied.
"It's awesome and that's what college athletics is all about, bringing the community together."
It was a disappointing, though understandable given the turmoil that enveloped the program over the summer, that attendance has been low for the Wildcats all year. For the last game at the 97-year-old stadium, 23,291 fans showed up, the largest number of the season.