Did Purdue football unlock its offense after the return of one of its projected top playmakers?
No, we’re not referring to Hudson Card.
CJ Smith’s speed was supposed to be a weapon that not only made him dangerous in the receiving game, but also opened up space for everyone else.
From the very first snap last Saturday, Smith’s first game as a Boilermaker, it was evident Smith could be a weapon.
Even though a deep ball was dropped, it was enough to knock off the rust of Smith’s first in-game action since he was playing for Georgia last season.
“CJ was harder on himself than what we could be as coaches,” interim offensive coordinator Jason Simmons said.
After the one drop, Smith was solid.
He finished with four catches for 55 yards.
“I was a little nervous but after that first one I knew I can’t drop another one,” Smith said. “I had to go make it up.”
Smith suffered a hamstring injury early during preseason camp.
Originally, he was slated to return on Sept. 21 at Oregon State, but reaggravated the injury during practice. Smith dressed for Purdue’s Oct. 18 home game versus Oregon and went through pregame warmups to test the comfort level of his hamstring.
With an idle week that followed, Smith finally made his Boilermaker debut against Northwestern, a game where his impact was felt beyond his own statistics.
For the first time since beating Tennessee in the 2021 Music City Bowl, the Purdue had four different players with at least 50 receiving yards.
“He’s a really explosive wide receiver,” tight end Max Klare said of Smith’s impact. “He’s fast. He can make some plays down the field and he’s a great player for us.”
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