Purdue football coach Ryan Walters said he calculated the odds on his controversial fourth-down decision in overtime against Northwestern, and the odds said go for it.
The Boilermakers faced 4th-and-5 at the Northwestern 20 on the first possession of the extra period. Wildcats defensive back Damon Walters broke up a Hudson Card pass intended for C.J. Smith, preserving a 20-20 tie.
Northwestern scored two plays later to leave Ross-Ade Stadium with a 26-20 victory and extend Purdue’s losing streak to seven games.
Purdue vs. Northwestern grades: Coaching fails Boilers in OT loss.
Freshman kicker Spencer Porath would have been asked to kick a 42-yard field goal from the right hash as a right-footed kicker — generally a more difficult angle. He made a 46-yard field goal earlier this season against Nebraska from the left hash. He missed a 39-yard try from the right hash earlier in that game.
Walters said the kick simply being on the left hash might have been enough to convince him to attempt the field goal.
“From that… distance and that hash, that’s been a struggle for us in the kicking game,” Walters said. “So we had a discussion — and that’s why we called the timeout, to thoroughly process the situation and what decision we should make.
“Just felt like, from a percentage standpoint, we had a higher probability of getting that first down than kicking that field goal.”
Purdue came into the game 1-of-8 on fourth downs — the worst conversion rate in the country. It went for it on 4th-and-4 from its own side of the 50 in the second quarter Saturday and failed to convert. Later that quarter, Card and Jaron Tibbs hooked up for a 17-yard pass play on 4th-and-1. That kept the Boilermakers’ first touchdown drive alive.
Card said he believed the play Walters dialed up on fourth down was a good one.
“CJ was running an angle route, and I let him clear past that backer and tried to give him a chance, and the DB made a good play on it,” Card said. “It stings.”
It was the second overtime loss of the season, following a 50-49 loss at Illinois. Walters also had a crucial decision to make in that game, opting to go for two points and a win instead of a tying extra point. Illinois tackled Ryan Browne to end the game.
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