No sugarcoating it after Nebraska loss, Purdue football is a bad team
LINCOLN, Nebraska — There's no sugarcoating it. Purdue is a bad football team.
Need proof? Of course you don't.
You just saw that Nebraska beat the Boilermakers 31-14 at Memorial Stadium.
And this isn't the five-time national champion Nebraska. This is a 4-3 team full of offensive woes that found a way to make Purdue's football team look amateur.
Three key takeaways from Purdue's third loss in a row:
Defense has star power
Let's start with a positive because there haven't been a lot this season. Kydran Jenkins, Nic Scourton and Dillon Thieneman were really, really good.
Thieneman is well on his way to freshman All-American status. Scourton and Jenkins were supposed to be Purdue's Bebop and Rocksteady and that duo certainly lived up to it on Saturday.
Jenkins' 55-yard fumble return touchdown with 6:24 to go was a nice consolation prize for a guy who played lights out on Saturday but for the team on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
Where's Bennett Meredith?
Hudson Card hasn't been as advertised.
Since Card transferred from Texas and went through his first spring practice, we've been told he's the all-everything quarterback.
Well, Card hasn't been good. He threw two more interceptions on Saturday and had just 100 yards passing.
His scramble turned backyard football touchdown toss to Jayden Dixon-Veal in the fourth quarter saved Purdue from total embarrassment.
Bennett Meredith, Purdue's backup quarterback, was given three plays on Saturday. He completed a pass that went for negative yards and handed off twice. Then, the coaching staff went back to Card.
At this point, we know what Card can do. If he gives Purdue its best chance to win, so be it. But we at least deserve to know why.
Now what?
Purdue is 2-6 and being 2-7 after next Saturday doesn't just seem possible, it's probable.
At this point, 2-10 seems possible.
The Boilermakers' final four opponents are Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana.
Michigan is a national champion contender. Indiana pushed Penn State to the brink in Happy Valley on Saturday. Northwestern suddenly is in bowl contention after beating Maryland and Minnesota is 5-3.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: No sugarcoating it after Nebraska loss, Purdue football is a bad team
