10/19/2026 Boilermaker Water Cooler Chat: Sushi Edition
Rants, ravings, and somewhat sensical opinions following the wild, wacky, and wide-wide world of Purdue sports.
This weekend, Purdue football reminded me of Homer Simpson. Specifically, they reminded me of the 1991 episode entitled “One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Bluefish” (Season 2, Episode 11).
You see, in that episode, the Simpson family, through various happenings, wind up at a sushi restaurant. Homer, not exactly sure what he is doing while gorging himself, orders fugu sashimi. For those who are as culturally unenlightened as myself, fugu sashimi if prepared improperly, is poisonous and will kill you. Unfortunately for Homer, the star itamae (sushi chef) who is the only person in the establishment who knows how to prepare it, is busy with a romantic partner (Edna Krabappel)behind the building. His nervous understudy prepares the dish in his stead. Unfortunately, he does a poor job, cutting the fish off point, potentially poisoning Homer. Hilarity ensues.
Purdue football this week is like the fugu fish. There is a sliver of deliciousness in there. Sweet, tender, fugu. One false move, or an adventure into a toxic area, and the experience can be poisoned. The line to walk is so razor-thin, that everything needs to be done perfectly. Good Purdue was distracted by Edna Krabappel on Friday, and the result was anything but delicious.
The Game:
Washington 38, Purdue 26
Despite snagging 5 turnovers, little momentum was mounted. The offense clicked at times but stalled frequently. The defense was opportunistic but fell asleep between flashes of positivity. Whenever Purdue clawed back into the game, the defense allowed easy touchdowns on huge plays. When the defense got stops, the offense let the defense down. The opposite of complimentary football which has helped the Boilermakers the past two weeks.
Ryan Browne passed for 273 yards and a TD, looking a bit hesitant all night. He added two interceptions during scramble time, in the attempted comeback. While those INTs glare, considering the context of the game, he was trying to make something, -ANYTHING-, happen. A rough night, but he has earned the benefit of the doubt. The rest of the offense, however, struggled. The offensive line, dominant the last few weeks, got dominated by the Huskies. Purdue couldn’t work on the ground. Washington Defensive Coordinator, Ryan Walters, former Purdue coach, coordinated a defensive masterclass. If only he could do that while he was here.
Defensively, Purdue achieved 5 turnovers, including a huge pick on the first play of the game. In between those turnovers, Washington was unstoppable. The Huskies averaged 8 yards per play, as the Purdue defense returned to early season form.
Break It Down:
Like Homer Simpson’s fugu, there was -good- in this performance. The problem is that the good was razor thin, nestled around potentially fatal fish meat. Just one or two slivers of poison doomed the dish.
I absolutely love that Purdue didn’t quit. They kept hitting, they kept fighting back. This is a team that wants to win, but it is a team that hasn’t gotten used to winning. Winning is a skill, you have to practice it to get good at it.
I love that the defense hawked the ball, even if the interceptions were cans of corn. They still snagged ’em, something teams in years past, couldn’t. It is dangerous, however, that the defense which seemed to be turning the corner, regressed. Washington achieved over 20 plays of 15 yards or more. That is poison fugu.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the offense did not pull their weight this week. Only 26 points, despite several extra opportunities to score. Not punching it into the endzone, turning the ball over on downs 3 times, settling for field goals when you need touchdowns… not great. Purdue needs to take advantage of their opportunities, and they did not this week. The offense was stymied by the Huskies.
In fairness, part of this is expected. Ryan Walters did what he does best, handing Purdue losses in Ross Ade Stadium.
Purdue – Washington Photo Gallery by Mark Elsner: https://iscpurdue.com/purdue-football-vs-washington-10-16-26/
What Went Well:
- Ross Ade Stadium: … looked fantastic under the Friday night lights. The blackout looked phenomenal, the crowd was raucous, and really looked great on national TV.
- Turnovers: … have been tough to come by in recent years. Providing the opportunity for the offense to get another chance will pay dividends going forward.
- Fight: The Boilermakers could have folded, but they didn’t. Yes, they did not succeed, they did not win. They kept coming. That is a sign of a well coached team, a group of young men who don’t give up.
Opportunities for Improvement:
- Turnovers Notwithstanding: The defense gave up 8 yards per play, and deep into the 4th quarter that number was over 9. The Boilers cut it to 5 points late, and (bing-bang-zoom) two plays from scrimmage later, one of the easiest touchdown drives imaginable extended the Washington lead. This was a very UCLA performance, when the Boilermakers need more Minnesota performances.
- Line Play: Is the key to success in football. The big guys don’t often get the shine, but without a solid performance in the trenches, a team is doomed. Purdue’s offensive line got pushed back. Purdue’s defensive line got pushed back. Back is never the direction that you wish to go in football.
- Big Ten Officiating: … did not cause Purdue to lose. It did, however, change the complexion of the game. Whenever there is a review, I just figure Purdue will lose it, even if there is indisputable evidence. This is where we are at. This weekend we learned that three steps, a knee down in bounds, a hand down out of bounds, and then the (out of bounds) ground causing a fumble… is an incomplete pass, even if reviewed. We also learned that a shoulder-to-chest, on time, non-driving into the ground, rolling off to assure it wasn’t a body weight infraction, hit as the quarterback is throwing, is roughing the passer. I watched several Big Ten games this weekend, and it reared its ugly head multiple times. Indiana got bailed out in their Ohio State contest, on a similar play, late in that contest. I think that it would be appropriate for the Big Ten to do comprehensive retraining on what “football” is and “what is an asinine personal foul call” in order to improve.
One More Thing:
Purdue Basketball is back, baby! Matt Painter’s new-look squad opened up official exhibition season with an 87-55 victory. Gicarri Harris scored 16, CJ Cox added 15, and Antoine West notched 11. The Boilermakers shot 40 three pointers in the tilt, all 11 players who played scored, and the Boilers cruised to an easy victory. The next two exhibitions will be on the road with Purdue traveling to the Colosseum to take on Purdue Ft. Wayne Thursday.
Purdue – Ball St. Photo Gallery by Mark Elsner: https://iscpurdue.com/purdue-mens-basketball-vs-ball-state-10-18-26/
A Look Ahead:
Purdue football is on a bye week. Hopefully they can lick their wounds and come back with renewed focus. Their next tilt will be against Penn State on Halloween (4:15 PM | BTN). Penn State has struggled so far this season, but it is always difficult to win in Beaver Stadium.
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