Purdue proved improvement in loss, knows work still to do, showed it will respond

WEST LAFAYETTE — At the end of a long, sometimes bizarre day at Ross-Ade Stadium, Purdue football ’s paradoxes showed through.

The Boilermakers are both closer to beating a good Big Ten team than it appeared after two games and prone to self-destructive moments. They are both resilient on defense and in desperate need of playmakers to emerge. They made necessary and effective coaching adjustments and made a few decisions which undermined their chances for their first conference win in two years.