WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It was not perfect, but it was certainly better.

Rutgers had one of its better defensive games of the season in a 27-24 win over Purdue on Saturday. It was a low bar to clear considering how poorly it had played through seven games, and to be sure, the Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4) were not exactly the ‘85 Bears at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Still, consider this:

— Rutgers held Purdue to 24 points, marking the lowest total scored against it by a Big Ten team and marking the second time it held an FBS team below 30 points in seven tries this season.

— Rutgers held Purdue to 345 total yards, the least it has given up to an FBS team this season (Iowa had 346).

— While the Scarlet Knights did not take the ball away in their first nine drives against the Boilermakers, who

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