Purdue’s Akeem Dent runs 38 yards for game-clinching TD (GIF)
Purdue is about to match their win total from a season ago when they went 1-11 in Darrell Hazell’s first season as the head coach of the Boilermakers as they beat Western Michigan 43-34 in the regular season opener.
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The Broncos gave the Boilermakers all hey could handle through the first three and a half quarters of the game as they only trailed 37-34 midway through the fourth quarter.
However, then Akeem hunt go his hands on the ball and took the hand off from quarterback Danny Etling and ran 38 yards off right tackle for the touchdown to put the dagger through the hearts of P.J. Fleck’s Western Michigan team.
Hunt had 15 carries for 78 yards and the touchdown on the afternoon and added two catches for another seven yards through the air.
Raheem Mostert led Purdue in rushing on the day with 22 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown as Purdue got off to a great start, albeit against a team who was coming off an identical 1-11 record from the year before.
Purdue fans hope this start is the sign of things to come in the second-year under Hazell after a successful stint at Kent State and hope to make some noise in the Big Ten and put some teams on upset alert throughout the conference schedule.
I’m not predicting a bowl game for Purdue or anything close to that, I think they have a long ways to go for that, but the Boilers are undefeated at 1-0 and they have reason to celebrate in West Lafayette tonight.