Purdue's Ryan Walters explains the decision on fourth down in overtime

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football coach Ryan Walters said he calculated the odds on his controversial four-down decision in overtime against Northwestern and the odds proved it.

On the first possession of overtime, the Boilermakers faced fourth-and-five at the Northwestern 20. Wildcats defenseman Damon Walters intercepted a Hudson Card pass intended for CJ Smith, breaking the score to a 20-20 tie.

Northwestern scored two plays later, leaving Ross-Ade Stadium with a 26-20 victory and extending Purdue's losing streak to seven games.

Freshman kicker Spencer Porath, as a right-footed kicker, should have kicked a 42-yard field goal from the right corner – generally a more difficult angle. He hit a 46-yard field goal from the left wing against Nebraska earlier this season. Early in the game, he missed a 39-yard attempt from the right wing.

Walters said the kick to the left side might have been enough to convince him to attempt the field goal.

“From that…distance and that hash, it was a struggle for us in the kicker game,” Walters said. “So we had a discussion – and that's why we took the time out to thoroughly process the situation and decide what decision we should make.”

“I just felt like, percentage-wise, we had a higher chance of getting the first down than shooting that field goal.”

Purdue entered the game going 1 of 8 on four downs, the worst conversion rate in the country. On Saturday they went 4th and 4 from their own side of the 50 and failed to convert. Later in the quarter, Card and Jaron Tibbs connected on a 17-yard pass play on 4th-and-1. That kept the Boilermakers' first touchdown drive alive.

Card said he thought the play Walters chose in the fourth was a good one.

“CJ ran an angle route and I had him get past that backer and tried to give him a chance and the DB made a good play,” Card said. “It’s burning.”

It was the second overtime loss of the season, following a 50-49 loss at Illinois. Walters also had to make a crucial decision in this game: He opted for two points and a win instead of a tie. Illinois tackled Ryan Browne to end the game.

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