Washington 38, Purdue 26: Cooley's 53-yard run outlasts five turnovers

Washington turned the ball over five times on Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium and still left with a 38-26 win. The decisive sequence came early in the fourth quarter. Purdue had just cut the lead to 31-26, and 48 seconds later Trey Cooley broke a 53-yard touchdown run that restored a two-score margin.

Purdue won the turnover battle 5-2 and held the ball slightly longer, 30:44 to 29:16. It was not enough against a Washington offense that piled up 488 yards and converted 4 of 7 third downs. The win ends a three-game losing streak for the Huskies.

How it was won

Elijah Brown opened the scoring with a 2-yard pass to D. DeGraaf at 6:19 of the first quarter. J. Echeverria Lozano answered with a 24-yard field goal, and T. Robles traded one back from 25 yards early in the second to make it 10-3.

The second quarter turned into a shootout. Antonio Harris tied it with a 1-yard run. Brown found Brian Bonner Jr. for a 25-yard score, and Ryan Browne answered with a 10-yard pass to Fame Ijeboi to tie it at 17. Bonner then punched in a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left, sending Washington to the break up 24-17.

The third quarter produced only a 48-yard Echeverria Lozano field goal, cutting it to 24-20. Brown hit Dezmen Roebuck for a 4-yard touchdown on the first play-clock of the fourth to stretch the lead to 31-20. Browne ran in from 8 yards at 11:18, but the two-point try failed, leaving Purdue down five. Cooley's run at 10:30 closed the scoring.

Brown finished 21 of 27 for 302 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Chris Lawson caught six passes for 103 yards and Roebuck added five for 97. Cooley needed only eight carries for 113 yards, and Bonner ran 13 times for 64. Washington split its yardage at 302 passing and 186 rushing, with 24 first downs.

Purdue gained 371 yards. Browne completed 21 of 41 for 273 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Asaad Waseem was the top target with nine catches for 116 yards, and Xavier Townsend had three for 55. Harris ran four times for 65 yards, while Ijeboi managed 19 on 13 carries. The Boilermakers converted 5 of 14 on third down.

Against the number

Purdue closed as a 3-point favorite, so Washington covered and won outright. The moneyline closed at Washington +130 and Purdue -155.

The total closed at 50.5, and 64 points went over comfortably. The teams had 41 on the board at halftime, and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns within 48 seconds pushed it well clear. Full closing prices are on the game page.

What's next

Washington moves to 4-3 after losses to Minnesota, No. 18 USC and No. 20 Iowa. The Huskies have a week off before visiting Nebraska on Saturday, October 31.

Purdue falls to 3-4, ending a two-game run that included wins at Illinois and over Minnesota. The Boilermakers also get an open week before travelling to Penn State on Saturday, October 31.