Jai Patel made a 30-yard field goal as time expired to help Rutgers end a four-game losing streak by beating Purdue 27-24 in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Patel’s field goal came after Purdue (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) fumbled the ball away and Rutgers’ Jett Elad recovered at the Boilermakers’ 30-yard line with 59 seconds to play.
Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 27 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a TD in the win. Wide receiver KJ Duff caught six passes for 241 yards and a TD.
The loss extended Purdue’s losing streak to six games. The Boilermakers have lost their last 14 Big Ten games.
Rutgers (4-4, 1-4) had a four-point advantage until Nitro Tuggle caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Browne that helped Purdue take a 24-21 lead with 4:43 to play, but Rutgers tied the game at 24 on Patel’s 20-yard field goal with 1:06 remaining.
Purdue led 10-0 after one quarter, 10-7 at halftime and 17-14 entering the fourth.
Purdue took its first lead when running Malachi Thomas hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Malachi Singleton with 10:24 remaining in the opening quarter. The Boilermakers added a 20-yard field goal by Spencer Porath with eight seconds left in the quarter.
Rutgers got on the scoreboard when Antwan Raymond found the end zone from a yard away with 12 seconds left in the first half. Raymond’s TD capped a 17-play, 85-yard drive.
Devin Mockabee caught a 3-yard TD pass from Singleton that helped Purdue extend its lead to 17-7 with 13:10 remaining in the third, but Rutgers answered on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to Duff that sliced Purdue’s lead to 17-14 with 7:33 left in the third.
Rutgers went in front for the first time on a 1-yard TD run by Kaliakmainis with 7:45 to play for a 21-17 advantage.
