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By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The first indication that this was not going to be the same University of Cincinnati offense that played such a vanilla style last week against Tennessee-Martin came late in the first quarter.
On first-and-10 from the UC 15-yard line, quarterback Hayden Moore handed the ball to wide receiver Kahlil Lewis on an end around. Lewis turned the corner, tight-roped the sideline and took the ball all the way to the Purdue six. Two plays later, Moore threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Nate Cole to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead.
"We've been planning that play for awhile now," Moore said. "We were so glad that it worked. We've been saving it for the first chance we got."
By the time Saturday afternoon ended, the Bearcats had rolled up 512 yards of offense on the way to a convincing 38-20 victory Saturday over Purdue before 33,068 fans at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Tuberville estimated that the Bearcats used only 25 to 30 percent of their offense last week against UT-Martin.
"This week we're up to about 50 to 60 percent," the UC coach said. "We've got more and more. There's a lot of stuff we didn't run today that we've worked on."
The offense received plenty of help from a defense that picked off five passes - three by safety Mike Tyson. It was the first time a UC player had intercepted three passes in a game since DeAngelo Smith did it in the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl.
The Bearcats, who did not turn the ball over against Purdue, are now plus-5 in turnover margin through two games. Last year they were minus-19 last season, which ranked 124th of 127 teams nationally.
"What a switch from last year," Tuberville said.
Tyson was receiving an IV treatment after the game and was unavailable to talk to reporters, but he told associate athletic director Ryan Koslen that he was just doing his job.
"If it wasn't for our front seven playing well and doing their jobs I wouldn't have gotten any interceptions," Tyson told Koslen.
It was that kind of afternoon for UC, with the offense and defense working hand in hand to give the Bearcats (2-0) their first road victory over a Big Ten team since they beat Indiana on Nov. 9, 1957. Purdue fell to 1-1.
Moore, a third year sophomore who beat out senior Gunner Kiel and redshirt freshman Ross Trail for the starting job, was masterful in his handling of offensive coordinator Zac Taylor's evolving game plans. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. The Bearcats converted 13 of 21 third-down situations, at one point cashing in nine in a row.
Two of Moore's touchdown passes went to Cole, who caught a career-high six passes - matching his total from last week - for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
"He threw the ball well," Tuberville said of Moore. "It was a fun game to watch him because he managed it, he managed the clock. He got us in the right plays. He's growing up. He's getting better and better."
Purdue quarterback David Blough put up some pretty big numbers of his own, throwing for a career-high 401 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 32 of 57 passes but his five interceptions were deadly for the Boilermakers, who gained 504 yards of total offense.
"We had way too many third-down situations that kept us on the field defensively," said Purdue coach Darrell Hazell, whose record with the Boilermakers fell to 7-31. "We lost the edge a couple of times, gave up a big play early and we missed a field goal. We didn't make enough plays offensively to keep the offense on the field. Obviously, we can't turn it over as much as we did."
The Bearcats led, 21-7, at halftime and 31-7 with 14:10 left in the fourth quarter, but the Boilermakers made it interesting with two fourth-quarter touchdowns that pulled them within 11 points with 7:21 remaining. With Purdue driving again, Tyson picked off his third pass of the day after the ball bounced off UC's Malik Clements and returned it 27 yards to the Purdue 49 with 4:56 left.
On fourth and eight on UC's next offensive series, UC Moore ran 23 yards for a touchdown to put the victory away.
"We came out and we were more balanced than last week," Cole said of the Bearcats' offensive approach. "We opened up the passing game. When the ball was thrown my way, I just made plays. (Moore) played more confident this week. That's the main thing, just playing with confidence and knowing that we have his back whatever decision he makes."
The win over Purdue was one that UC had to have, Tuberville said, with No. 6 Houston coming to Nippert Stadium on Thursday night. The turnaround will be quick, but the Bearcats will have the benefit of playing at home after losing at Houston last year, 33-30. UC gained 589 yards to Houston's 427 in that game, but turned the ball over three times and lost an ill-advised on-side kick with the score tied at the start of the second half.
"We had to win this game, get some momentum," Tuberville said. "We knew it was gonna be tough. It's tough to win anywhere on the road, but we controlled the game. We've got a top four or five team coming in that's on a roll. They got us last year at their place. We'll have a great plan. We've been working on `em ever since the summer."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.