Eleven months later, the subject remains a sore spot for the fans in West Lafayette, Ind.
Flashback: The Gophers' win against Purdue last season included a controversial play
Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said everyone he talked to agreed that Boilermakers tight end Payne Durham should not have been penalized for pass interference.
October 2, 2021 at 1:29PM
"They're still upset about it but have moved on,'' said Mike Carmin, who covers Purdue football for the Lafayette Journal & Courier. "They remember.''
Late in the fourth quarter of the Gophers' 34-31 victory over Purdue in Minneapolis on Nov. 20, 2020, Boilermakers tight end Payne Durham appeared to catch the go-ahead touchdown pass. Instead of a 38-34 Purdue lead with 52 seconds left, Durham was flagged for offensive pass interference against Gophers defensive back Phillip Howard, wiping out the 19-yard scoring play.
Boilermakers coach Jeff Brohm went ballistic on the sideline, and replays suggested that if Durham pushed off against Howard, it was very slight. The next play rubbed more salt in the wound for Purdue: Gophers linebacker Josh Aune intercepted a Jack Plummer pass to seal the victory.
"I think you know what I think,'' Brohm said after the game. "I don't like it a lot. … I did not get a good explanation. Your guess is as good as mine.''
Three days later, Brohm did get an explanation from the Big Ten office, and it appeared to answer his concerns.
"I'm not at liberty to speak about those conversations, but I can say this — of all the people that I've talked to, there hasn't been one that doesn't totally agree with my assessment of the play," he said.
The play in question was just one highlight of a wild contest in which the Gophers twice took 11-point leads only to have the Boilermakers storm back. Plummer passed for 367 yards and three TDs, while Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 109 yards and three TDs for the Gophers.
The controversy blew up on Twitter, and the gambling website FanDuel announced the next day that it would refund wagers to customers who bet on the Purdue spread or money line.
When the Gophers and Boilermakers meet again Saturday, a repeat of a Durham-Howard matchup might not happen. Durham took a big hit in Purdue's 13-9 victory over Illinois last week and is in concussion protocol. He is doubtful to play.
The No. 1 Ducks will be in Madison, where the Badgers are rested coming off a bye week. Meanwhile, while USC and Nebraska square off at the L.A. Coliseum.
