WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Vanderbilt’s late fourth-quarter touchdowns weren’t enough in Saturday’s loss to Purdue, 42-24, at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Vanderbilt quarterback Riley Neal set up the game’s opening score in the first quarter with a 49-yard pass to Kalija Lipscomb, putting the ball on the Purdue 4. Ke’Shawn Vaughn scored on a 1-yard touchdown.
The Commodores were outscored, 28-14, in the second half. The Boilermakers scored quickly after taking the second-half kickoff to take a 21-10 edge.
Sindelar’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Brycen Hopkins, from Nashville, pushed the lead to 28-10. The play was set up after a 15-yard penalty for helmet targeting by Vanderbilt cornerback Randall Haynie, who was disqualified.
Vanderbilt closed the deficit to 28-16 on Neal’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Cam Johnson early in the fourth quarter.
Moore’s 34-yard touchdown grab gave Purdue a 35-16 lead.
Vandy’s final score came on Neal’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Chris Pierce and a two-point conversion, closing the deficit to 35-24.
Vanderbilt’s Ryley Guay stayed perfect to start 2019 with a 48-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the first half.
ONE PLAY. BIG STRIKE!
Pierce = 75 yards to the house.#RTI | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/q83EltoV3g
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) September 7, 2019
Neal, a fifth-year graduate transfer from Ball State, threw for 378 yards for two touchdowns as the Commodores had an improved offensive effort from its opening 30-6 loss to Georgia
Purdue had just seven yards on nine carries until the final play of third quarter.
The Commodores have a bye week before returning to play host to No. 6 LSU on Sept. 21.
