The 5-foot-9, 175-pound dynamo is one of college football’s most electrifying players and could have a Heisman Trophy in his future.
There are some pretty solid questions that will be answered on Saturday, just a few days before the first College Football Playoff rankings debut.
Can No. 9 Florida take out No. 7 Georgia in the only matchup of Top 10 teams this weekend?
Are No. 6 Texas and No. 12 Kentucky for real?
Can Florida State shake things up and salvage their season by upsetting No. 2 Clemson?
Can No. 18 Iowa beat No. 17 Penn State in Happy Valley?
Can the mad scientist Mike Leach keep his No. 14 Washington State squad humming against No. 24 Stanford?
Will No. 3 Notre Dame stomp Navy out like Ash Tray and his crew did Toothpick’s homeboy in Don’t Be A Menace?
But the biggest question I’m asking is when will people realize that Purdue freshman wide receiver Rondale Moore is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate?
Get to Know Rondale Moore | Purdue | Big Ten Football | The Journey
Rondale Moore has emerged as one of the best players in the country at Purdue,and his family has been with him every step of the way. New content from “The Journey” is uploaded every Tuesday. Get alerts and SUBSCRIBE to Big Ten Network on YouTube: http://www.btn.com/youtubesubscribe Looking for videos for your favorite Big Ten school?
Perhaps after last weekend’s electrifying performance, where the 5-foot-9, 175-pound dynamo caught 12 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns while accumulating 252 all-purpose yards in the Boilermakers shocking 49-20 evisceration of Ohio State, a lot more folks took notice.
Moore is the centerpiece of the nation’s sixth ranked passing attack, with speed and moves in the open field that are reminiscent of Barry Sanders. It seems odd to say that about a player who’s mainly a receiver, but he also returns punts and kicks while taking an occasional handoff out of the backfield, running a vicious jet sweep.
In his college football debut against Northwestern, he racked up a sizzling 313 all-purpose yards. Two weeks later against Missouri, he caught 11 passes for 137 yards. But most folks outside of Lafayette, Indiana hadn’t noticed because Purdue lost their first three games.
The Boilermakers first win of the season came against Boston College on September 22nd, with Moore hauling in eight receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. In their ensuing three games, Purdue’s offense topped the 40-point threshold, with Moore accumulating 101 yards on only four catches in a 46-7 spanking of Illinois prior to his nationally televised masterpiece against an Ohio State squad that was favored to earn a coveted playoff spot.
Quarterback David Blough and Moore have been operating under the radar, but after what they did to the Buckeyes in capping off a four-game winning streak, I’ll be watching them every chance I get from here on out.
Top Plays: Rondale Moore Highlights vs. Ohio State Buckeyes | Big Ten Football
Purdue WR Rondale Moore had 170 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the victory against Ohio State. SUBSCRIBE to Big Ten Network on YouTube – new highlights & features uploaded daily: http://www.btn.com/youtubesubscribe Looking for videos for your favorite Big Ten school?
The Boilermakers average 514.3 yards of total offense per game, second only to Ohio State in the Big Ten. Moore has 57 receptions for 728 yards and seven touchdowns thus far, in addition to rushing the ball 11 times for 163 yards.
But he’s far from the only playmaker that has the Purdue offense humming. Isaac Zico has 22 caches for 449 yards and three touchdowns this year, and senior running back D.J. Knox, who has 668 yards and eight TDs on 103 carries, gashed the Ohio State defense with his three touchdowns and 128 yards while toting the rock 16 times last week.
On Saturday afternoon, Purdue knuckles up against Michigan State in East Lansing.
The Best of Rondale Moore: 2018 Midseason Highlights | Purdue | Big Ten Football
The top plays from the first half of the 2018 season for Purdue’s Rondale Moore. SUBSCRIBE to Big Ten Network on YouTube – new highlights & features uploaded daily: http://www.btn.com/youtubesubscribe Looking for videos for your favorite Big Ten school?
The matchup may not seem sexy on the national radar, but if you want to see perhaps the best freshman in college football, and an offense that’s worth the price of admission, it’s about time you get to know Rondale Moore before everyone else eventually does.
