Nebraska football rival kicks offensive coordinator to the curb

This season has not gone the way the Purdue Boilermakers hoped it would. That much is obvious. It appears that the 28-10 loss to the Nebraska football team was the last straw for head coach Ryan Walters who did a little arranging of the deck chairs on Sunday night.

Walters announced he fired offensive coordinator Graham Harell. For now An interim play-caller has not been named. Or at least Walters isn’t making the job public just yet. There will need to be one though, as the Purdue head man, who seems poised to follow Harrell out the door in the next few weeks, has his background calling defenses. 

The 18-point loss to the Nebraska football team was just the latest mishap for Purdue, who is 1-3 on the season and 0-3 against FBS teams. Those losses are a 66-7 stomping at the hands of Notre Dame, a 38-21 defeat by Oregon State and then their game against the Huskers.

"Decisions like this are never easy," Walters said in a statement according to FootballScoop. "After evaluating our start to the season, I felt that it was best for our team to make a change now. We are appreciative of Graham's contributions to our program and wish him the best going forward."

Nebraska football rival kicks OC Graham Harrell to the curb

Taking out a 49-0 season opening win over FCS team Indiana State, Purdue ranks 122nd nationally in scoring (12.7 points per game), 116th in yards per play (4.34), and 120th in passing efficiency (102.49).

Harrell, the son of a Texas high school coach and a record-setting Texas Tech quarterback, has previously coordinated offenses at North Texas, USC, and West Virginia. He joined Ryan Walters's staff ahead of the 2023 season, but the club is just 5-11 (3-7 Big Ten) in that span. 

The Nebraska football team might selfishly be sad to see Harrell go. The Huskers have faced off against his offenses two years in a row and hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in either game.