It was a moment that crushed the Boilermakers' already fading spirits late in the second quarter this past Saturday afternoon. Graduate defensive lineman Rylie Mills forced a baffling throw by Hudson Card, setting up sophomore defensive lineman Boubacar Traore for a pick-six that pushed the Irish lead to 35-0. In a moment of desperation, it was as if Card passed it to Traore, technically making him the first Irish player to get a “touchdown passing reception” this season. As Purdue fans flooded for the exits, it turned into a sea of green in West Lafayette.
Though many players contributed to the 66-7 Irish smattering of Purdue, it was young talent like Traore who helped the defensive line when it was stretched thin. With junior defensive end Josh Burnham out to begin the game, plus leading fifth-year edge rusher Jordan Botelho carted off with a knee injury early in the game, Traore stepped up and delivered a promising performance in the name of his teammate.
“Definitely heartbreaking,” Traore said of Botelho’s injury. “He’s definitely in my prayers, too. But I told him, ‘I’m going to do it for you … everything I do is for you from here on out.'"
Contributing to arguably the strongest defensive line performance seen in-game yet this season, Traore credited the team's preparation for what would be a make-or-break match.
“We had a gameplan, everyone was super comfortable, everyone was super locked in,” Traore said. “[I'm] not saying we weren’t locked in the week before, but we just knew what we had to do coming into this game, especially after what happened last week.”
After two inconsistent showings at prior games, the Irish defensive line was able to bounce back. It kept pressure on Card and created more disruption in the second half. Traore acknowledged that the veteran players set the tone.
“The more [the older guys] play good, it comes out on all the younger guys,” Traore said. “We obviously look up to the older guys so when we see them hyping us up, having great energy and playing good it motivates us to do better.
Despite the devastating loss to Northern Illinois the week prior, Traore set a new single-game career high with three tackles (two solo, one assisted) and a tackle for loss against the Huskies. Traore had two solo tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception against the Boilermakers.
“He's a really, really good player right now,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “He's gonna be a great player for us.”
The Boston native and four-star recruit has goals of his own to improve, both on and off the field.
“I definitely want to get heavier, like 250 [pounds],” Traore said. “I’m 242-243 right now, so 250-255 would be where I’d want to be.”
With gaps to fill along an injured line, Traore is poised to continue making an impact throughout the rest of the season. And he’s embracing the opportunity to do so.
“It’s truly a blessing,” Traore said. “It’s everything you want as a player, to be able to play in front of all those people.”
