WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite a career night by Trey Palmer, the Nebraska football team had its comeback bid fall short against Purdue.

Aidan O’Connell matched Palmer’s performance, leading the Boilermakers to a 43-37 win over the Huskers.

Purdue scored the opening 10 points, but Nebraska responded midway through the first half. After closing the first quarter with a 45-yard completion from Casey Thompson to Oliver Martin, the Huskers punched it in with a one-yard touchdown run by Jaquez Yant to pull within a field goal early in the second quarter.

Nebraska’s next trip to the red zone resulted in a Timmy Bleekrode field goal

Purdue regained the lead by rattling off 17 straight points, though Nebraska was able to pull within two possessions before halftime with another Bleekrode field goal.

The Huskers scored on the opening drive of the second half, capped by a 37-yard touchdown strike from Thompson to Palmer.

Nebraska had first and goal later in the quarter, but the Huskers had to settle for another Bleekrode field goal.

After the Boilermakers re-extended their lead with a 27-yard touchdown pass from O’Connell to TJ Sheffield, the Huskers responded once again with a 72-yard connection from Thompson to Palmer.

Purdue rattled off another 10 straight points, but a 64-yard catch by Palmer set the Huskers up in the red zone, leading to an Anthony Grant touchdown to pull Nebraska within six points.

After burning two timeouts in the third quarter, the Huskers were unable to get off the field during the next drive, as O’Connell led a Boilermaker drive the bled the rest of the clock.

Palmer snagged a school-record 237 receiving yards on seven catches, including two touchdowns. He was also the Huskers’ leading rusher, going for 60 yards on one carry. Thompson had 354 yards passing, completing 16 of 29 passes, but he had a pair of costly interceptions.

O’Connell completed 34 of 54 passes for 391 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Devin Mockobee racked up 178 yards on the ground on 30 carries for the Boilermakers.

Purdue moves into a tie for first in the Big Ten West alongside Illinois. The Huskers, now 3-4, will be back at home in two weeks against Illinois.

"I told them to keep their head up, block out the noise, and then get back here on Monday," Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph said. "I told them it's a five-game season from here on out."