Saturday was the first start of the fifth-year team since last November against Illinois

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue coach Jeff Brohm has chosen to pitch David Blough to quarterback Saturday against East Michigan at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Blough should play the first quarter and Elijah Sindelar should play the second quarter. It was the plan that Brom had planned earlier in the week.

However, Blough remained in the quarter at the beginning of the second quarter. He led the Boilermakers to a pair of goals in the first quarter and once again had the attack in the red zone, but a penalty against Matt McCann, followed by a breakaway Rondale Moore, cost a luck in Purdue.

Sindelar entered the match with 4:49 before half-time and led the Boilermakers to their only touchdown of the first period. He was 5-for-5 for 70 yards, including an 8-yard shovel pass to Markell Jones with 59 seconds left in the second quarter.

Blough was 6 out of 10 for 48 yards and also ran three times for 17 yards.

Purdue led the Eagles 12-10 at halftime.

This was the first Blough departure since last November against Illinois. Blough suffered a dislocated ankle and missed the rest of the season.

The decision to start Blough is not a big surprise knowing how much Brohm attaches great importance to the protection of the ball. Sindelar scored three interceptions in the first period in the first game of the season against Northwestern, who scored 21 points behind his mistakes.

Blough replaced Sindelar at the end of the first half. He completed 12 of 16 passes for 74 yards and ran for 19 yards on the floor. With Blough in the game against the Wildcats, the racing game has resumed.