Hurts, Purdy set for college-era rematch in NFC title tilt

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy could possibly be primed for a shootout in the NFC championship sport.

It’s the primary time Hurts — the league MVP finalist for the Philadelphia Eagles — and Purdy, the “ Mr. Irrelevant ” rookie sensation for the San Francisco 49ers, have matched up in the NFL. And it’s a doozy, with a spot in the Super Bowl at stake.

But the 2 younger quarterbacks have gone head-to-head earlier than, in a sport that was among the many best in the 2019 school soccer season. Hurts handed for three touchdowns and ran for two extra scores for Oklahoma, and Purdy handed for 5 touchdowns for Iowa State. Purdy’s No. 9 Sooners came out on top, 42-41, on Nov. 9, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma.

“It was almost like you had to score every single time you had the ball,” Purdy recalled this week.

His stint with the Cyclones had a narrative that has just about been replicated in San Francisco.

As a freshman in 2018, Purdy played so well, so quickly that incumbent starter sophomore Zeb Noland determined to play elsewhere only a month into the season. Purdy took over in the fifth sport of the season and led the Cyclones to a 7-2 document and a visit to the Alamo Bowl. He was the primary true freshman quarterback to start out a sport for Iowa State since 1995 and completed with a staff bowl-record 315 yards passing in opposition to Washington State in the bowl sport.

Eagles defensive finish Matt Leo, on the staff’s observe squad, performed for three seasons with Purdy at Iowa State.

“I remember when he came in straight out of high school, he was already working out before the semester even started,” Leo mentioned. “Seeing that competitive nature in him, I knew the kind of tone he was going to bring to the team. And he did.”

Fast ahead to 2022, when Purdy was the final participant drafted, but made the 49ers’ roster because the third-string QB and improbably took over after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo each bought harm. Purdy is now the third rookie quarterback ever to win two NFL playoff begins, the fifth to succeed in the convention title sport as a starter and can look to be the primary to succeed in the Super Bowl.

For all his success, it’s nonetheless straightforward to consider the sport in opposition to Hurts that slipped away.

Purdy led the Cyclones again from a 42-21 gap in the second half and pulled them inside one when he discovered Charlie Kolar for a 13-yard landing move in the ultimate minute. Trying for a win that might increase their Big 12 title sport probabilities, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell referred to as for a two-point conversion. The gamble failed. Parnell Motley intercepted Purdy’s two-point conversion move with 24 seconds left.

Hurts handed for 273 yards and ran for 68 yards. Purdy handed for 282 yards and rushed for 55 yards.

“Yeah, I thought it was a completion,” Purdy mentioned. “Obviously, it sucked not getting the completion and the game being over. That was that.”

Until they meet once more.

Leo mentioned the 23-year-old’s performances in large NFL video games made it laborious for him to consider Purdy was the ninth QB picked in the draft: “He showed everyone that he’s ‘Mr. Relevant,’” he mentioned, laughing. “I’m so happy for him and an old teammate, as well. I still root for him. But this week, no.”

The 24-year-old Hurts had his personal travails in three seasons at Alabama, which included getting benched at halftime of the 2018 nationwide championship sport. Hurts used his remaining yr of eligibility to switch to Oklahoma and completed second in Heisman Trophy voting.

Hurts mentioned he remembers how spectacular Purdy was in that 2019 sport.

“I have a lot of respect for (Purdy). He’s always been a really good player,” Hurts said. “He has a lot of moxie, he makes plays and he’s been doing that since college, so there’s no surprise when he was given this opportunity to see the success he’s having now.”

The sport additionally gave Purdy a style of what it was wish to play on the highway in front of 83,541 fans.

Since then, Purdy confronted a loud crowd in a playoff win at Seattle — however few atmospheres rival the rowdiness forward in Philly. That night time in Norman got here shut.

“I think that was just a great experience for me to go back to and remember how I felt, what was going through my mind, how did it affect my decisions,” Purdy mentioned.

On Sunday, he hopes it’s the sort of efficiency that results in a Super Bowl.

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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow in Santa Clara, California, contributed to this report.

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