Jan. 13, 2026, 6:33 a.m. ET

New Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough was once a standout quarterback at Purdue University.

Playing in the 2015-18 seasons, Blough had two seasons in which he passed for over 3,000 yards. Keep in mind, while the NFL plays a 17-game schedule, Blough played 12 and 13 games in those two seasons.

One game in particular that Commanders‘ wide receiver Terry McLaurin certainly recalls vividly is the 2018 season game at Purdue. Kevin Sheehan, on his Team 980 morning show, briefly discussed this game on Monday. McLaurin was a senior for Ohio State and Blough a senior Boilermaker.

Purdue was again a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team that season, having lost its first three games. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were undefeated and ranked No. 2 as they traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a Saturday night game against the 3-3 Boilermakers.

What occurred during the game shocked a national television audience. Purdue’s quarterback, Blough, passed for 378 yards, including three passing touchdowns and no interceptions. Purdue shocked Ohio State 49-20, breaking the Buckeyes’ game-winning streak (7-0).

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Following the upset loss, McLaurin expressed, “The team needed to treat this like it’s life or death,” emphasizing a mentality shift, taking personal responsibility (‘look yourself in the mirror’, and recognizing the loss as a reset to get serious and learn from mistakes.

Blough would pass for over 300 yards in six of the 12 regular-season games of that 2018 season. His best game may have been a home 40-37 loss to Missouri. On that day, Blough completed 39 of 55 passes for 70.9 percent and 572 passing yards.

In the NFL, Blough was undrafted and signed by the Browns in 2019. The Browns traded him to Detroit and he was with the Lions 2019-2021. The Vikings signed Blough to their practice squad in 2022, and three months later, he was signed by the Cardinals to their roster. Therefore, Blough was coached by Ben Johnson, Kevin O’Connell, and Kliff Kingsbury. As a coach, he served two seasons under Kingsbury before being interviewed and hired last week as Kingsbury’s replacement.

Now, Blough is McLaurin’s boss.